Poke bowls have become one of the big food trends of the year, and in NOLA this trend is far from fading. Although I’ve only been here for a little over a month, by virtue of being a freshman, I can tell that NOLA loves poke. Out of all the meals I’ve eaten here, my favorites have involved poke from numerous places. They’ve all been good, don’t get me wrong, but now that I consider myself a poke “expert”, I know that not all poke is created equally. Here’s my personal ranking of the best poke bowls in NOLA.
4. Poke Loa
Poke Loa is a great option for Tulane students because they accept NOLA BUCKS! They have a huge menu featuring their own combinations, as well as an option to make your own bowl. For a base they have options such as different types of rice, lettuce, and zoodles (for anyone who is trying to load up on veggies). The bowls are good, but not the best I've had. The seaweed salad made my bowl taste a little funky. I’ll be changing my order next time.
3. Auction House Market
Next, we have Auction House Market. Unlike Poke Loa, they have a standard menu. I got the Ahi bowl, which was different from many other poke bowls I’ve had because it included fruit. My bowl came with pineapples, mangos, and oranges. This was an interesting take on the dish. The fruit provided sweetness, a taste I don’t usually look for in a poke bowl. Overall, it was a good poke bowl that I would happily eat again (and I have).
2. Jazmine Cafe
Jazmine Cafe lacks many different options in terms of their poke bowl offerings. It’s components are nothing new: rice, some type of protein, cucumber, edamame, avocado, seaweed salad, spicy mayo, tobiko, and spicy mayo. Although I wouldn’t consider this to be one of the fancier poke bowls around, it was one of the best. This meal proves sometimes less is more. A great plus to Jazmine Cafe is that, like Poke Loa, they accept NOLA BUCKS. Not only is it walking distance from campus, but it's also next door to Shake Therapy. Besides, is there really a better pair than poke and milkshakes?
1. Pokeworks
Last, but not least, is the best poke bowl I've had in New Orleans. Pokeworks has tons of different combinations of bowls, or you can make our own by going through an assembly line of ingredients. They have bases like sushi rice, brown rice, lettuce, quinoa, and kale noodles. They have a wide variety of different proteins, from tuna to tofu, and tons of toppings. They have eight different sauces, so there’s a combination for anyone's unique taste buds. The bowls taste fresh, even after being delivered through Uber Eats.
#Spoontip if you’re feeling adventurous, and have had too many poke bowls, try a poke burrito!
There are many poke places in NOLA that I have yet to try, but for now this is my unofficial ranking of my favorite poke bowls in NOLA.