Food trends typically have always been a staple in restaurant dining as innovative chefs have done their best to stay ahead of the game. In 2016, we’ve seen a variety of food trends that have appealed to different groups, ranging from the health conscious to the “hipster” crowd. From the continuance of grass-fed products, to the introduction of algae and the baobab fruit, food trends have happily invaded our meal-time decisions.

One of the biggest trends of the year is poke. It’s a classic Hawaiian dish that’s primarily a raw fish served on rice as an appetizer. Of course, each chef can put their own spin on the dish, including a sushi heavyweight right here in Houston.

Chef Jason Liao of the Preview Modern Seafood and Aka Sushi restaurant fame is hosting his Poke Akua pop-up at Lincoln Bar on Tuesday, June 28. Liao is known for his decade-long experience in molding fresh seafood into photogenic show pieces with his masterful knife skills and plate presentations. His Poke Akua pop-up is an opportunity to experience a world-class dish made by a highly trained sushi chef.

Preview Modern Seafood June 2014 / Photo: Sergio Santos

“It was brought to my attention that a lot of groups in Houston are trying to do poke, which is like the next wave of food trends,” Liao said. “Poke is popping up as a fast casual alternative to sushi, and I saw that everybody was getting in on this market. I thought as a sushi chef and as a chef that specializes in seafood, I haven’t seen any chefs come in and play with the market. There’s people that have researched poke that came out and did it, but it’s very different when you have seasoned chefs coming in on the game.”

Of course, Liao has the technique to create the traditional poke recipe, but as an innovator in the world of fresh cut sushi, he wants the menu to stand out from everyone else.

Chef Jason Liao

“When I decided to come into this market, I decided to come in my own way. I wasn’t going to do it the way everybody else was doing it,” Liao said. “I’ve made a name for myself in the sushi industry for having creativity with seafood. I have three options – salmon, tuna and Hamachi. I’m serving each with their own sauces in their own unique way. Also, that’s why I pulled together a team for this in order to have a well-rounded pop-up. For this pop-up, I have a savory side of the menu covered. I brought in Chef Dory Fung to do my desserts. She’s of the Fung’s Kitchen family and she teaches out of HCC. It’s very clear when you have someone who looked up a recipe for dessert and did that versus someone who passionately knows how to make desserts. We have a better understanding of the cuisine in general and the creativity to spin it our way. The quality of the food that we turn out is going to be at a different level. It’s not going to be the same fast casual like everybody else. I’m going to be a little more refined in my approach.”

The venue for the Poke Akua pop-up is a great one for this type of event. With their young professional crowd and Washington Avenue location, Lincoln Bar hosts a variety of events, including their Raising The Steaks steak night on Wednesdays, and Poke Akua is sure to garner the right attention.

“I actually went to check out another group’s pop-up at Lincoln and I later went to talk to the owner to see what it took for the other group to pull off a pop-up there,” Liao said. “When I went, the owner knew who I was. So, the scene that was there already knew about me from Aka and the owner wanted me to do the pop-up there. I looked at the space and everything else and said this would be the perfect spot for me.”

Lincoln Bar | 5110 Washington Avenue, Houston, TX 77007 | 713.864.8811 | Lincolnbarhouston.com

Subscribe to JMG for the latest in music, fashion, food and entertainment.