Surf's Up, Dude!

The Pitch

Food trends ebb and flow like any other fad.  The last five years have seen a boom of all-in-one bowls, with Venice doing it ŕ la Californian and SpiceBros giving it an Indian twist, among others.  Preceding all of this was the appearance of poke, the popular Hawaiian dish with Japanese influences, usually served in a bowl.

Montreal has a new player in this field; after opening on Queen Mary Road last summer, Olu Olu Poké has just added a second location at the very edge of The Village on Sainte-Catherine Street East.  Today, I drove over to this sketchy part of town to pick up some lunch, on invitation from the newcomer's owners.

tagged:  TAKEOUT

The Food

Having only tried poke at a handful of spots, I do not have an expansive repertoire to use as a basis of comparison.  Where some bowls seem to fall short is with the overuse of sauce, which is usually a variation of soy/ponzu/mayo/sriracha.  This excessive drenching does not let the ingredients – specifically the raw fish – stand out.

This was not the case at Olu Olu; their careful application of sauce allowed the salmon, tuna, veggies, avocado, mango, rice and other elements to speak for themselves.  The addition of jalapeno and a tempura/crispy rice mix brought in some welcome heat and a crunchy texture.

$15.50

$15.50

Omao Omao

"brown rice, greens, furikake, salmon, tuna, avocado, edamame, jalapeno, cucumber, ponzu, teri-unagi sauce, crispy mix"

$15.95

$15.95

Spicy Rainbowl

"white rice, furikake, salmon, tuna, crab, avocado, mango, olu special sauce, pickled cucumber, carrot, jalapeno, crispy mix, cilantro"

The Verdict

The new shop employs a Hawaiian/beachy palette, which is reflected in the colorful elements used in its bowls.  If I could point out one flaw, it would be with the ordering and receiving process.  The two staffers behind the counter today had trouble figuring out who ordered what, even with a handful of patrons waiting on their lunch.  With barely a month under their belt, I can forgive this shortcoming.

Otherwise, Olu Olu's fresh ingredients, bright flavours and balanced textures combined for a totally bodacious poke experience, dude!