Kaua‘i Poke Fest raises $62,000 for Maui Strong Fund
Step aside foie gras and soufflé. Poke has arrived as haute cuisine. And this surge of poke popularity benefitted the Maui Strong Fund recently during the fourth annual Kaua‘i Poke Fest.
The June 8 event drew more than 750 poke aficionados and raised over $62,000 in monetary donations and ticket sales at Kōloa Landing Resort on Kaua‘i to support the Hawai‘i Community Foundation – Maui Strong Fund.
Poke fans enjoyed 22 unique recipes made by professional and amateur chefs. The title of Hawai‘i’s Best Poke went to team Gusman Go Getters for their dish, “Throwback.” Second place went to Chef Turquoise Santos of the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i for “da Kona Moku Poke,” followed by third place winner Grecean Manuel, 2023 Kaua‘i Poke Fest Overall Winner, with her dish “Poke Surprise.”
“We are grateful for the incredible amount of generosity and support the community has provided to support our neighbors on Maui,” said Todd Hadley, president of Kōloa Landing Resort. “Mahalo to our sponsors, competitors, attendees and volunteers who made this year’s event possible and congratulations to Chef Gusman on winning this year’s competition. We look forward to welcoming the community back next year.”
Gusman Go Getters, or team G3, led by Chef Don Gusman, prepared “Throwback,” which was inspired by Chef Gusman’s great-great-grandfather, Jim Ah Hoy, who ran a restaurant in Wailuku, Maui. His dish featured congee (rice porridge) topped with an original ‘ahi poke recipe.
Chef Turquoise Santos’ second-place dish, “da Kona Moku Poke,” featured ‘opihi. It was served in a wana (sea urchin) shell.
The 2023 overall winner, Grecean Manuel, received third place with her “Poke Surprise” recipe. It included a bed of miso rice krispies. An honorable mention was also given to fourth place winners from Kaua‘i Kookie with their dish “Smokin’ Good” and fifth place to team James Badua of Kaua‘i Island Brewing Co. for their “Surf & Turf” dish.
Each of the 22 competitors received 25 pounds of ‘ahi to use within their recipe for the competition. Eight hundred pounds of locally sourced ‘ahi, or yellowfin tuna, was served during the event.
Portions were donated by Kaua‘i Fresh Fish, which provides high-quality seafood to the community and supports local fishermen. Additional competitors this year included, 2019 Kaua‘i Poke Fest Overall Winner Taylor Sakimae of Kaua‘i Poke Co., James Martin of Da Bald Guy from Kahuku, O‘ahu, and chefs representing Kōloa Thai Bistro, Po‘ipū Poke Shack, and more.
This year’s judges included Kaua‘i County Mayor Derek Kawakami; Maui chef Sheldon Simeon, owner of restaurants Tin Roof and Tiffany’s; Nick and Nate Herbig, Kauaʻi-born professional football players for the Pittsburgh Steelers; and Kumu Leināʻala Pavao Jardin, kumu hula of Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala. Judges along with the general public and media voted for their favorite dishes based on originality, presentation and taste.
The 5thAnnual Kaua‘i Poke Fest will be held on June 7, 2025.
For more information about the Kaua‘i Poke Fest, visit KauaiPokeFest.com.
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