Hawai‘i chefs interpret iconic island dish at 2024 Kaua‘i Poke Fest

Hundreds of hungry festivalgoers last Saturday gathered on the Garden Isle of Kaua‘i to celebrate an iconic Hawaiian dish: The raw seafood salad known as poke.

Twenty-two teams of professional and amateur chefs served up a projected 800 pounds of locally caught ‘ahi (Pacific yellowfin tuna) to more than 750 attendees at the fourth annual Kaua‘i Poke Fest held at Kōloa Landing Resort on June 8.

Among the throng of tasters were celebrity judges like Kaua‘i-born footballers Nick and Nate Herbig of the Pittsburgh Steelers, chef Sheldon Simeon of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef,” Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami and kumu hula Leināʻala Pavao Jardin of Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala.

Presiding overall was the “godfather of poke” himself, James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur and television personality Sam Choy.

“Poke is a dish that is like playing a piano or guitar. It has so many different chords on there and poke brings that same thing. There’s so many opportunities to change the flavor,” said Choy, who is credited with taking poke to new heights of popularity in the early 90s. “It’s a real magical part of a dish that is truly Hawaiian, but yet at the same time, its palette is ready for the world.”

Generally speaking, a poke bowl consists of raw fish cut into small cubes, marinated and mixed with additional ingredients such as limu (seaweed) and Maui onion. It’s a simple recipe that chefs have elaborated upon and reimagined for generations.

“As you look at the way that the dish is presented or done, you’ll find more and more people today gravitating onto another level,” Choy said. “You always tell yourself in life, ‘You want to shoot for the stars.’ I think that’s where poke is going: It’s going to the stars. There’s an unlimited amount of talent that’s out there.”

Some of that talent was on display June 8. Chef James Martin, who operates Da Bald Guy food truck on the North Shore of O‘ahu, flew into Līhu‘e Airport on Friday night to participate in the Kaua‘i Poke Fest, which has been labeled a top 10 food festival by USA Today. He and his fellow chefs’ luggage included specialty ingredients in addition to overnight bags.

“It’s Mexican-inspired … It has a little smokiness to it: Pickled jalapeños, pickled ikura (salmon roe) and homemade sour cream with a little bit of honey and citrus,” Martin, whose food truck is known for its fried poke, said of the recipe he developed for the event. “This is my first poke festival. I’m excited. I didn’t know what to expect.”

Across the vast tasting room, another group of first-timers also expressed excitement – and by the end of the evening, exhaustion, having prepared 700 servings of poke in record time. It was an impressive feat for the three amateurs dubbed Team Waterman.

“We’re the people’s poke, helping serve the community seven days a week,” said chef Koa Williams.

He and his teammates, Kai Brun and Matt Milbrand, are Ocean Safety Bureau lifeguards at Hanalei Bay on the North Shore of Kaua‘i, where they occasionally toss out a fishing line in hopes of catching lunch.

Williams claimed Team Waterman’s poke – a blend of sweet and spicy teriyaki sauce, garlic-citrus aioli, ʻinamona (roasted kukui nut), crispy onion and green onion – was based on a classic lifeguard tower lunch.

“We just wanted to make poke the same way we’d make it at home,” added Brun, a part-time fisherman. “We want people to experience that.”

Attendees scanned QR codes positioned at each team’s table to cast votes based on taste, originality and presentation. One found it hard to imagine any group receiving low marks – but there could only be one champion in the end. That honor went to chef Don Gusman and his fellow cooks Joey Jamillarin and Hoku Keamoai of Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa.

The winning team – G3, short for “Gusman’s Go-getters” – named their applauded dish “Throwback.” It featured congee, or rice porridge, topped with poke containing white and green onions, limu kohu, ʻinamona, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil and Hawaiian salt. Diced and sautéed shiitake mushrooms provided an earthy element.

Gusman explained the recipe paid homage to his great-great-grandfather Jim Ah Hoy, who immigrated from China to Maui at the age of 18. Gusman’s ancestor ultimately became a respected businessman, butcher and owner of Perfection, a Wailuku restaurant where guests could order a rice entrée, biscuit and tea for 25 cents.

“Maybe he did make a bowl of congee and put some fresh ‘ahi on it, too,” Gusman said as he bustled around his table early Saturday evening, unaware he would end the night as the event’s winner. As such, his name will be engraved on the Kaua‘i Poke Fest’s crystal poke bowl.

Gusman also received $2,000, a two-night stay at Kōloa Landing Resort and an invitation to appear on Choy’s “In the Kitchen” television program in Honolulu, among other prizes.

Last year’s champion, Grecean Manuel, took third place with her team Wāhine of Poke. Second place was awarded to chef Turquoise Santos of Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa.

Proceeds from the festival benefitted the Hawai‘i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund.