Koa Lua Union

Indoor decorations look better than the taste. Menu’s photos look better than the actual poké bowls. Taste is ok. Price is ok. Quantity is ideal for me a girl, while not enough for my male friends. Only opens weekdays noon. Nice choose for a quick lunch.

Amazing bowl. Just incredible. The Tonga can be quite spicy if you get the jalapeño but that’s exactly what I wanted. Also there is the perfect amount of rice. It’s not loaded

Not the best service.. food was ok! You will definitely have too much rice for a little bit of salmon/tuna! Prices are ok! The place was clean!

Dry and flavourless poke. Salmon was questionable and had a weird taste, it wasn’t even diced properly and pieces were stuck together. Spam was great!

Good place and very quick! I would have liked a bit more salmon and tuna for the price.

Fresh bowl of rice topped with complex spices and garnished with greens and seaweed flakes. A terrific meal, it would be wholesome, if they didn’t use plastic for everything.

Service was fast! The poke bowl was delicious, but, a little soupy because I swapped spinach for the rice base. The level of spice was great; shouldn't be a problem for anyone. The $20+ for a single poke bowl seemed high though, but this is a central area surrounded by businesses; the market can likely handle it. Overall, a great poke experience. I'd eat here again as a treat.

Was very surprised by this place. It's really packed during lunch, but it's worth the wait. Service was a bit disorganized, but I'd expect it to get better over time. The poke itself was really tasty. I also had the guava juice which was watery and not particularly tasty. Will definitely be going back here for the poke though. Many other options that I would like to try.

A smaller location than their 1212 Union Avenue counterpart. Their menu is almost the same except they have a poke bowl called "Jucey" and it's the best one they offer hands down! It has all my favourites (brown rice, salmon, avocado) and it's 15$. I really love this franchise. I think they offer really creative food and it's always filling and delicious. Get to go and eat in Philipp's square on a nice day!

Came here with my best girlfriend for a little lunch date and couldn't of chosen a better spot! Comfy and cozy! Wonderful portions for the cost. 10-12$ so affordable. Great flavour, absolutely delicious. The fish is exceptionally fresh! Loved the homemade hot sauce. EXTRA POINTS. Small menu with a variety of choices. Extra friendly and inviting staff. Beautiful decor and good music. Can't wait to come back and try more. Love love LOVED IT.

One of my favorite places for poke in Downtown Montreal! This is definitely a small cosy place (with a nice Hawaiian vibe), so don't expect large groups to fit here!! I had the Tonga Tonga bowl and although the size is a bit small, but I found it to be very flavorful! Don't miss out and try it yourself!

Came here twice for lunch within a week. First, I tried the 'Papa California' poke, which is said to be the spiciest option on the menu. On the second time, I tried the 'Black Magic Ninja' poke, which is described as sweet and spicy. Between the two, Black Magic poke is a dollar or two cheaper, but I found 'Papa California' to be more substantial: the bowl contained more carbs, and the flavours were more accentuated in comparison to the bland Ninja sauce in the 'Black Magic' poke. I rate 4/5 for "Papa California". Its sometimes overwhelming hot sauce (although not very hot, but enough to overwhelm raw fish), good variety of texture (crispy and chewy elements), and good balance of protein and carbs make this bowl of poke pretty enjoyable. As for the 'Black Magic', I find the bowl not filling and bland. The contrast in texture is there, but everything else was not memorable. Even the 'secret' Ninja sauce felt like something anyone could have made at home: soy sauce, a little vinegar, a little sweetness, and a little spiciness. In fact, this whole bowl could have been easily whipped out. I think it's worth a 3/5 at best. Now Hawaiian food is rather rare in Montreal, so this is a pretty good place to get a feel of what it's like, although I must comment that it seems like Hawaiian fusion with all the unusual ingredients.

It is a change to be traditional lunch option. It was packed at 12:15 when I arrived to grab lunch and luckily was able to spot a woman leaving. The line up was quite long but moved quickly and the good came very quickly as well. Although the poke bowl seemed small at first but it will fill out up since most of it is rice. I had the black magic salmon bowl and my sister got the mama California bowl. There was decent chunks of salmon in each serving and the fish seemed fresh as there was no fishyness. Taste wise: although good but nothing out of this world. I feel like I could have assembled this at home. We also each took their specialty drink Niu Wai which consists of coconut milk, papaya and other juices mixed together. Tasted ok but $3 for a small cup is on the expensive side. I would go back there once in a while for a change in lunch option but it won't be a regular spot. Expect to pay $18-$20 before tax if you take a drink with your poke bowl.

Good little place for lunch, but not worth a detour. There aren't many bowl options, but the recipes are imaginative. I feel like there is a definite need for more ingredients and what not. I ordered the Papa California bowl and, while I liked it, I was a bit disappointed. The rice had a good flavour but it was cold and dry, maybe because I went after the lunch rush. When I eat poké, I want the focus to be on the fish and there just wasn't enough for that. Otherwise there was a good amount of spicy sauce and the green papaya along with the pupped rice brought a nice sweet crunch to the bowl. The portions are much smaller than at some other poké places, which is honestly not a bad thing especially since the prices are consequently lower. I would go back mainly because it's an affordable option near work and there are a couple more bowls I'd be willing to try.

If you crave real Hawaiian poke, I do not recommend this restaurant because the poké served at Koa Lua is inauthentic, the portions of fish are tiny, and the staff is not accommodating. I was very excited to learn that a poké joint was opening near my place but I was extremely disappointed all three times I've visited this place. The portion of fish is so meager that it was hard to believe! A thin veneer of fish at the top of the bowl, barely enough to sustain even the mildest of appetite. This scantness was unfortunately consistent through all my visits. To add fuel to the flames, the staff is unwilling to accommodate even the slightest requests. For example, I requested to have salad instead of rice but was denied. Lastly, the authenticity is to be questioned. In Hawaii, where poké originates, the portion of raw fish is generous and is mixed with different sauces; it is sometimes served with rice and/or some vegetables/salad. At Koa Lua, the poké is a far cry from authentic. One of my orders had rice crispies in it! However, I do commend Koa Lua for trying something different in Montreal. The ambience is tropical and breezy. Overall, Koa Lua was a culinary disappointment.

I love this place. The food is so fresh and tasty. It's a great value and so quick. It's very close to my office and I pick up from here often. It's a fantastic place. Great for foodies.

Very tasty and enjoyable. Portion does not look that big, but it is and it WILL fill you up. The variety and the pairings with rice make this place super nice. You can`t however, customize your poke bowl as the other place does. The fish is very very fresh and the staff are super friendly. The décor is so cute, nice music, it really feels like you're in Hawaii. Do try the coconut juice they have, its delish!! 20$ with tip for a poke bowl + juice. I would definetly go back for my poke cravings.

Nice and small spot for great Poke! I got the Black Magic, which was delicious! Super flavourful with the perfect amount of spice from the jalapeño and chili flakes. I also found the portion size to be on the small side for the price, but I didn't mind since it was filling enough for me. Highly recommend for Poke lovers!

If you want a great poke bowl this is the spot to go to ! You get a nice big portion of fresh fish with sticky rice , greens and a variety of toppings depending on the bowl that you choose. The ingredients are always fresh and prepared with care and while the ingredients are simple , the flavour is great. My usual go to is the California bowl with Tuna or the black magic- always half rice half salad. Another thing I really enjoy is that they don't drench the bowl with sauce which allows you to be able to taste the flavours of all the individual ingredients. My coworkers and I eat here regularly and none of us has ever been disappointed. a few quick things to note though , first off while they do have seats to eat there and the decor is nice with a beachy vibe, this is more of a casual lunch or early dinner resto as opposed to a date night or a late night sit down dinner. I highly recommend koa Lua for any poke lover -I've had poke in Hawaii and this place still holds up in comparison !

Food is excellent, but it's a take-out place, so I don't understand why the payment terminal presents tip % options. Am I missing something? Are tips now expected on food that I pickup and take-out?

It's not a bad place but not worth the detour either. Portions are small and for the price...there are many options in the area. Also ate in and food was served in plastic bowl, not super eco for a hawaïen place.

very expensive for the quantity and quality of food. Super salty as well... not a satisfying meal so I do not recommend

I used to come here almost every other week with my friends. The decor is cool, Hawaiian-like. There is a good amount of choice and the poke is quite good. However, their prices were already quite high a while ago ($13 + tax for a Mama California, my personal favorite) and they recently increased them. I just had to pay a total of $17.25 for a Mama California poke bowl and it took me a while to get over it. I've been showing this place off over the past year and will probably stop doing so now that the prices are outrageous. To be fair, the food is pretty good, but not worth close to $20 a head for a regular lunch.