Sam Choy Sr. is an American chef, restaurateur, and television personality known as "the godfather of poke" and a founding contributor of Pacific Rim cuisine.

Biography

Choy is the son of a Chinese father, Hung Sam Choy, and a German–Hawaiian mother, Clairemoana. He grew up in Laie, Oahu. Choy is an alumnus of the Kapiolani Community College's Culinary Arts program. One of his first jobs as a chef was at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. He would then return to Hawaii, where he eventually opened a chain of restaurants. Choy helped develop and popularize Hawaii regional cuisine. In 1991, Choy founded the Poke Festival and Recipe Contest. In 2004, Choy's restaurant Sam Choy's Kaloko in Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, was named by the James Beard Foundation as one of America's Classics restaurants. The award recognizes "beloved regional restaurants" that reflect the character of their communities. Choy has appeared in several Food Network programs, including Ready.. Set... Cook!, Chopped’s first Grill Master Tournament, and Iron Chef America. He is good friends with Emeril Lagasse, who has appeared on Choy's TV show Sam Choy's Kitchen on KHNL. Lagasse has also mentioned Choy by name several times in his television shows; one of those times he was making Poke on his live TV show, and added peanut butter to the Poke- Choy's "secret ingredient". In 2015, Choy broadcast a series on YouTube, Sam Choy In The Kitchen. Choy has designed Hawaiian-inspired dishes for American Airlines’ first class passengers to and from Hawaii.

Personal life

He is married to Carol, with whom he has two sons, Sam Jr. and Christopher. Choy lives in Kona District, Hawaii.

Publications

Restaurants