MEDIA RELEASE
Nakoa Pabre of Umeke’s was the top overall winner of the 2013 Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest. The owner of Umeke’s earned the most points with his professional entry in the Poke With Soy Sauce category.
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 Sunday, March 17 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.
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.
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
1. Henry Mateo/Elmer Tabudlo – Hawaii Calls Restaurant
2. Tim Wong – Facebook
3. Ezekiel Duru – Facebook
Cooked
1. Viktor Schmidt – Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa
2. Henry Mateo/Elmer Tabudlo – Hawaii Calls Restaurant
3. Ashley Danao – Rolls With It
Spicy
1. Henry Mateo/Elmer Tabudlo – Hawaii Calls Restaurant
2. Pedro Almazan – The Fish Hopper
Soy Sauce
1. Nakoa Pabre – Umeke’s
2. Carlos Nava – Huggo’s Restaurant
3. Robin Ganir – Broke Da Mouth Grindz & Catering
Non-Seafood
1. Troy Cataraha
Sushi Professional & Non-Professional
1. Nakoa Pabre – Umeke’s
Non-Professional Division
Traditional
1. Garet Sekiya
2. Margie Hanselman
Cooked
1. Alexis Fujikawa
2. Gwen Edwards
Spicy
1. Christopher Todd
2. Keoki Rivera
Soy Sauce
1. Keoni Paoa
2. Sabine Andresen
3. Keoki Rivera
Non-Seafood
1. Ryan Koyanagi
High School Division
1. Konawaena High School
2. Kealakehe High School
3. Konawaena High School
Celebrity Cookoff
1. (tie): Tony Silva and Kumu Keala Ching
— Find out more:
www.samchoyskeauhoupokecontest.org
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