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TheBuzz Erika Engle |
Sam Choy switches
poke-contest allegiance
to Oahu from Big Isle
CONFUSION over a renamed poke contest may soon end with the upcoming Aloha Festivals' Poke Weekend on the Big Island.
The tomorrow-through-Sunday event previously bore the name of renowned chef Sam Choy since its inception in 1992, but Choy and other organizers have parted company this year for undisclosed reasons.
Instead, Choy is lending his name and presence to the new Turtle Bay Resort/Sam Choy Poke Festival on Oahu Nov. 12 to 14.
"A lot of people thought we weren't going to have it," said Gloriann Akau, executive island manager for Aloha Festivals on the Big Island. Rather, this year there will be "more crafters, more supporters and more sponsors."
More money has been donated this year by Big Island businesses than in previous years, she said.
The events kick off tomorrow at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel with a dinner and auction, where teams planning to play in the next day's golf tournament will bid on celebrities to join each team, said Cathy Tarleton, hotel public relations assistant. The Saturday golf tournament and awards dinner will be followed by the Sunday poke contest and craft fair.
Professional and nonprofessional poke makers will compete for cash and prizes in several divisions, as outlined at www.pokecontest.com.
Turtle Bay officials announced the new Sam Choy signature contest in July, noting that Choy began his culinary career at the hotel in 1972 as a cook-helper. When he left in 1984, he was executive chef.
Choy's new contest will also be a tomorrow-through-Sunday affair, including a welcome reception and barbecue, poke festival events and a golf tournament. Professionals and amateurs will compete in several categories with traditional and nontraditional poke recipes.
Separately, the Big Island's Hilton Waikoloa Village will host ranchers and farmers and the fruits of their labors at "Field and Forage Day, A Taste of the Hawaiian Range" tomorrow.
The intention of the event, conceived by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, is to educate the public about locally produced agricultural products. Nearly 85 percent of the state's livestock volume comes from Big Island ranches, for instance.
The event, first staged in 1996, has grown to involve dozens of celebrity chefs whipping up dishes appropriate to the day. This year's event is sold out.
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