Ika Bowl , Auckland - Nutritious, delicious, Polynesian food

Art by Askew One

The first thing you notice when you walk into Ika Bowl is the stunning wall art by artist, Askew One, next, your eyes are  drawn to the wide array of delicious fresh food laid out in bowls ready to be made into poke.  Poke, or raw fish salad, has its origins in Hawaii where fishermen used the raw off cuts of fish to make a quick meal. It is a portable and healthy alternative to filled rolls and sandwiches and is a rapidly growing food trend, proving to be hugely popular with city workers.

Ika Bowl is the brain child of three charming, personable  friends, Ra, Hutu and Navi, all of Pacifica heritage, who had a dream of bringing delicious, nutritious, raw and real food, with a South Pacific, Polynesian twist, to Auckland.  Since Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world nothing could be more apt.

Service with a smile from Hutu

The three young men first formed their friendship as students at Alfriston College in South Auckland.  Having all studied Business Management at University the next logical step was to go into business together and put their knowledge into action. They are equal partners in the business each taking on different management roles - food/shop management, finance/business and advertising/marketing.

The selection at Ika Bowl is wide and you can either select individual ingredients to make a bowl of your choice or choose one of the six different bowls on the menu.  Bowls come in two different sizes, small ($10.90 to $12.90) or large ($12.90 to $15.90).  I find the small bowl is more than adequate for me and am sure those with a healthy appetite would be well satisfied with the large.

As an example the most popular dish, Moana, consists of a base of brown or white rice, chunks of raw king salmon, shallots, sweet red onion, carrots, seaweed salad, roasted sesame sauce, topped with toene (egg) and wasabi peas.  I particularly like the Koko Loko dish which includes raw tuna, golden chunks of mango and toasted coconut flakes.  There are also hot and spicy choices, a poached chicken dish, for those who prefer it, and a tofu dish for vegetarians.

Koko Loko bowl with chunks of raw tuna, mango and toasted coconut flakes - delicious!

 Ika Bowl has a superb location in Fort Lane on the corner of Snickel Lane and right opposite the chic, New York cool, Imperial Cafe. Customers can eat at tables in the covered Snickel Lane if they wish. Ra said that they chose the location because they could be assured of good foot traffic and this is proving to be the case.

Lunch time queue at Ika Bowl

I have bought lunch at Ika Bowl several times so here is a handy hint...get there before mid day or after 1.30pm, if you can, otherwise be prepared to queue, it is very popular. However don't worry if there is a queue, it moves fast, service is slick and efficient.

Ra, Hutu and Navi all told me they are loving running the business. They are enjoying putting their business knowledge into action and get their reward from the happiness and smiles of their customers. 

If you are in Auckland I suggest you get along to Ika Bowl for an authentic and healthy Polynesian food experience.

Address:  Corner of Fort Lane and Snickel Lane, downtown Auckland
Hours:     11am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday
Website:  www.ikabowl.co.nz   

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