Poke (pronounced 'po-KAY') means to cut or slice and is a Hawaiian delicacy traditionally made with raw ahi bluefin tuna cut into cubes and lightly seasoned with any number of preferential ingredients, including seaweed, soy sauce and onion, among others. Organized in the spirit of a family-style get-together, this year’s I Love Poke Festival features more than a dozen of San Diego’s top chefs and restaurants competing to see who makes the tastiest poke dish in the city.
The I Love Poke Festival is broken up into two sections - Pokeland, where 12-15 chefs compete for the "Best Poke" crown, and Foodland, a place for attendees to sample Hawaiian and Asian inspired food from 15 or more additional restaurants. At Pokeland, expect samplings from some of San Diego's top chefs and restaurants. Guest judges will crown the poke champion, while live music entertains guests at the Bali Hai restaurant's outdoor, waterfront setting.
Pokeland competition participants include Bali Hai Restaurant, Herb & Sea, Chef Billy Butters, Lime in the Coconut, Blue Water Seafood, Kairoa Brewing Co., Guahan Grill, Sushi on a Roll, Serbesa, Island Mike’s Poke, Sushi Me Rollin, Rolled Up SD and more. In addition, there will also be food samplings from at least 15 San Diego restaurants providing bites inspired by the tropics. The variety of sweet and savory tasters include Tom Ham’s Lighthouse, Serbesa, Lia’s Lumpia, Da Kines, All Things UBE, Hoonanicakes, Hodad's, Kaiju Pizza and Bali Hai Restaurant, with more coming soon.
Tickets to I Love Poke are available online for $90 and include unlimited food samplings. Only around 100 tickets remain for this always-sold-out event. Bali Hai will also be serving their famous Mai Tai's at a full cash bar. Drinks are not included in price of admission. Promo code SDVILLE saves $10 per ticket when purchasing in advance online.
Bali Hai Restaurant is located at 2230 Shelter Island Dr. Get your tickets before the event inevitably sells out! For more information and to purchase passes, visit the online ticket purchasing page.
