Everything you need to know about the new sushi that’s more bowl than roll.

Until now, Hawaii’s biggest contribution to international gastronomy has been its namesake pizza (ie, the ham-and-pineapple combo that many consider a gastronomic anathema). Poké – a food trend that’s already booming in the US, and is set to resolutely hit London this month – will be far less divisive. Essentially, it’s a sushi/ceviche hybrid, combining cubes of raw marinated fish with a combination of ingredients including black rice, pickled vegetables, seeds and the ubiquitous health food du jour, avocado.

For a state that remains one of the world’s largest consumer of Spam, Hawaii has made quite a departure from its indigenous food with poké. The concept originated post-war, when migrants from Japan, China, South America and the Philippines fused the food of their homelands with the ingredients around them and – aloha! – poké was born.

Elements of it will be familiar to anyone with even a passing interest in the UK restaurant scene and the sushi and ceviche explosion in recent years. It’s far easier to make – as anyone who’s spent frustrated hours trying to wrap maki will attest – and doesn’t require the nuanced spicing of the tiger’s milk marinade applied to ceviche. In short, it’s a simple and healthy lunch option that sates our appetite for the new and voguish foodstuff.

As with the majority of food trends, New York and LA were the early adopters of poké, with Wisefish Poké opening in NYC’s Chelsea at the beginning of 2016 and a number of LA sites launching mid last year. London is hot on their heels, with a number of joints opening in the last few months and more planned before the end of the year. Mr Louis Sloley, owner of Japanese café Tombo, was one of the first movers in the UK and has just opened his second site in Soho, dedicated to poké, to join his branch in South Kensington: “Sushi bowls – which poké essentially is – have been around for years in Japan, but from recent trips to NYC and Tokyo, we noticed a more contemporary style emerging,” he says. “I love the fuss-free style of poké and so we decided to bring the concept back to London, where people have lapped it up,” he says. “The best thing about it is that you can make it as hearty or light as you want. For something small, I’ll go for courgette noodles with salmon, edamame and sesame soy; though if I’m hungry, I’ll go with rice, tuna, avocado, creamy sesame sauce, tempura crumbs and Hijiki black seaweed.”

Serial restaurateur Mr Gabriel Cohen-Elia who co-founded North Audley Cantine wasn’t far behind: “I first came across poké in LA last year and couldn’t stop eating it. We then travelled to Hawaii for a week to discover the more traditional approach to poké and knew we had to bring it to London,” he says. Mr Cohen-Elia’s latest outpost, Ahi Poké, is due to open soon on Percy Street in London’s Fitzrovia.

Ahi Poké’s head chef Mr Jeremy Coste promises a new dimension to the dish. He’s classically trained, coming out of French fine-dining legend Mr Paul Bocuse’s Lyon learning ground, and has big plans to elevate it to a new level. “We’ll be taking a fine-dining approach, using premium ingredients and applying simple techniques,” he says. With these guys joining Black Roe in London’s Mayfair, Tombo Poké & Matcha Bar in Soho and Australasia in Manchester, you’ll certainly be hearing a lot more about this fresh catch over the coming months.

However you want to take it, poké won’t break the calorific bank and with prices at around the £10 mark for a bowl, it won’t hit you too hard in the pocket, either. So try it – you might just like it.