DIY Poke Bowl Dinner Party

Looking to throw an easy and modern dinner party? Try a DIY Poke Bowl Dinner Party. Delicious, customizable bowls to accommodate everyone at your table!

I don’t know about you, but I love Poke. Poke is fresh and delicious, versatile and healthy.

What is Poke? Poke is basically a sushi bowl. You know how Chipotle has burrito bowls with Southwest inspired ingredients? Chile lime rice, carne asada, black beans, corn salsa, guacamole? Poke bowls are the Asian equivalent. Sushi, rice, and other Asian inspired ingredients tossed into a bowl.

When I fell in love with Poke, I knew this would make the perfect DIY dinner party.

I love DIY dinner parties! Guests assemble their own meal, right at the table. Each bowl can be mixed and customized to individual preference. DIY dinners solve the problem of the modern dinner party: what to serve to accommodate vegetarians, gluten-free or dairy-free eaters, picky eaters, and voracious carnivores at the same table? Poke Bowls!!!

Plus, everything can be prepped beforehand for stress-free hosting. You are not left at the stove, fussing over last minute details. Instead, you can focus on connecting with guests. That’s is why we gather in the first place, isn’t it?

Here’s the method:

Start with rice. I like to serve brown rice with poke. The texture is more firm, the taste more assertive. Follow the package directions. For every person in your party, 1/4 cup of brown rice (uncooked) is about right. Some will eat more, others will eat less. If you have a lot of carb lovers, you can estimate 1/2 cup of brown rice (uncooked) for each person.

Prep sushi grade salmon or tuna.

For DIY Poke Bowls, the hardest part is finding sushi-grade salmon or tuna. I buy mine at the local Galleria, H-Mart, or T&T (Asian grocers). You can also try your fish monger or local sushi restaurant. Some sell salmon and tuna by the pound as a take-out item. You can bring it home and cut the fish into cubes yourself.

To prep: cut raw fish into 1 inch cubes with a very sharp knife. A generous serving is 1/2 pound per person. Drizzle with soy sauce and a little bit of Mirin or Sake (about 1 tsp each per 1 lb fish). Add some finely chopped red onion. Mix and set aside.

Make the sauces. I like to offer two kinds.

Sweet Mirin & Soy Sauce – 2 Tb Mirin, 2 Tb Soy Sauce, 1 Tb chopped red onion.

Spicy Sriracha Mayo – 1/2 cup Mayo, 1 Tb Sriracha. Adjust according to preference.

Prep the toppings. I’ve never made the same DIY Poke Bowl dinner party twice because the varieties are truly endless. Just make sure to have different textures, colors, and tastes.

- Avocado

- Cucumber

- Carrot

- Sugar Snap Peas

- Mixed Salad Greens

- Seaweed or Wakame (Found in the refrigerated, prepared food aisle at most Asian grocers)

- Edamame

- Spicy Jalapeno Chips
- Fish eggs (Found in the freezer section at most Asian grocers)
- Mango or Pineapple
- Jalapeno
- Red Cabbage
- Cilantro
- Green Onion
- Red Onion

Here’s a party I prepped for 5 people:

From left to right, top to bottom:

Salad Greens. Fish eggs. Salmon. Seaweed Salad. Carrots.

Green onion. Cilantro. Sweet Mirin Soy Sauce. Spicy Sriracha Mayo. Cucumbers. Jalapeno Chips.

Here’s another party I prepped for 10:

The basic elements remain the same as the party for five. I simply included more quantity and variety to the table.

For this party, I included some chicken (roasted and shredded) to accommodate friends who couldn’t eat raw fish. I also made Soba Noodles and a quick Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa.

The next time you throw a dinner party, consider a DIY Poke Bowl Dinner Party. So fun! So easy! So delicious!