The elegant tan brick brise-soleil caught my attention on a walk home recently. Although at the time Hokey Poke was still a good 24-hours away from its scheduled opening, I was drawn by the fragmented views of pink neon and the activity inside. If anything, that screen was doing its job: enticing passers-by and for future diners the perfect screen from the less-desirable elements of the street outside.

Curious, I returned the next day for lunch.

You're encouraged to build your own bowl from a selection of base, protein, garnishes, toppings and sauces but for first-timers there are six house originals to chose from. I settles into a wholesome and exotic Special 6 — Bulgogi (grilled and sliced) beef, picked pear, sprouts, radish, mint, purple Labneh and crushed pistachios (R100 for a large bowl) — which is a fine example of how the poke style has been infused and transformed by flavours from around the globe. 

I chatted to owner Max Botha about his move to food, getting hokey over poke and the design concept behind his good-time establishment, which he says draws its influence from old Miami and downtown Tokyo. 

Interior of Hokey Poke
Interior of Hokey Poke

You’ve a background as a stylist. Why the move into food? I was working as a stylist on television commercials and series but was spending all my free time cooking, exploring and experimenting with food. I found food a far more wholesome outlet for my creativity and cooked as much as possible for family and friends. Fashion has become all about chasing the latest trends but for me it’s more about personal style and personality. This is not to say I don’t still love fashion, I just love food more.  

How did you discover poke? I came across poke just over a year ago when I visited my girlfriend's family in Singapore and was truly blown away. It's so vibrant, so colorful and full of flavors from all over the world — adopting, borrowing and morphing in any which way possible. Although it’s Hawaiian, the biggest influence comes from Asian and Japanese cuisine, which I particularly love for all of its unique ingredients and the real respect for each ingredient. I also try to keep my diet quite clean and poke is healthy but wild. Think sashimi salads on LSD. 

Hokey Poke was six months in the making. We've been tasting, trying different recipes, different combinations and finally creating our house creations and house sauces.

Original No 1 — traditional Hawaiian style poke with tune (naked), shredded kombu, sweet onion, toasted macadamias, furikake seasoning (R80 medium, R105 large bowl)
Original No 1 — traditional Hawaiian style poke with tune (naked), shredded kombu, sweet onion, toasted macadamias, furikake seasoning (R80 medium, R105 large bowl)

What's on the menu? We do poke Hawaiian style with the Original Number 1, with naked tuna, kombu, sweet onions, which have been lightly pickled, served on a base of sticky rice and topped off with spring onions, macadamias and furikake seasoning, finished with the Hokey Poke House Sauce.

Then there are lots of options to build your own combinations, you do it your own way with our ingredients. We like to call it Cape Town style. Everyone who has been involved is local and all our fresh ingredients are local. However,  we still have all the authentic ingredients used in real poke such as kombu (seaweed), and furikake seasoning, which are imported. We spent lots of time visiting weird little suppliers in strange places, spending time with them understanding how to use certain ingredients in the traditional ways. The guys from Live Mart in Paardon Eiland really help us a lot — we love spending time there talking about their local recipes and eating their hot Taiwanese fried chicken. 

Fun times are also on the menu at Hokey Poke
Fun times are also on the menu at Hokey Poke

Who was involved with the design of the space? It was a group project. I knew I wanted the Hokey Poke brand to be tongue in cheek from the get go. It’s casual street food from Hawaii seen in surfers shacks and supermarkets so we couldn’t take ourselves too seriously, even though we use sashimi-grade tuna, which is one of the most coveted ingredients in the world.

I approached Hoick Studios to do my branding, I first came across their work for Max Bagels when I was living above the shop in Bree Street. I thought their design was completely out there, edgy, yet refined and beautiful with a complete sense humor about it. We worked very closely together, never took each other seriously and just went as far out as we possibly could. We still kept clean serious elements such as the fonts to emulate the refined ingredients. I think this is also seen in the shop, where it is clean and slightly stark with off-the-wall elements and touches to keep people stimulated and interested. It’s a honest, jovial, slightly cheeky brand based on eating good food and having good times.

Designer Christine Joubert helped me with the facade and interiors. I knew I wanted to draw influence from old Miami and downtown Tokyo and not too much from Hawaii as modern poke has travelled and draws the most influence from Japan and the east coast of America.

What were the challenges with the Church Street site? I came across this site and for me it called out, even although it was a run down internet cafe. It had bones, it was in the heart of Cape Town and the address was No 1 Church St. It was a risk but we love it. The air brick at the front was the most nerve-wracking part of the project, almost every single brick laid was monitored. 

At night I should imagine the vibe is different as the neons come to life? Dinner has become quite busy for us. It’s a different energy, we turn the lights down but turn the disco up. The neons brighten up the restaurant, we encourage people to be as casual and laid back as possible. They can bring whatever they want to drink, lay back and talk shit. We really just want them to have a good time and eat good food. We've also started serving in black ceramic bowls at night. {Daytime meals are served in takeaway style containers}

What is your favourite menu item? My favorite bowl is Original No. 1. 


Here are a few of my favourite Church Street stop-offs while in the area: 

  • By far one of the best cups of coffee in the city is at Deluxe Coffeeworks, 25 Church St. 
  • For the best selection of house-brand kids clothing — from tots to teens — and huggable toys visit Ma Se Kinners, Shop 1E Church St. 
  • Button up at Bengera men’s clothing brand 'inspired by the sartorial style and fit of London’s two most famous streets, Jermyn Street and Savile Row'. Corner Church St and St George's Mall. 
  • Thursday is Earth Fair Market day on St George's Mall, and takes place between Church and Wale Streets. Originally a Taj Hotel initiative, you'll find a selection of delicious street food, fresh produce, and baked goods so stay a while if a breeze doesn't take you away. 
View up Church St
View up Church St
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