Oahu chef wins Crystal Poke Bowl at Kauai Poke Fest

Oahu chef Justin Firmignac claimed the Crystal Poke Bowl trophy at the sixth annual Kauai Poke Fest, winning with Alii Momona Poke at Kōloa Landing Resort. His dish leaned on lemon oil-tossed ahi, crab fat, house-made ogo furikake, Dungeness crab, fried garlic, sesame and island seasonings, a combination that kept the fish at the center of the plate while pushing the flavor work around it. The win came during a festival that has grown into one of the island’s most visible food events, pulling together chefs, local diners and visitors around a dish that is inseparable from Hawaii’s culinary identity.

Firmignac said the idea came together quickly, and the judges had a familiar high-standard panel to evaluate it. Sam Choy, Emeril Lagasse, Sheldon Simeon and Ronnie Rainwater were among the culinary names attached to the 2026 event, and judges considered presentation, creativity and flavor. Mark Oyama of Kauai Shrimp Co., the 2025 champion, returned to defend his title with Warm Shrimp Poke, adding another local name to a competition that now builds repeat rivalries as much as one-night bragging rights.

The 2026 festival stretched across June 19 and 20 for the first time, with a Friday Poke Masters’ Table and a Saturday festival at Kōloa Landing Resort. Organizers said the event was expected to draw more than 30 teams, use more than 1,000 pounds of fresh ahi and award more than $10,000 in prizes, while a competitor packet said the Grand Ballroom was opened to nearly double capacity. Aloha State Daily counted 22 competing teams in the 2026 field, showing how strongly the contest has scaled even as it keeps its competitive format centered on a single signature dish.

That growth has come with a clear community pitch. The festival’s history says it began in 2019 as a community-focused event and has donated proceeds to local charities every year since. The inaugural title went to Taylor Sakimae of Kauai Poke Co. at Poipu Bay with Poke Nacho, and the event has since stacked up bigger crowds and bigger servings, including nearly 800 attendees and more than 800 pounds of ahi in 2024. In 2025, the festival drew more than 800 people and raised more than $20,000 for island nonprofits, while the 2023 edition served more than 700 pounds of fresh ahi and ranked No. 4 on USA Today’s 10Best list. This year it was voted the No. 9 best specialty food festival in the United States, a sign that a contest built around poke now sits at the crossroads of Kauai food culture, visitor appeal and local fundraising.