x

Blog

Winners of the 5th annual Hawaii Island Chef Challenge: Chef Ippy Aiona and Hawai‘i CC Culinary Arts students Amelia Klunk and Arithat Ruangchai.
Winners of the 5th annual Hawaii Island Chef Challenge: Chef Ippy Aiona and Hawai‘i CC Culinary Arts students Amelia Klunk and Arithat Ruangchai.
Chef Ippy Aiona’s team presenting their dishes to competition judges Chef Sam Choy and Chef Willie Garcia.
Hawaii Island professional chefs volunteered their time and expertise to mentor Hawai‘i CC culinary students. This year’s chefs (L-R): Casey Halpern (Café Pesto), Zane Monteleone (Hana Hou Restaurant), George Gomes Jr. (King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort), competition judge Willie Garcia, competition judge Sam Choy, Matthew Galindo (Hilo Products, Inc.), Simon Farrington (Hilo Yacht Club), and Phillip “Ippy” Aiona (The Koa Table).
Chef Casey Halpern in the kitchen with his team.
1- Chef Willie Garcia and Chef Sam Choy walked the kitchen as the teams cooked.
Chef George Gomes Jr. prepped dessert with his team of culinary students.
Chef Sam Choy lightened the competitive pressure, joking with students as he walked the kitchen. “Safety first, but you gotta have fun, too!”
Event coordinator/producer Pomaika‘i Bartolome with Chefs Willie Garcia and Sam Choy.
Chef Zane Monteleone kept things moving for his team of culinary students.
Hawai‘i CC culinary student Amelia Klunk said, “We went into this a little nervous but Chef Ippy Aiona put us at ease right away. Being able to come together cohesively as a team was fabulous.”
Chef Simon Farrington brought some of his East Coast flair to the menu.
Putting final touches on their dishes before serving to the judges.
Chef Casey Halpern and his team earned second place in this year’s competition

Hawaii Island Chef Challenge Celebrates 5 Years of Culinary Mentorship, Collaboration and Creativity 

Community
 / 29 October 2025

HILO, HAWAIʻI — The 5 th Annual Hawaii Island Chef Challenge showcased the power of collaboration between Hawaii’s culinary community and education, presented in partnership with Hilo Products, Inc. The event brought together professional chefs and Hawai‘i CC culinary students for a fast-paced mystery-basket competition celebrating Hawaii’s local ingredients, food culture, and mentorship.   

Launched five years ago by Pomaikaʻi Bartolome, a graduate of Hawaiʻi Community College, and as a collaboration between Hilo Products, Inc. and chefs Shawn Sumiki and Tori Hiro of Hawai‘i CC’s Culinary Arts program, the Hawai‘i Island Chef Challenge was created to highlight island farmers and local produce, in addition to highlighting Hawai‘i Island’s homegrown talent and the power of mentorship in the kitchen.   

Each year, participating chefs generously volunteer their time and expertise in a chef-to-student culinary collaboration. Together, they create three-course meals — appetizer, main dish, and dessert — using locally-sourced ingredients revealed just before the clock starts.  

Six professional chefs served as mentors this year: Zane Monteleone (Hana Hou Restaurant), Simon Farrington (Hilo Yacht Club), George Gomes Jr. (King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort), Phillip “Ippy” Aiona (The Koa Table), Matthew Galindo (Hilo Products, Inc.), and Casey Halpern (Café Pesto). Each team was judged on taste, presentation, technique, and teamwork. 

“Cooking competitions are always difficult because people take them so seriously and food is so subjective,” says Ippy Aiona, who won this year’s challenge with his Hawai‘i CC Culinary Arts student team Amelia Klunk and Arithat Ruangchai. “My goal today was to let the students have as much a hand in it as I did. They hustled, they put their heads down, and it’s their win for sure.”  Judging this year’s challenge were Chef Sam Choy, the James Beard Award-winning “Godfather of Poke” and pioneer of Hawaiʻi Regional Cuisine. He was joined by chef Willie “Kanila” Garcia, a native of Hilo, and now sous chef at The Summit Club in Las Vegas. 

“These kinds of events really allow the students to spread their wings,” said Choy.  “I think the real magic and the real point of this kind of competition is allowing the students to become great culinarians. I’ve seen the Hawai‘i Island Chef Challenge grow over the last five years, and it’s so exciting to see that happen.” 

The Hawai‘i Island Chef Challenge was made possible through generous sponsors including Hilo Products Inc., Hilo Fish Company, and Hawaiʻi Community College. Mahalo also to SCP Hotel, O.K. Farms, Big Island Candies, KTA Super Stores, Big Island Delights, Kokua Initiative, Meadow Gold Dairies, Hawaiʻi Farming, and Kona Fish Company, Inc.  

“By pairing rising chefs with experienced mentors, we create opportunities for growth and connection while celebrating our farmers and food producers,” said Pomaikaʻi Bartolome, coordinator and producer of the Hawaiʻi Island Chef Challenge. She is also the Director of Food & Workplace Safety at Hilo Products Inc.