Name: Zofusion
Address: Hoekenrode 4, Amsterdam, 1102 BR, NL
Telephone: 020 624 0095
Rating: 3.2

Netherlands

Amsterdam

Zuidoost

Zofusion

United States

Poke (pronounced poh-kay) is a native Hawaiian dish that has surged in popularity worldwide, evolving from a simple fisherman's snack to a trendy fast-casual staple. The word 'poke' means 'to slice' or 'cut crosswise into pieces' in Hawaiian, referring to the method of preparing the fish. Traditionally, poke consists of raw fish—most commonly ahi (yellowfin tuna) or octopus (tako)—that is cubed and tossed with sea salt, candlenuts (inamona), and limu (seaweed).

Modern versions of poke, particularly those popularized on the US mainland and globally, often involve a wider array of ingredients. The base is usually seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and onions (sweet Maui onions or green onions). It is frequently served as a 'poke bowl' over a bed of white rice, brown rice, or salad greens, garnished with avocado, cucumber, edamame, tobiko (fish roe), furikake seasoning, and spicy mayo.

The dish reflects the deep connection of Hawaiian culture to the ocean. Historically, ancient Hawaiians prepared poke with freshly caught fish, massaging it with sea salt and seaweed to preserve and flavor it. The influence of Japanese and other Asian immigrants to Hawaii later introduced soy sauce and sesame oil to the recipe, creating the flavor profile most recognized today.

Nutritionally, poke is valued for being fresh, light, and protein-rich. However, its global boom has raised concerns regarding the sustainability of tuna stocks. Whether enjoyed in its purest traditional form on a beach in Oahu or as a loaded bowl in a bustling city, poke is a celebration of fresh seafood and bold, clean flavors.

Poke

Meat or vegetables braised gently in a sauce built from yoghurt, browned onions, ground nuts and whole spices, cooked low until the fat separates and the gravy turns thick and pale: korma is a technique from the Mughal kitchens of northern India, not a single recipe, and the word comes from the Urdu for braising. The dish that travels under the name in British curry houses, a sweet, cream-and-coconut sauce with almost no spice, is a 1970s adaptation that a cook in Lucknow or Hyderabad would not recognise. The originals are rich but not sweet: the Awadhi korma of Lucknow is made with yoghurt, cashew or poppy-seed paste and saffron, the Hyderabadi version is sharper with green chilli and coconut, and the shahi korma of Delhi leans on cream and almonds. Lamb, mutton and chicken are the usual meats; navratan korma is the vegetable version with nine ingredients.

The method starts with birista, onions sliced thin and fried slowly in ghee until deep brown and crisp, then drained and ground; they give the sauce its colour and most of its body. The meat is marinated in yoghurt with ginger, garlic and salt, then sealed in the same ghee with whole spices, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay and black pepper, which are left in the pot. Ground coriander, a little turmeric and chilli go in with the marinade, and the pot is cooked dum style, sealed with a lid and sometimes dough, over the lowest heat for an hour or more until the meat is tender and the oil rises to the surface. A paste of soaked almonds or cashews, sometimes with poppy or melon seeds, is stirred in towards the end to thicken, and saffron, kewra or rose water finishes it. The sauce should coat the meat, not drown it, and it is served with naan, sheermal or plain rice.

Judge the colour and the sheen first: a proper korma is beige to light brown, never bright yellow or orange, with a layer of spiced ghee visible at the edges, which shows the sauce was cooked out and not thickened with cream. The meat should be tender and have taken on the marinade through. The flavour should be layered, onion and nut sweetness under whole spice, with warmth from pepper and cardamom and no raw sugar. Mark down a sauce that is sweet, a coconut-cream base with no onion depth, meat that tastes boiled and separate from its gravy, visible pools of unincorporated cream, and a korma that is identical in colour and texture to the restaurant's other curries, which means a base gravy. Bread should be fresh and hot. A good korma is rich enough that a small portion is right, and it is better the next day.

Korma

A patty of ground beef cooked on a flat griddle or over a grill, served in a soft round bun with some combination of onion, pickle, lettuce, tomato, cheese and sauce: the burger has been built that way for over a century, and most of what goes wrong with it still happens at the griddle. It is an American dish with a German-sounding name: the Hamburg steak, a seasoned patty of chopped beef, was on menus in New York by the 1870s, and the bun arrived somewhere in the Midwest around the turn of the twentieth century. Several towns and fairs claim the first one and none can prove it. What is not in dispute is that White Castle in Wichita standardised the small griddled patty in 1921 and that the drive-in chains of the 1940s and 1950s made it the most widely eaten sandwich on earth. On BiteCritic the burger is rated as a dish, so a smashed diner patty and a thick pub burger are judged by the same questions: meat, cook, bun, balance.

The meat decides most of it. Chuck at roughly twenty percent fat, coarsely ground and handled as little as possible, gives a loose patty that stays juicy; lean mince packed hard turns into a dry puck. Seasoning is salt and pepper on the outside just before cooking, because salt worked through the mince tightens it like sausage. The two methods produce different burgers. On a hot flat-top the patty is smashed thin for the first thirty seconds so the whole face browns into a crust, cooked two to three minutes a side and flipped once; over a grill a thicker patty is left alone until it releases, then flipped once and taken off between 55 and 60°C at the centre for medium. Cheese goes on for the last minute under a lid or a splash of water so it melts. The bun is toasted cut-side down in the fat.

Pick the burger up before you judge it: it should hold together and not slide apart, and the bun should be soft enough to compress but not collapse. The crust on the patty is the first thing to look for; a grey, steamed surface means a cold or crowded pan. Inside, pink is right for a thick patty and irrelevant for a smashed one, which is cooked through by design. The bun should be warm and toasted, never cold or stale, and the ratio matters more than the size: a tall tower that needs a skewer is a presentation choice, not a better burger. Mark down dry meat, a patty that tastes mainly of seasoning mix, cold cheese sitting unmelted on top, soggy bread from untoasted buns or too much sauce, and lettuce doing the structural work. Fries are a side, not part of the score.

Burger

Tipico pollo al curry, en este caso con el nivel mas bajo de picante. El sabor estuvo bastante incipido y el nivel de picor era 0.

Le pain était sec, l’ensemble était correcte mais compliqué à manger et assez basique.

Poke (pronounced poh-kay) is a native Hawaiian dish that has surged in popularity worldwide, evolving from a simple fisherman's snack to a trendy fast-casual staple. The word 'poke' means 'to slice' or 'cut crosswise into pieces' in Hawaiian, referring to the method of preparing the fish. Traditionally, poke consists of raw fish—most commonly ahi (yellowfin tuna) or octopus (tako)—that is cubed and tossed with sea salt, candlenuts (inamona), and limu (seaweed).

Modern versions of poke, particularly those popularized on the US mainland and globally, often involve a wider array of ingredients. The base is usually seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and onions (sweet Maui onions or green onions). It is frequently served as a 'poke bowl' over a bed of white rice, brown rice, or salad greens, garnished with avocado, cucumber, edamame, tobiko (fish roe), furikake seasoning, and spicy mayo. This customization allows for endless variety, catering to diverse palates.

The dish reflects the deep connection of Hawaiian culture to the ocean. Historically, ancient Hawaiians prepared poke with freshly caught fish, massaging it with sea salt and seaweed to preserve and flavor it. The influence of Japanese and other Asian immigrants to Hawaii later introduced soy sauce and sesame oil to the recipe, creating the flavor profile most recognized today.

Nutritionally, poke is valued for being fresh, light, and protein-rich. However, its global boom has raised concerns regarding the sustainability of tuna stocks, prompting many chefs and consumers to seek sustainably sourced fish or alternatives. Whether enjoyed in its purest traditional form on a beach in Oahu or as a loaded bowl in a bustling city, poke is a celebration of fresh seafood and bold, clean flavors.

Plat complet, les ingrédients sont frais et la cuisson du poulet est bonne. Sauce soja sur le côté pour ceux qui le souhaitent. 

Thai Beef Poke bowl. Well cooked meat but it was less.

Nice rice and other ingredients. It was just a simple lunch without specific taste. Ginger leaves was not necessary.


I wouldn’t order again probably for this money.

Zofusion

Ate here? Rate a dish from Zofusion

Most loved here

Poke

Korma

Burger

Top gourmets here

Romaric

hurkanakbiyik

cotonrey

Elkio

Recent reviews

What to eat around here

Discover new culinary experiences

Global Feed

Find Foodies

Foods Near Me

Become a Partner