Hawaiian poke restaurants in Toronto have taken the city by storm. In case you haven’t been immersed in the number of new places serving this dish, it’s pronounced “poh-kay” and is derived from Hawaiian terms for cutting, chopping, or slicing crosswise, which produces the cubes of raw fish that star in poke.

Here are my picks for the top Hawaiian poke restaurants in Toronto.

North Poke

This colourful casual Kensington Market eatery does poke the traditional Hawaiian way, butchering fish in the shop and serving it marinated rather than 100% fresh. This brings out the flavours in their ahi and albacore salads with flavours like togarashi, ponzu and ginger. Bonus: try their cheap, quick but made to order spam musubi.

Pokito

This place allows you to mix and match to your heart’s desire as well, funneling you through an assembly line process where you can order a bowl or burrito stuffed with fresh salmon, tuna, scallops, or tofu, topped with quirky pineapple chow, lemongrass garlic corn, or Hawaiian guac.

Big Tuna Poke

Signature Big Katuna tuna bowls and Ninja salmon bowls are on offer here, and if you’re sensing a pattern, you’re right to assume they offer customizable options too. Situated on Bloor in Koreatown, not only do they offer high quality fish but there’s a vegan poke bowl here too.

Poke Guys

This casual spot near City Hall does simple poke well, offering marinated fish salads in options of just poke or signature or custom poke bowls. You won’t find any crazy burritos or other super unconventional poke creations here, but this spot does have a tofu version. Sauces like creamy togarashi and garnishes are free of charge.

Calii Love

This is arguably the other side of the poke spectrum, California style. There’s an emphasis on customizability with mixing and matching any ingredients, and the freshest, highest quality fish is emphasized. The love is emphasized here too, with a menu based on emotions.