We had the great fortune of collaborating with Kiki Aranita, Chef/Owner of Poi Dog.

When we met to discuss the collaboration idea, I was blown away by Kiki's inspiration for a custom poke knife. She told me about growing up with her family in Hawaii, where they’d have picnics at the beach and make poke out of the freshest fish and ingredients right there on the spot. Her goal was to create the perfect knife she wished she had for those beachside poke parties. Something hearty enough for prep work and nimble enough to cut fish and make delicate decisions. The handle was fun as we got a swath of great imagery from Kiki, with classic hibiscus flowers contrasting with natural off white colors. We went with a rich tan canvas micarta that had a lot of character revealed once it was carved; like a two-toned caramel. We contrasted it with a pink bolster on one side and the red stripe to give it some movement. Each Poke Knife comes in a red kydex sheath; perfect to put in your bag to take anywhere safely. This was one of my favorite collaborations. Kiki’s artistic decisions and direction had us create a homage to her vivid memories with an incredibly functional knife. This is a keeper for your kit, an everyday user and we only have 10. And don't forget, 10% of the sales go to Kiki's charity of choice, Paepae o Heeia.

I’m thrilled about this collaboration and am such a huge fan of Kiki and Poi Dog. The whole experience was a delight and I appreciate the opportunity to work with Kiki.

And now a little bit about Kiki:

Kiki Aranita is the chef and owner of Poi Dog Sauces, a retail and food service line of condiments that celebrate Hawai’i’s multifaceted flavors. By day, she is a Senior Editor for New York Magazine’s The Strategist and a frequent contributor to Food & Wine Magazine, for which she was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Media Award in 2022. She is also the 2023 winner of the M.F.K. Fisher Prize (Les Dames d’Escoffier Intl) for food writing. She has written countless food features and personal and travel narratives for major national publications, including The Guardian US, Bon Appetit and more, as well as recipes for many publications and platforms. She is a former columnist for San Pellegrino’s Fine Dining Lovers (she wrote the monthly column Kiki Aranita’s The Next Course). She has created content, recipes, and recipe-driven videos for companies such as Hormel’s SPAM (her SPAM Musubirthday Cake went viral), Vulcan Equipment, La Colombe Coffee, Savencia Cheese, Vitamix Commercial, Sakara Life and the Norwegian Seafood Council. Her sauce company Poi Dog has had featured dishes at Fette Sau BBQ, Chopt Salad, and has collaborated with dozens of brands. 

Kiki spent seven years as co-chef and owner of Poi Dog, a restaurant and catering company that served Hawaii’s local food. She closed its Center City Philadelphia location in July 2020 but has kept the brand alive in large-scale pop ups and retail sauces. For years, her goals involved celebrating the underrepresented cuisines of multicultural origins and collaborating with other chefs. She has continued to cook, through chef residencies at Jose Garces’ Volver, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Bok Bar and partnerships with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Marine Stewardship Council, and the Mushroom Council, among many others. She is frequently tapped as a speaker and panel moderator for engagements like the Global Foodservice and Hospitality Conference, Food Tank-organized events, FAB Charleston, and the Terroir Symposium in Canada.

Kiki is also an accomplished fiber artist, rendering nostalgic brand packaging into crocheted sculpture. Her pieces have sold at multiple shows, galleries, and hotels. ACE Hotel New York, The Wythe Hotel Brooklyn, the Hyatt Centric Philadelphia, Bobblehaus NYC, Nordstom NYC, the Philadelphia International Airport, Showfields NYC, and InLiquid Gallery have all shown and sold her work in solo and group exhibitions.

Knife Deets:

LENGTH: 7.75” blade, 12.75” all day, 1.625” heel

STEEL: AEBL stainless

TANG: Full

HANDLE: G10 and Natural Tan Canvas Micarta handle Construction

HARDWARE: brass

SHEATH: kydex, included

WEIGHT:  6 oz (ish)

*each knife is numbered and comes with an original watercolor :)