Mark Noguchi

The Pili Group - Honolulu, HI

Born and raised in Manoa Valley, Mark “Gooch” Noguchi spent his early 20s dancing with Halau o Kekuhi in Hilo, an experience that inured in him a profound sense of respect for the land and its resources. A graduate of Kapiolani Community College and the Culinary Institute of America who refers to himself as “just a cook,” Noguchi’s jovial humility and dedication to community empowerment through food and education have put him at the forefront of Hawai‘i’s food community.

An alum of TOWN Restaurant and Chef MAVRO in Hawaii, he is the former co-owner & chef of Heeia Kea Pier, General Store & Deli, a revitalized Windward Oahu institution where his hyperlocal sourcing of product – within a traditional Hawaiian land division known as an ahupuaa – garnered international attention.

With his wife Amanda Corby Noguchi, Noguchi then went on to form Pili Group, a non-traditional food concept focused on the connection between community, education and food. In 2013, Pili partnered with Hawaiian Airlines on LunchBox, a café serving healthy, locally sourced meals to Hawaiian Airlines staff.

From 2012-2014, Noguchi was a founding partner and resident chef of TASTE TABLE, a pop-up project that jumpstarted the vibrant gastronomy scene in Kakaako. In January 2015, he expanded his brand in Kakaako with a lunch eatery, MISSION Social Hall & Cafe, on the grounds of the historic Hawaiian Mission Houses museum. Noguchi can also be seen on the Cooking Channel’s Unique Eats as a commentator and on CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Hawaii special.

Noguchi’s most recent endeavor is serving as a Food & Sustainability Curriculum Specialist at Punahou School, linking students and faculty to experts outside of education, who offer sustainable food and living projects. The innovative approach connects students to food and the scientific knowledge and cultural wisdom from which it springs, enlivening the curriculum and engaging students in a way never before seen at one of the world’s finest private schools. In recognition of the way he interweaves food, place, community and kuleana (or responsibility) to better Hawaii, Mark Noguchi was named an Omidyar Fellow in 2019.