Tombo goes Hawaiian with poké café launch

Matcha and Japanese food specialist Tombo is lending its weight to London's rising poké trend with the opening of a poké café in Soho next month.

Named the Tombo, Poké and Matcha Bar, the café, which is located at 28 D'Arblay Street, will specialise in the Japanese-inspired Hawaiian raw food.

The menu will include salmon, tuna, prawn, kimchee, avocado and edamame served over sushi rice, courgette noodles or black and white rice.

Customers will be able to choose between six signature poké bowls, such as Classic Tuna Poké, Salmon Avo Lux and Matcha Miso Tofu, or choose to mix their own poké bowl. The bar will also offer side salads, such as Hijki black seaweed and root vegetable as well as miso soup.

The café, which has 26 covers across two floors, will operate a no-service charge policy and will also offer its range of Tombo green teas by the cup, alongside its Tombo matcha lattes. Matcha brownies, gateau, sundaes and Matcha soft serve will also be on offer.

Louis Sloley, sales and marketing manager at Tombo, told The Caterer: "I'm not surprised poké is becoming so popular, just surprised that it took so long! People already love sushi, raw fish and ceviche, so poké seems like the natural progression. We've learned a lot from casual dining in contemporary Japan, and our new Poké and Matcha bar will look to bring the best elements of that scene to a London audience."

Tombo, Poké and Matcha Bar will hold a soft launch prior to its official opening in late May. The soft launch will see diners that have subscribed to the Tombo newsletter via social media sites given the chance to receive a 50% discount on food for one week in May.

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