2013 Sam Choy Keauhou Poke Contest – RESULTS

Nakoa Pabre of Umeke’s was the top overall winner of today’s Sam Choy Keauhou Poke Contest. The owner of Umeke’s earned the most points with his professional entry in the Poke With Soy Sauce category.

Top Overall winner Nakoa Pabre of Umeke’s with Sam Choy and local pageant queens. Photos by Fern Gavelek

A total of 29 professional, amateur and high school entrants “put their braggin’ in the bowl” to win cash and prizes at the second Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest today at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay.

The real winner at the event is the Equip the Kitchens campaign for the future Hawaii Community College-Palamanui campus. All public admission proceeds—$5,000—will be donated to the $1 million campaign.

In addition to the poke contest and tasting, fun included a celebrity cookoff, a poke-making demonstration by Sam Choy, entertainment, poi pounding and fish net making, and a Hawaii Island Marketplace. Each attendee received a reusable shopping bag.

Competition was in six categories: traditional, spicy, cooked, poke with soy sauce, non-seafood and sushi style. There were three divisions: professional, non-professional and high school. Student Cameron Linden of Konawaena High School took top place among the high school students, winning her school’s culinary department $300 donated by Sun Dried Specialties. Complete contest results are included below.

Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest is part of Keauhou Resort’s annual Kamehameha III celebration March 15-17 that commemorates the Keauhou-born king, Lani Kauikeaouli. The contest is sponsored by Kamehameha Investment Corporation, Kamehameha Schools Land Assets Division, the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay, Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai, Aloha Shoyu, Hawaiian Springs Water, Suisan Company, Ltd., BMW of Hawaii, Bacardi, Young’s Market, Roberts Hawaii, Sun Dried Specialties, Tanioka’s Seafood & Catering, Fresh Island Fish and KTA Superstores.

2013 Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest Results

Best Overall Poke

• Nakoa Pabre-Umeke’s

Professional Division 

Traditional

• 1ST Henry Mateo/Elmer Tabudlo-Hawaii Calls restaurant
• 2ND Tim Wong-Facebook
• 3RD Ezekiel Duru-Facebook

Cooked

• 1ST Viktor Schmidt-Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa
• 2ND Henry Mateo/Elmer Tabudlo-Hawaii Calls restaurant
• 3RD Ashley Danao-Rolls With It

Spicy

• 1ST Henry Mateo/Elmer Tabudlo-Hawaii Calls restaurant
• 2ND Pedro Almazan-The Fish Hopper

Soy Sauce

• 1ST Nakoa Pabre-Umeke’s
• 2ND Carlos Nava-Huggo’s restaurant
• 3RD Robin Ganir-Broke Da Mouth Grindz & Catering

Non-Seafood

• 1ST Troy Cataraha

Sushi Professional & Non-Professional

• 1ST Nakoa Pabre-Umeke’s

Non-Professional Division 

Traditional

• 1ST Garet Sekiya
• 2ND Margie Hanselman

Cooked

• 1ST Alexis Fujikawa
• 2ND Gwen Edwards

Spicy

• 1ST Christopher Todd
• 2ND Keoki Rivera

Soy Sauce

• 1ST Keoni Paoa
• 2ND Sabine Andresen
• 3RD Keoki Rivera

Non-Seafood

• 1ST Ryan Koyanagi

High School Division 

• 1ST Konawaena High School
• 2ND Kealakehe High School
• 3RD Konawaena High School

Celebrity Cookoff 

FIRST PLACE TIE: Tony Silva and Kumu Keala Ching

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Deadline Nears to Enter Poke Contest – Contestants Get Seafood at Wholesale Price

Put your braggin’ in the bowl and enter you favorite poke recipe to win cash and prizes at the second Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest Sunday, March 17.

Fun includes recipe judging, a celebrity cookoff, a poke-making demonstration by Sam Choy, entertainment, poi pounding and fishnet making, and plenty of delicious poke tasting.

Entry fee is $15 for amateurs and a reduced price of $30 for professionals—culinary students can enter for free. Suisan Company offers seafood to contestants at wholesale price. Entry deadline is March 8 and forms can be downloaded at www.SamChoysKeauhouPokeContest.org.

 

The Late Guy Toyama’s winning Poke from the 2012 Sam Choy Poke Festival

Competition is in six categories: traditional, spicy, cooked, poke with soy sauce, non-seafood and sushi style.

Contest festivities are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with most of the activities outside on the Bay View Lawn. The poke contest and judging will be inside the Sheraton’s Ainakai restaurant.

Public admission to all contest activities is $5 at the door (keiki 12-and-under are free) and benefits “The Heart of the Campus-Equip the Kitchens Campaign” for the future Hawaii Community College-Palamanui campus. A free trolley will operate from Keauhou Shopping Center (pickup near Longs Drugs) from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Sam Choy and the Contestants at the 2012 Contest

Poke critiquing begins 10 a.m. with awards and public tasting at 12:30 p.m. Also on tap is an all-day Hawai‘i Island Marketplace; a demonstration on making tropical libations by mixologist Joey Gotteman of Young’s Market at 10:30 a.m., a Celebrity Poke Cook-off at 11:30 p.m. and a demo on “How to Make Poke by Sam Choy” at 1:30 p.m. Enjoy traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music by Kapala of O’ahu.

Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest is part of Keauhou Resort’s annual Kamehameha III celebration March 15-17 that commemorates the Keauhou-born king, Lani Kauikeaouli. The contest is sponsored by Kamehameha Investment Corporation, Kamehameha Schools Land Assets Division, the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay, Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai, Aloha Shoyu, Hawaiian Springs Water, Suisan Company, Ltd., BMW of Hawaii, Bacardi, Young’s Market, Roberts Hawaii, Sun Dried Specialties, Tanioka’s Seafood & Catering, Fresh Island Fish and KTA Superstores.

21st Annual Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference Expands to ALL ISLANDS

The 21st Annual Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference kicks off September 9-11 at the Keauhou Beach Resort and continues with consecutive “After the Conference” gatherings on Oahu, Kauai and Maui.

With the theme, “The Time for Quality and Profitability,” the four gatherings headline Shree Padre of India. The farmer/journalist is known for his passion for water conservation and rainwater harvesting. He is a specialist in value-added products.

Shree Padre, keynote speaker

Other presenters include fig expert Howard Garrison and pomegranate guru Jeff Moresfelder, both of the USDA in Davis, California.

The three-day meeting on the Big Isle includes a report on “Understanding Risk Management and the Cost of Production” by Dr. Kent Fleming of UH Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. In addition, there are 12 breakout sessions on topics like Selling to Wholesalers and Ag Tourism; a lively Farmer-Chef Roundtable with members of the ACF Kona Kohala Chefs Assn.; and a sweet plantation tour of the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Keauhou.

The multi-island conference format debuted in an effort to better serve and engage the members of the statewide Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG), according to Ken Love, president. HTFG’s mailing list is 400 strong.

“We think it’s important to keep our members appraised of the latest research and market trends so we obtained funding to expand our reach,” says Love. “It’s more pricey now to travel interisland and the mini-conferences also offered convenience.”

The Kona gathering is open to the public. Registration forms and fee schedule are available at http://www.Hawaiifruit.net or by contacting Love at kenlove@hawaiiantel.net.

Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers

Incorporated in 1989 to promote tropical fruit grown in Hawaii, HTFG is a statewide association of tropical fruit growers, packers, distributors and hobbyists dedicated to tropical fruit research, education, marketing and promotion; http://www.hawaiitropicalfruitgrowers.org.

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