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PEOP LE’ S C HAMP :
THE SUPER BOWLS OF POKEH BY CHRIS TIESSEN The first time I tried poke (pronounced ‘POH-
a favourite item. But still.) Lost in the world,
keh’) was at Baker Street Station in Guelph. I
I yearned for poke. What luck, then, when I
was on one of my wheat-free kicks – minus
came across an online post by Heather Peter of
liquid wheat, which I determined fine – and
The Inlet (@theinlet_), entitled ‘Favourite Eats
decided to give it a go. And what a go it was.
of #HamOnt Restauranteurs’, in which three
The bowl of raw, marinated salmon tossed
of the ten Hamilton chefs surveyed chose the
over warm rice and topped with edamame,
eponymous ‘Pokeh’ – also pronounced ‘POH-
sliced avocado, sesame seeds and other
keh’ – as their best-loved local establishment.
delectable ingredients, and finished with a beautifully-executed sesame dressing, was like heaven in my mouth. Fresh, crunchy, pretty, delectable. Sort of like deconstructed sushi – but maybe even better? – Baker’s poke bowl (which I usually paired with a Bellwoods ‘Jutsu’ APA or Elora ‘Lady Friend’ IPA) quickly became my go-to for lunch. Until it wasn’t.
And that’s really all it took for TOQUE Partner Cai Sepulis and me to plan a lunch trip to Hamilton: to try this people’s champ for ourselves. Which brings us to now. Cruising down Highway 6 between the Royal City and Steeltown. Windows open. The breeze in our hair. With thoughts of poke swirling around our heads. Before long, we’re in downtown Hamilton
Because, you see, Baker likes to keep its menus
where we make our way to Pokeh’s Hamilton
fresh. Which is cool, I guess. But which meant,
Market location. It’s not at all hard to find,
for me, at least, the loss of my very favourite
really, even amidst the myriad of market stalls.
menu item. (To be fair, every Baker menu has
All we have to do is look for the longest queue.
