Considering Chef Ventura is the mastermind behind countless Montreal vegan restaurants including Bloom, Sushi Momo and Bvrger, to name a few, I figured I was in for quite the culinary treat, and gosh was I ever.
I wanted to get a fair taste of as many bowls as possible, so I decided to go for the Protein ($21.50), Classic ($19.50), Cancun ($19.50) and Umami ($19.50) poké bowls — all of which offer different flavours and textures, this way you truly get the NoFish experience.
Although the prices are slightly higher than what I'd normally pay for an average poké bowl in Montreal, it's well worth it. Not only do you get a generous amount of vegan fish, but the bowls are packed (and I mean packed) with fresh and colourful ingredients that satisfy the palate and keep you full. None of this nonsense where you get four to five pieces of fish and the rest of the bowl is just…rice. Chef Ventura isn't about that life.
So, how did they all taste?
Classic
The Classic poké bowl from NoFish in Montreal, Quebec.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
By far my favourite of the four poké bowls that I tried.
The "Classic" is made up of sushi rice, faux spicy salmon, mango, avocado, cucumber, furikake, tempura, fried onion, fukujin zouke, and spicy teriyaki sauce.
This bowl is reminiscent of my usual order, but one thing I found fascinating was how incredibly similar Chef Ventura's fake salmon is to real salmon. I genuinely found myself questioning if this bowl was really vegan…that's how spot-on the faux fish was.
Toss in the crunch from the tempura, the creaminess of the fish, avocado and sauces, all paired with the freshness of the mango and cucumber — this plant-based bowl was by far the best I've ever had and it's safe to say that I will be giving this one another try very soon.
Score: 5/5
Umami
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
I went for the Umami bowl next, which was a bit of a risk considering it contained asparagus, which I am already not the biggest fan of, but I simply had to see how they measured up when used in vegan poké.
The Umami is made up of sushi rice, miso and parmesan mushrooms, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, red cabbage and garlic chips — none of which I would ever think to add into a poké, but that's likely why Chef Ventura is the foodie mastermind and not me.
Sadly, this one wasn't my favourite. While it offered up a different flavour profile than what I am normally used to, it's not a bowl I'd order again. And that's simply because of the asparagus, cold asparagus, at that. So, I practically set myself up for failure with this one.
Nevertheless, the texture was a major serve. From chewy, to crunchy all the way to creamy, this bowl certainly took me on a texture ride, and my palate was definitely impressed.
Score: 3/5
Le Protéine
The Protein vegan poké bowl from NoFish in Montreal, Quebec
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
"Now how is Chef Ventura going to make a "protein" poké bowl made exclusively with plant-based products?" was what I asked myself before eating the Protein bowl option from NoFish.
After eating it, I didn't care how, I was simply happy he did.
This was practically neck and neck with the Classic option, and I have been lowkey dreaming of getting my hands on this bowl as soon as possible ever since. Made up of sushi rice, smoked tofu, baby spinach, edamame, asparagus (what?!), avocado, kale, artichokes, and a ginger-miso sauce, the Protein poké was a total hit.
The tofu was prepared brilliantly and offered a nice and necessary change from your typical chicken or beef options. Now, I didn't actually realize this one had asparagus, and I was pleasantly surprised over how well it blended with the other ingredients.
Score: 5/5
Cancún
The Cancun vegan poké bowl from NoFish in Montreal, Quebec.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
I was instantly drawn to the Cancún option simply because it has faux feta in it. And as someone who loves feta, I knew I had to try it out. The bowl also had corn, cactus, pomegranate, marinated cabbage, coriander and a jalapeño-wafu sauce, all of which complemented one another very well.
The crunch of the pomegranate paired with the creaminess from the eggplant was a surprising texture balance that I thoroughly enjoyed in every bite.
As for the feta. Chef Ventura should be studied regarding his genius culinary choices. The bits of faux feta were beyond flavourful and I must say, the texture was far more creamy rather than crumbly, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Score: 4/5
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