Chef Sam Choy: Hawaii's Best Poke is a 'Slap in the Face'

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Poke is a dish that has deep roots in Native Hawaiian culture and has been refined over generations by local immigrants. However, the recent claim that the best poke in the country isn't from Hawaii has sparked a heated debate among locals and chefs alike.

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Poke has become a staple for many, with people willing to wait in long lines just to get their hands on a bowl of fresh fish and seaweed. For some, the idea that the best poke could come from outside of Hawaii is hard to swallow.

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“Saying that, yeah, I kinda like scrap kine,” said Branden Machado, a self-proclaimed poke connoisseur.

“Nah, I laugh, I laugh,” added Mike Sablay, another poke enthusiast.

The restaurant in question is called Tropicali, located in Big Bear, California. It recently made headlines for being named America's best poke based on Yelp reviews. This news was met with surprise and even outrage from some in Hawaii.

“When I heard that, I was very upset, because I well know, and as you well know, and our millions of listeners and watchers of our station, they well know that the best poke is in Hawaii,” said Sam Choy, a world-renowned celebrity chef and restaurateur.

“Reading that, I felt a little slighted,” said Chris Kam, owner of Alicia’s Market. “Understandable, people from the mainland don’t really know what Hawaiian poke is about.”

Tropicali's decor features a large shark’s head as its entrance, and the menu is inspired by Hawaiian culture but not an exact replica. The poke served there differs significantly from the traditional bowls found in Hawaii.

“It came with cucumbers, it came with won ton strips, I ordered the spicy one, so it came with the spicy sauce, and then I ordered unagi sauce on the side, and it tasted so good,” said one anonymous local who tried Tropicali and enjoyed it. “It tasted so fresh, I was so surprised it was crazy.”

“That’s not poke, that’s like a salad,” said Kam.

“Nah, nothing can beat back home,” said Sablay. “Everything over here is like the best. Everything’s all local, everything’s all fresh.”

“Like on Oahu, we have the freshest fish, we have the best recipes, like and it’s not only us,” said Justin Tanioka, owner of Tanioka’s Seafood & Catering. “It’s other companies around the island that have mastered poke.”

Tropicali currently has more than 4,000 reviews and maintains a 4.9-star rating on Yelp. However, locals argue that declaring themselves the best in the country for a dish that originated in Hawaii is a bold move.

“It’s definitely a slap in the face for all the poke makers in Hawaii who work unbelievably hard to create their magical dishes,” said Choy. “Two things. One, we use fresh fish. And the other one is tender loving care, TLC is in there. We’re putting our heart and soul in that. We’re representing our history, we’re representing our aina, we’re representing all the people in the past that made poke.”

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“It’s all preference, and you know where you are,” said Tanioka. “But to me, the best poke in the world, honestly, is in Oahu.”

“Cuz check that out, Big Bear ain’t got nothing on this, my cuz,” said Machado. “We get the best poke in the world. Bumbye, we teach you.”

KHON2 reached out to the owner of Tropicali, who clarified that the title came from Yelp’s own ranking system and that they do not claim to be America’s best poke restaurant. He also mentioned that the restaurant is not a traditional Hawaiian poke shop and does not claim to represent Hawaii. Instead, it draws inspiration from various cultures, including Jamaica, Baja, and the South Pacific.

The original article was updated on Dec. 10 to include a comment from the owner of Tropicali.