Why Costco Shoppers Find This Frozen Seafood Item A Dissapointing Experience

Poke bowls are like a deconstructed version of sushi you can easily make at home. They are nutritious and delicious, and as far as meals in a bowl go, can offer a change from the usual salad and protein combo. They are also great fridge-cleaners, especially if you've got leftover rice, some veggies, pickles, or avocado lying around. In fact, the poke bowl was initially a way for Polynesians to repurpose bits of leftover fish from the day's catch. To be worthy of a poke bowl, you need to find sushi-grade fish – then, throwing together a colorful salmon avocado poke bowl becomes a breeze.

As part of our Costco frozen foods rundown, we tested the Dom Reserve Salmon and Tuna Poke Singles. Unfortunately, they didn't turn out to be ideal poke bowl stars. The tuna poke is overseasoned and tastes predominantly of the marinade it comes packaged in. While the sauce itself isn't bad tasting, its overpowering flavor seems like it's trying to mask the faults of the tuna. The salmon poke singles fare a little better, with the fish flavor and texture coming through despite the intensely flavored marinade. Online reviews also seem to favor the salmon more than the tuna poke singles. While the Dom Reserve Singles come conveniently packaged in five single-use packs per box, there are a few better quality alternatives at Costco worth considering for your next homemade poke bowl.

Pre-seasoned frozen poke isn't the only option for a poke bowl, and the frozen salmon fillets at Costco actually fare better in several aspects. The individually wrapped frozen Atlantic farmed salmon fillets, when thawed in a bowl of water in the fridge, can be cut into poke and marinated. You can even firm up the texture by placing the fillet in the fridge for a few hours before cutting and marinating. Non-frozen (refrigerated) Atlantic farmed salmon fillets are also available at Costco, and can be purposed into poke even faster since they're ready to marinate. Note that since these are farmed salmon fillets, they are safe to eat raw per the FDA. However, give them a quick once-over to remove any pin bones or brown fatty bits. 

A poke marinade is a simple mix of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and often rice vinegar or chili sauce (or both), depending on how acidic and spicy you want the poke to be. Keep the flavors light to enjoy the fish, but salmon can also hold up well to strong flavors. Let the cubed fish marinate for an hour before assembling the poke bowl. Finish with your favorite toppings, and don't forget toasted sesame seeds to round out the flavors and textures.

If you're willing to go the non-frozen route, Costco's fresh poke options are also popular and come in a variety of flavors, including wasabi and sriracha. These come well seasoned and are ready to add to the rice bowl or simply eaten as is. The quality of fish, since it is unfrozen, is also worthy of a good homemade poke bowl.