A Bowl Full of Memories: My Toronto-Inspired Poke Recipe

 

We’ve been feeling a bit home-from-home sick for Canada this month. When we lived in Toronto, we loved grabbing poke bowls, sushi, and sashimi — there were so many incredible spots right on our doorstep. Sadly, there’s nothing like that near us now, and even when we’ve tried places in London, the poke bowls have been… well, a bit disappointing.

I recently took a sushi class, which has given me a bit of confidence in the kitchen, and when I spotted some fresh, sustainably sourced yellowfin tuna in my local Sainsbury’s, I thought, why not try making my own poke bowl?

I combined a little bit of this recipe and a little bit of that one from around the internet and came up with my own version. I hope you like it! The best thing about poke bowls is how flexible they are — you can add anything you enjoy: shredded carrot, radish, peas… if you like it, pop it in! We had some weird and wacky combinations in Toronto so just have fun with it and see what you come up with.

You are in control of the spice so you can go as heavy or as light as you like on the chillies, wasabi and sriracha

Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl

Ingredients (Serves 1–2)

For the spicy tuna:

• 200–250g yellowfin tuna (Sainsbury’s), diced into small cubes

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp sriracha or 2 if you like it kicking!

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)

• ½ tsp honey or sugar (optional)

For the rice:

• 1 pouch Tilda Sticky Microwave Rice

Rice dressing:

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tsp sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp sesame oil (optional)

• 1–2 tsp soy sauce (optional)

Toppings:

• A handful of edamame beans

• A handful of sweetcorn

• ½ cucumber, diced

• 1 fresh chilli, sliced

• 1 spring onion, finely chopped

• ½ avocado, sliced or cubed

• Crispy fried onions

• Sesame Seeds

For the wasabi mayo:

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise

• ½–1 tsp wasabi paste (to taste - this is HOT so try a little and see how you like it)

• A squeeze of lime (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the spicy tuna:
   In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey. Add the diced tuna and toss to coat. Marinate for 15 minutes in the fridge.

2. Cook and cool the rice:
   Heat the Tilda sticky rice according to the packet instructions. Transfer it to a bowl or tray and spread it out slightly to cool completely.

3. Make the rice dressing:
   In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Stir in the sesame oil and soy sauce if using.

4. Dress the rice:
   Drizzle the dressing over the cooled rice and gently fold it through with a fork or spatula.

5. Prepare the toppings:
   Get your edamame, sweetcorn, cucumber, chilli, spring onion, and avocado ready.

6. Make the wasabi mayo:
   Stir the mayonnaise and wasabi together until smooth. Add lime juice if desired.

7. Assemble:
   Add the dressed rice to your serving bowl. Arrange the toppings around the bowl, place the spicy tuna in the centre, drizzle with wasabi mayo, and finish with crispy fried onions and sesame seeds.

8. Serve:
   Enjoy immediately while everything is fresh, cool, and full of flavour.