Japanese fare with a twist? Yes please! A lot of you would probably have visited Hokey Poki already But for those of you who haven’t – you’re missing out! This makan gem is located in the heart of Arab Street within the hip and trendy FOMO. Besides the convenient location, they’ve also got a really extensive menu!
You’ll find PLENTY of delicious makan on their newly revamped menu. There was so much good stuff that we had to visit a few times! 😛 So here’s what we tried so far!
When you hear the name Hokey Poki, I know a lot of you might have the idea that they may specialize in the popular ‘Poke’ Bowl right? I don’t blame you because that’s what I thought at first too LOL But it was a really pleasant surprise to learn that while they do not primarily feature Poke Bowls, they do incorporate some elements in their dishes her and there.
Case in point – the refreshing Salmon Poke Salad! Who can resist a vibrant and tasty salad that also features super fresh ingredients? It’s got all that veggie goodness including greens, cherry tomatoes, corn kernels and a surprise guest – some mango too!
But the star has got to be the morsels of fresh Salmon 😀
They’ve also got a few other salads in the new menu by the way. Favourites include Wasabi Mayo Chicken Salad, Aburi Salmon Mentai (more on that next!) and a Tofu Salad!
There is SO MUCH good stuff on the menu at Hokey Poki that can be considered as Sides that I think we’d better break it down for y’all one by one 😛
I mean, they’ve got Sushi, Sashimi, Aburi (flame-seared) and Grilled items and even their unique Sushi Tacos!
FUYOH!!! ???
We absolutely loooovveeeeee Mentai lah! And it’s Mentai galore at Hokey Poki! And if you’re feeling adventurous, they’re serving it up some Aburi Sushi in some pretty unique ways that showcase local flavours!
But first – some of you may be curious about the term ‘Aburi’. What exactly is it? Well, the word ‘Aburi’ translates to ‘flame-seared’ where the ingredient (often proteins like Salmon or Tuna) are given a quick flaming which results in the outer (or top) layer getting partially cooked thus creating a different texture and flavour profile! Trust us – Aburi rocks and you have to try it.
Something that probably doesn’t need much introduction is MENTAI! This creamy, delicious and often rare delicacy is paired with many things these days but most popularly with Salmon! Give it the Aburi treatment and what you get is one of the most delicious items on the menu at Hokey Poki! SEDAP GILER!!
Giving it a bit of a local twist, they also have Aburi Salmon Laksa Mentai too. At first, I thought it was Rendang lah (by the looks of it) but then the unmistakable aroma of Laksa wafted into my nostrils and my mouth was watering. In fact, the Laksa Mentai is a signature at Hokey Poki!
The Aburi treatment gives it a nice slightly-charred and smoky touch but that Laksa flavour is a ringer. Definitely worth a try! Pssssst they also have Aburi Salmon Wasabi too!
One of the most popular Japanese delicacies has got to be Sashimi. And with such a wide variety available to us nowadays, I have no doubt that the most classic remains the most popular – Salmon Sashimi.
Generous, thick cuts of fresh premium Salmon to be savoured here at Hokey Poki. They have options of either 6pc ($7.90) or 8pc (10.90). But I reckon that if you’re a big fan and dining with friends, you might wanna order extras 😛
Now THIS is one of our favourite items on the menu. Not only because it’s super creative… but also because it’s super sedap! Have you ever had a Sushi Taco before? 🙂
So what makes up a Sushi Taco anyways? Hmmmm think of this as a Japanese take on that famous Mexican snack!
They’ve got a few types you can choose – Aburi Salmon Mentai, their Signature Laksa Mentai Softshell Crab, Wasabi Mayo Chicken and, our choice, the Cheesy Prawn.
The base is made up of that special healthy purple Sushi rice (that is also used in their Sushi and their Rice Bowls too) and the addition of some shredded vegetables namely cucumber and carrots which gives this snack a fresh touch plus add crunch too! Atop the Sushi Taco sits our Prawn Tempura in all its crowning glory 😀 And don’t forget a touch of mayonnaise for creaminess and an insanely generous amount of cheese sauce!
Oh! I almost forgot one of the best parts – the Taco ‘Shell’ is actually made up of a piece battered and fried seaweed! Talk about creativity lah LOL and it’s really works well here too! Even remains super crisp while we whacked the other dishes too.
PRO TIP: Grab this bad boy by the hands and take nice big chomps. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty with this one! 😛
There are quite a few Rice Bowls for you to choose from at Hokey Poki. In fact, they have no less than 8 on their newly revamped menu. So many great choices but we figured we’d like another taste of their signature Laksa Mentai! This time with Soft Shell Crab!
They really did a lot of research and work on their Laksa Mentai! The result is a flavour that we all know and love but also has a slight edge when it comes to the flavour department. This was a bold flavour that goes really well with a lot of toppings and the Soft Shell Crab was REALLY good with it.
Their Rice Bowls comes with a bed of that healthy purple Sushi Rice with loads of other goodies like Edamame, Shimeiji Mushrooms, corn and some veggies too. Besides Soft Shell Crab, you might also consider Salmon Poke, Cheesy Soft Shell Crab, Aburi Chirashi, Aburi Salmon Mentai (!), Cheesy Chicken, Cheesy Prawn (like the Sushi Taco we had!) and also a healthier Tofu Delight Rice Bowl as well.
Whichever you choose, it’s bound to be a good one lah I think. In fact, we’ve made plans to try a new Rice Bowl every time we visit and conquer the whole list! 😛
Woooooo anyone here loves Ramen? *raises hand*
The Ramen (and Soba) are new on the menu at Hokey Poki and judging by what we had, it’s ‘go big or go home’ Ramen but still at a really affordable pricing. They’ve got 5 types of Ramen choices but we went with one that caught our attention thanks to the word ‘SPICY’ 😛
The Aburi Spicy Prawn Ramen comes with this HUGE King Prawn that’s been totally smothered with a spicy sambal (special homemade Hokey Poki recpie!) that gives this dish a great spicy kick. The seafood was fresh and the shell has already been split so all of you who have an issue with prawn shells (like me!) need not worry because all the hard work has been done for you LOL!
The Ramen broth is rich and tasty too. All Ramen choices come with Corn, Nori and some crab stick on the side. Other options besides the Aburi Spicy Prawn Ramen include Chirashi Seafood (not sure how that’s gonna work so definitely need to try this next time!), Laksa Mentai Salmon Fillet, Aburi Spicy Scallop (which you’ll see in awhile) and also Cheesy Chicken.
Last but definitely not least is Hokey Poki’s range of Soba which is also new on their menu.
They’ve got Aburi Spicy Scallop Soba (which is the one we tried), Salmon Poke, Wasabi Mayo Chicken, Aburi Chirashi, Aburi Salmon Mentai and also Tofu Delight. All come with Shimeiji mushrooms, Edamame and soft tofu on the side.
We tried the Aburi Spicy Scallop which was really good (because that sambal is really sedap!) especially because the scallops (like all the other seafood we had at Hokey Poki) was really fresh. Something to note is that this is not a hot Soba and you’re probably used to having cold Soba by dipping the noodles into the sauce right? Well, the sauce is already in the bowl with the noodles. Takes a bit of getting used to but if you’re a fan of Soba then you’re gonna wanna try this.
And there you have it! Seems like a long list of dishes right? Well, believe it or not – there is much more to be enjoyed at Hokey Poki! They’ve got a great space at FOMO which is spacious so be sure to head down with all your makan kakis to dig in! Some really interesting concepts here that definitely get the thumbs up 😀
Be sure to follow Hokey Poki on Facebook and Instagram to see what else is cooking! Like they say at Hokey Poki – Be happy not hungry!
HOKEY POKI
38 Sultan Gate (inside FOMO)
Singapore 198486
Tel: +65 9817 3889
www.hokeypoki.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hokeypoki
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hokeypoki
Operating Hours:
Mondays til Fridays
11.30am til 2.30pm (LUNCH) // 5.30pm til 9.30pm (DINNER)
Saturdays – 5.30pm til 9.30pm (DINNER)
CLOSED ON SUNDAY
This meal is a sponsored post one okay.
All information (including prices, availability of item on menu and Halal status of establishment) are accurate at the time of posting. All photos used in this site are property of The Halal Food Blog unless stated otherwise.
