Poke Bowl

I recommend a marination time of 1 hour for the poke to develop the best flavor. If you‘re short on time, you can always shorten or skip it.

For 3 donburi servings of steamed rice, I recommend cooking 2¼ cups (3 rice cooker cups, 450 g) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice. This yields 6⅔ cups (990 g) cooked rice. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.

Now, gather all the ingredients.

Put 1 small clump Hawaiian ogo seaweed (dried) in a small bowl and add enough water to cover. Soak for 5 minutes to rehydrate.

Squeeze out the water and cut the ogo into smaller pieces, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.

Thinly slice ¼ sweet onion lengthwise.

Thinly slice 1 green onion/scallion.

Cut ½ lb sashimi-grade tuna into bite-sized cubes about ¾ inch (2 cm).

Cut ½ lb sashimi-grade salmon into bite-sized cubes about ¾ inch (2 cm).

Put the tuna and salmon in a large bowl. Add the onion, green onion, and ogo.

Add the seasonings: 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), and ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or Hawaiian sea salt).

Sprinkle in ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and gently mix it all together. Cover and marinate it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or up to 12 hours) to develop the flavors. During this time, prepare your optional toppings.

Divide 3 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice into individual large (donburi) bowls. Cool the hot rice for 3–5 minutes (you don‘t want to warm up the raw fish). Then, pile the poke on top. You can add the toppings of your choice now. I recommend sliced or cubed avocado, shelled edamame, thinly sliced Japanese or Persian cucumber, thinly sliced red radish, sushi ginger (gari), shiso leaves (perilla/ooba), and furikake (rice seasoning). See my Notes below for more suggestions. Serve immediately and enjoy!

It‘s best to enjoy the poke bowl on the day you prepare it. You can keep the poke ingredients in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. I recommend cooking the rice just before serving.