Costco Tuna Poke vs. Homemade

Costco has started selling sushi and it has made its way to Vancouver, Canada. So we thought it would be fun to compare their tuna poke to our homemade poke. Looking at value and taste, is it worth it?

First we removed to tuna to see how much value we were actually getting. At $32.99 per kilogram, we paid $22.50 for 682 grams in total weight. The tuna weighed 265 grams while the rice weighed 417 grams. That means we paid $8.75 for the tuna and $13.75 for the rice.

In the freezer section at Costco, I found a 907 gram bag of Yellowfin Tuna for $19.99. Using only 300 grams, it works out to $6.61 and the rice I used cost around $0.50 for 180 grams (uncooked) which yielded around the same amount of cooked rice. If you include the other ingredients I used, I will round it up to $8.00 for my homemade version.

You’ll have to watch the video to see Dude do The Taste as he tried the two pokes side by side.

The Costco poke was decent. It is definitely good value compared to eating at a poke bar or restaurant. If they sold the poke on its own without the rice, I would definitely buy it.

We didn’t detect the seasoning in the Costco rice until after we filmed this episode where we made plain rice. However, I have included instructions below for seasoned rice and it will definitely up your homemade poke.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

300 grams/10.5 ounces yellowfin tuna, 1” cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 green onion, chopped
Roasted sesame seeds

For the sushi rice
1 rice cup (180 grams/6.3 ounces) Japanese rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and green onion. Add tuna and gently toss so that all pieces are coated with the sauce. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Rinse rice until the water runs clear and drain rice well.
3. Add the rice to the inner cooking pot of an electric pressure cooker then add equal part water. Let soak for 30 minutes. (Alternatively, use a rice cooker.)
4. Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
5. Once the pressure cooking is done, natural release the pressure for 10 minutes. Then quick release the remaining pressure. Remove the rice into a large bowl.
6. In a small bowl, heat up rice vinegar in the microwave and dissolve sugar and salt. Add the liquid to the cooked rice and mix well. Cover the rice with a damp paper towel. Let the rice cool.
7. Divide the rice into two individual serving bowls. Top with equal amounts of tuna. Garnish with green onion and roasted sesame seeds.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Costco Tuna Poke vs. Homemade

We compared Costco's new tuna poke to our homemade poke. Our version is tastier and cost way less to make.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Hawaiian, Japanese

Keyword: poke, rice, sushi, tuna

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 300 grams/10.5 ounces yellowfin tuna 1” cubes
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 green onion chopped
• Roasted sesame seeds

For the sushi rice

• 1 rice cup 180 grams/6.3 ounces Japanese rice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and green onion. Add tuna and gently toss so that all pieces are coated with the sauce. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
• Rinse rice until the water runs clear and drain rice well.
• Add the rice to the inner cooking pot of an electric pressure cooker then add equal part water. Let soak for 30 minutes. (Alternatively, use a rice cooker.)
• Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
• Once the pressure cooking is done, natural release the pressure for 10 minutes. Then quick release the remaining pressure. Remove the rice into a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, heat up rice vinegar in the microwave and dissolve sugar and salt. Add the liquid to the cooked rice and mix well. Cover the rice with a damp paper towel. Let the rice cool.
• Divide the rice into two individual serving bowls. Top with equal amounts of tuna. Garnish with green onion and roasted sesame seeds.