Fishbowl opened its first pokè dedicated restaurant in Bondi in 2016, serving up nothing but pokè seven days a week from morning 'til night. With the cheesy slogan "everything will be pOKè," owner Nathan Dalah brought a bit of LA food culture to Bondi with his new venture — and it proved successful, with almost 20 outposts around Australia now, including this spot on Darley Road, Manly.
The bar is 'BYOB' only — build your own bowl. In case you're intimidated, it's pretty easy — the sashimi salad bowls essentially deconstruct a sushi roll and take it to the next level.
The five bowl-building steps are simple — base, sashimi, toppings, sauces and garnish — but the flavour combinations are complex and seemingly endless. Bases don't only offer the standard sushi rice, but also include inventive options like vermicelli, coriander and carrot. The toppings are a wide range as well, from avocado and edamame to tobiko (flying fish roe) and beetroot. For sauces, think miso tahina, roasted sesame and wasabi or truffle mayo, garnished with the likes of wasabi peas, togarashi (Japanese capsicum) and nori.
If you love the flavour combos but aren't feeling like fish, tofu sashimi is also available for the vegos out there. Tofu sashimi.
We must say Fishbowl's Instagram photos are pretty damn tasty looking with all those bright, contrasting colours of pokè goodness. We're already creating our own order for lunch today: quinoa and brown rice base, kingfish sashimi, avocado, seaweed salad and ginger toppings and spicy ponzu sauce, garnished with toasted coconut. Feel free to copycat.