WAIKOLOA BEACH — Amateur and professional chefs gathered at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa to showcase their special p0ke recipes Saturday at the Hawaii Island Festival Poke Contest.
Guests sampled and voted for their favorite fish creations in four categories: traditional, which uses the basic ingredients of raw fish, sea salt, seaweed, kukui nut, taro, breadfruit and coconut milk; poke with soy sauce, poke with limu (seaweed) and cooked poke.
Winners of the 2018 Poke Contest:
Traditional
Pro – Trae Alcoran and Ryan Banagan – Waikoloa Beach Marriott
Amateur – Kai Auld
Shoyu/Limu
Pro – Casey Hanks – Mai Grille
Amateur – Kanoe Schutte
Fusion
Pro – Ernie Gray – Poke Market
Amateur – Kanoe Schutte
Presentation
Pro – Ryan Banagan – Waikoloa Beach Marriott
Amateur – Bambi Lau
People’s Choice
Pro – Pedro Almazan – Fish Hopper
Amateur – Jaren Niimi