]
This year, we're ready to do it again. The I Love Poke Festival is back in OC on June 5 at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach. A staple in Hawaii, poke (pronounced poh-keh) is a refreshing appetizer or side dish most commonly made with raw ahi tuna diced into small cubes and marinated in soy sauce, inamona (roasted crushed candlenut), sesame oil, onions, seaweed and sea salt.
Chefs will compete for Best Poke crown by creating their own version of the dish, which guests will be able to sample. The festival aims to bring awareness to the importance of sustainable fishing, and founder Nino Camilo has partnered with companies such as True World Foods to help participating restaurants source their products from sustainable seafood distributors.
Along with all the poke one can conquer, there'll be other Island-inspired food to try, from traditional Hawaiian plate lunches to Chamorro food from Guam to malasadas (Hawaiian fried dough pastries) to spam musubi.
The event takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $55 at www.ilovemusubi.com/poke.
Follow Stick a Fork In It on Twitter @ocweeklyfood or on Facebook! And don't forget to download our free Best Of App here!
