Feast Meets West returns to its OG format for our last episode of the season! We end 2016 with a bang by talking about what is one of the trendiest foods right now: poke. While poke is not an Asian dish (it's from Hawaii), we discuss the influence of Japanese flavors on this dish, and how quickly it has travelled around the US, Asia, and even Europe.
We chat with Sons of Thunder owners, James and John Kim, which is located in midtown, NYC. For the Asian perspective, you'll also hear from Steph Kudus, owner of Pololi in Hong Kong. Both poke shops were created because of the owners love of poke and connection with Hawaii. Little did they know that they were at the forefront of an international phenomenon.
Lynda and Iris touch on the origins of the dish and talk about what makes good poke, while James and John Kim tell us how Hawaiian poke's texture differs to New York poke (and probably the rest of the world).
"New Yorkers don't know poke like Hawaiians know poke. They know sushi, they know sashimi. They know fresh fish, dabbing it in soy sauce, and then sticking it in their mouth, and getting that fresh texture with the salt." - James and John Kim on why New Yorkers don't prefer Hawaiian poke's gummy texture.
We then discuss our theories on why it's so popular worldwide, as well as the sustainability issues associated with the food and the future of poke.
"I'm pretty sure at the rate that we're going with what we're trying to do at Pololi, it's definitely going to be here to stay. I think it's going to move toward having more sustainable and traceable fish. We actually work with suppliers that are moving toward being sustainable or traceable, at least over here in Asia, and that's really important for us." - Steph Kudus on the future of poke.
Please keep listening to the end of the episode because we announce some BIG NEWS about where Feast Meets West is going in 2017! While we're on our holiday break, take the chance to catch up on old episodes, leave us a rating and quick review on iTunes, and sign up for our newsletter. And of course, keep in touch via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
