Honi Poke Bristol Review: A Disappointing Ramen and Katsu Curry at Cabot Circus

Finding a quick lunch in Bristol can be easy enough, especially around Cabot Circus, where there are plenty of casual places offering something fast and reasonably priced.

On this occasion, we were looking for something Asian-inspired and settled on Honi Poke Bristol at Cabot Circus. Honi Poke describes itself as a casual restaurant centred around Hawaiian-inspired poke bowls, sushi, poke burritos and other Asian-influenced dishes. Its menu also includes ramen and warm bowls. (Honi Poke)

We went in expecting something quick and satisfying. Unfortunately, the two hot dishes we chose left us disappointed. That said, looking at the restaurant’s wider menu and the feedback from other diners, it is possible that we simply chose the wrong dishes for what Honi Poke does best.

A Quick and Easy Lunch at Cabot Circus

Honi Poke is located at Unit 53, Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BD, on the upper ground floor. The restaurant is clean and orderly, and the self-service ordering kiosk makes the process straightforward. For a quick lunch, there was very little fuss involved. It is also worth noting that there is air conditioning, perfectly to beat the heatwave in Bristol.

There wasn’t a specific lunch deal available when we visited, although the prices themselves were reasonably affordable. Current listings show dishes such as Build Your Own Poke at around £10.95 and Chicken Katsu Curry at £11.95. (Deliveroo)

Our problem wasn’t really the price. It was what arrived in the bowls.

Paitan Chicken Ramen

Our first choice was the Paitan Chicken Ramen, priced at £10.95.

We were expecting a proper bowl of chicken ramen, with pieces of grilled chicken as part of the dish. Honi Poke’s current menu does indeed describe the dish as containing creamy paitan broth, noodles, narutomaki, bok choi, spring onion, coriander, pickled pink ginger, sesame seeds, grilled chicken, Mayak egg and nori seaweed. (Honi Poke)

What arrived at our table was rather different from what we expected.

There was no grilled chicken. We did not think much about it at the time, as it was our first visit and with the various options displayed on the kiosk screen when ordering, we thought the Grilled Chicken was an add-on. We had mistaken the add “Extra Protein” section for choosing your protein, and thought as we did not pick from this section hence no grilled chicken to begin with.

Only when we got back and looked it up on their ordering website that we found the grilled chicken to be standard as per menu description below:

Paitan Chicken Ramen: Creamy Paitan broth with grilled chicken, Mayak egg, bok choi, narutomaki, yakisoba noodles, and nori seaweed.

We had the half soft-boiled Mayak egg, a couple of pieces of narutomaki, some bok choi and a very modest amount of noodles. There was also pickled ginger in the broth, which gave it another noticeable flavour.

The biggest problem, though, was the broth.

It was extremely salty.

The paitan broth was so dominant that it overwhelmed everything else in the bowl. It was particularly noticeable when we compared it with the miso soup we ordered alongside the Chicken Katsu Curry. The miso soup tasted remarkably mild in comparison.

The quantity of noodles was also disappointing. For a dish described as a comforting bowl of ramen, we expected considerably more noodles and a more substantial serving. There were hardly any noodles and those we picked up with your chopsticks were really short.

The missing chicken was especially frustrating because the current menu specifically lists grilled chicken as an ingredient. (Honi Poke) Yes, we couldn’t let this go as the saltiness and missing chicken changed our experience considerably. Instead, we had a small amount of noodles, egg, vegetables and fish cake in a very salty broth. We wouldn’t order this ramen again.

Chicken Katsu Curry with Miso Soup

We also wanted something warm and chose the Chicken Katsu Curry, adding the classic miso soup for £1, bringing this order to £11.95. This was their Meal Deal.

The ordering system offered several choices for the base: sushi rice, brown rice, quinoa or mixed green leaves. We went with sushi rice, which seemed the most natural choice for a Japanese-inspired katsu curry.

The deep-fried chicken katsu itself was reasonably sized and had a decent crispy coating. The problem was everything surrounding it.

Too Much Salad, Not Enough Katsu Curry

Instead of the vegetable slaw we were expecting, our dish came with leafy greens dressed in a very strong, vinegary dressing. The dressing was so pronounced that it dominated almost every mouthful.

The katsu curry sauce was served separately, which was actually a good thing. It was fairly watery. we expected the curry to be thick, the type that can smother the rice and chicken. But it was so watery it ran through to the bottom of the bowl instead of covering the chicken.

The other problem was that the salad dressing had already taken over the dish.

It made us wonder if Honi Poke’s experience with poke bowls had influenced the way this warm dish was assembled. Their core menu is built around colourful bowls containing rice or greens, vegetables, sauces and toppings, and the restaurant describes its poke offering as the heart of its concept.

That approach works well for a poke bowl. For us, a Chicken Katsu Curry should first and foremost taste like chicken katsu curry: crispy chicken, rice and a satisfying thick curry sauce, with vegetables playing a supporting role. Here, the leafy greens and dressing became almost as prominent as the chicken and curry. Again, we wouldn’t choose this dish on a return visit.

Perhaps We Chose the Wrong Side of the Menu

This is where we think our experience needs some context. Honi Poke is fundamentally a poke-focused restaurant, and its own website puts considerable emphasis on fresh poke bowls made with sustainably sourced fish, Japanese rice, vegetables and a range of sauces and toppings.

The Bristol branch also receives strong feedback overall. Current business listings show a 4.5/5 rating from 156 reviews, while delivery listings show around 4.7/5 from more than 500 ratings. (Deliveroo)

So our experience clearly isn’t representative of everyone’s. In fact, while we were eating, we noticed diners at the next table enjoying their poke bowls. They seemed perfectly happy with what they had ordered.

That made us think that perhaps the better approach is simple:

Order the poke.

If the restaurant’s speciality is fresh, colourful, cold poke bowls, that is probably where its strengths lie.

Its current poke menu includes dishes such as Honi Salmon, Ahi Tuna, Sriracha Mayo Salmon, Teriyaki Chicken, Tofu Teriyaki and Avocado & Mango, alongside build-your-own bowls.

There are also poke salads for those wanting to skip rice, with combinations including salmon, tuna, tofu, vegetables, quinoa and various dressings.

What Other Diners Say

It would be unfair to judge Honi Poke Bristol entirely on our two hot dishes, particularly given the much stronger response from other customers.

The wider feedback is generally positive. Delivery customers frequently highlight large portions and good value, while the Build Your Own Poke is one of the most popular choices.

Other diners clearly enjoy the poke bowls, with popular choices including Ahi Tuna, Honi Salmon, Sriracha Mayo Salmon and California.

There are also positive signs from other food platforms. The Bristol branch has a 5/5 food hygiene rating, with the latest inspection recorded on 30 January 2025. (Eatible)

So there is plenty of evidence that Honi Poke works well for its intended fast-casual offering. Our experience simply didn’t match that.

Clean, Convenient and Easy to Order

There are things we liked about the restaurant. The premises were clean and orderly, and ordering through the kiosk was straightforward albeit a bit long winded if you are not familiar with the options. There was no complicated interaction or long wait to place an order.

For people looking for a quick meal while shopping at Cabot Circus, it is convenient. The prices are also reasonable for a fast-casual restaurant, with plenty of options around the £10–£15 mark.

It also caters to a range of dietary requirements, with vegetarian and vegan choices alongside gluten-free and other options, although the restaurant advises customers with severe allergies about possible cross-contact in its open kitchen.

Stick to Poke Bowls

Our lunch at Honi Poke Bristol was disappointing, mainly because both of the hot dishes we chose failed to deliver what we expected.

The Paitan Chicken Ramen was missing the grilled chicken listed on the menu, had very little noodle and was dominated by an overly salty broth.

The Chicken Katsu Curry had a reasonable piece of fried chicken, but the heavily vinegared leafy greens and watery curry sauce made it feel more like a poke-style salad bowl with katsu than a satisfying katsu curry.

At the same time, we don’t think this means Honi Poke is a poor choice for lunch. The restaurant’s core offering is poke, and the strong ratings and popularity of its poke bowls suggest that this is where the kitchen performs best.

If we return, we would be much more inclined to try one of the poke bowls, which is what the restaurant is known for. The diners beside us seemed to have made exactly that choice and appeared much happier with their meals.

For us, this visit was a reminder that sometimes a restaurant’s speciality is the safest choice. Have you been to this or any Honi Poke? What is your personal experience. Let us know in the comments section below.