The Gold Coast’s passion for poké is set to reach fever pitch when Byron Bay foodie fave Finn Poké makes its grand entrance at Pacific Fair this weekend.

That’s right folks more poké for you to ahh poke your fork at is on the way and this one has already been tried and tested by our southern friends, so you know it’s good.

It’s the first installment in Finn Poke’s planned Coastal expansion, with a third establishment set to open on James Street in late July.

As you’d know by now, poke bowls were born on the balmy shores of Hawaii and some absolute genius decided it would be a good idea to bring them to little old Oz. Thank you, kind soul.

They are, quite obviously, bowls of nourishing goodness, salad-style and often with the inclusion of raw fish and/or some other type of tasty, tasty protein.

So what’s Finn Poké bringing to the table? Premium-style bowls with mainly locally sourced ingredients and sustainably caught seafood of course. They’re staying true to the classic poké recipe while adding a local flare from northern New South Wales using a variety of vibrant vegetables, salads, tofu and raw fish options.

Get a load of these ingredients – fish caught in Australian waters, roasted beets, organic rice, citrus kale slaw and coconut-avocado or finger-lime caviar dressings.

GIMME.

The newbie is the work of brother and sister duo Jem Jacinto and Joelle Boehnert and can be found in the dining precinct just down from Event Cinemas.

It’s set to be a light-filled space, featuring all your faves including white, timber, stone and concrete, with subway tiles, a floating pergola, statement pendant lights and pops of greenery. Literally, all your faves.

To celebrate the official opening at Pacific Fair, Finn Poké will be dishing out 100 FREE mini poké bowls from 11am on Saturday 16th June.

Bring. It. On.

LOCATION: Level 1, Pacific Fair, Hooker Blvd, Broadbeach
Words by Kirra Smith

It’s all happening in Burleigh Heads folks, we’ll be eating somewhere new every night for the rest of our lives at this rate and we’re not sad about it.

This week Finn Poké slid open its doors on James Street bringing healthy, colourful and, best of all, absolutely delicious poké bowls to the people. Now we know poké bowls have been discussed previously but allow us to elaborate for those who haven’t had the pleasure.

Originating in Hawaii, poké (pronounced poh-keh) bowls are usually made up of raw fish, rice, vegetables and other fun additions. Don’t stop reading if raw fish ain’t your thing though, you can also have chicken (cooked) poké, vegetable poké and tofu poké.

Burleigh’s newbie comes courtesy of Jem Jacinto and his team who began their foray into poké bowls in Byron Bay just last year and since then, opened a store in Pacific Fair and now, this pretty place.

Speaking of pretty, you’re gonna LOVE it. The space is all white textured walls and aqua leather seating with a tiled entryway way and, our fave, a neon pink slogan sign scrawled across one wall.

Wicker light fittings are strung down the length of the space and the whole thing comes together in a perfectly Burleigh way – light, airy and with delightful little pops of colour and we would like to move in please.

Especially because we could eat poké bowls all day long. Yes please.

Finn Poké’s bowls are a little different from most in that they source only the most premium of ingredients to ensure both quality and flavour are top notch. Which they are.

We’re quite partial to the Spicy Salmon Shaka because not only is it made up of the prettiest pink hues we’ve ever come across, it is also a flavour sensation. The Shaka has red onion, bean sprouts, daikon, watermelon radish, shiso furikake (seasoning) and spicy sriracha mayo over the freshest of salmon.

The Salmon Finn is also next-level. Reminiscent of summer in a bowl, it’s filled with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bean sprouts, orange segments, nori furikake and classic shoyu (a type of soy sauce). So citrusy, so yum.

Of course, those are part of the signature bowl range but you’re also welcome to build your own bowl, which the chefs will ensure are perfectly balanced and even more perfectly tasty.

In conclusion (how dumb was essay writing back in the day), Finn Poké is the perfect addition to James Street and just imagine grabbing a bowl and perching atop Burleigh Hill every single day of summer. It’s going to be a time.

See you there, bring beers.

LOCATION: 31 James Street, Burleigh Heads
HOURS: 11am until late daily

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

Balmy all-day beach weather is almost upon us and with it will come entire days frolicking in the salty, sunshine with the crew, frosty cold beers buried deep in ice-filled eskies and light, feel-good eats to ensure you’re energetic enough for said frolicking.

And you know what’s the perfect light, feel-good eats Gold Coasters? Poké bowls – bowls filled with healthy, tasty goodness that will not only nourish you from the inside out, but are also very pretty and perfect for taking back to the beach so you don’t miss out on any fun.

Conveniently, if you venture down Coolangatta way sometime soon (which you should), you’ll find a sleek new space serving up exactly that – healthy, tasty poké bowls filled with locally sourced produce that are some of the very best around.

Raw + Rice is the newbie, found on Marine Pde in Coolangatta overlooking the ocean and perfectly at home with a sleek, plant-filled interior, seating out on the deck and plenty of natural light inside.

It’s the work of Sunshine Coasters Ben Glass and James Breust who have already created four successful venues (including one in Brisbane) and it’s the perfect addition to the Coolangatta dining scene.

The business was built with sustainability and conservation in mind with all fish ethically caught and the use of biodegradable packaging prominent throughout. It’s a nod of gratitude to the earth and that’s something we are fully in support of.

The fresh, flavour-packed menu boasts both a choose-your-own-adventure and an already-expertly-decided-upon option and every single possible combination is 10 out of 10.

In the already-expertly-decide-upon section, there are Salmon, Ocean Trout, White Fish, Soy Tofu and chicken options loaded up with a variety of crunchy, delicious extras that’ll knock your socks off.

If you’re keen to choose exactly what’s going into your bowl, start with your base – sushi rice, brown rice, quinoa or mixed greens – then add protein, some fresh salady goodness, sauce (Wasabi mayo for the win) and some crunchy bits to keep things interesting.

YUM.

Since there are already four venues going strong up the Coast, you know Raw + Rice are on top of what’s good in the poké bowl department but we suggest getting down there to taste test them for yourself.

Get down there ASAP so when balmy, all-day beach weather rolls around you’ll know exactly what you want, you can run in barefoot off the beach, grab your goods and barely miss a minute of the sandy action.

Good times all round.

Love you Raw + Rice poké bowls.

LOCATION: 2/110 Marine Parade, Coolangatta
HOURS: 11am until 7pm daily

Words and photos by Kirra Smith