Vietnamese native Vinh Tran, drawing inspiration from his childhood in Hawaii, introduces Birmingham to the classic Hawaiian poké (pronounced ‘po-kay’), an intersection of Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine comprised of raw fish and imported seaweed served on a bed of rice or greens.
In its most basic form, it consists of pieces of raw fish marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil and onions. The traditional Hawaiian food dates back at least a few centuries and picked up a few Japanese influences along the way with immigrants arriving on the islands beginning in 1806. The way poké is served today shows a clear influence of Japanese cuisine both in the marinades and the use of seaweed and other traditional ingredients.
Everything is definitely ono, Hawaiian for delicious!
