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The Kakaako area missed the presence of chef Mark "Gooch" Noguchi when restaurant incubator Taste closed its doors in January. Five months later the chef returned with Snackbox, a salad and sandwich takeout space inside Pad, a home-furnishing store on Auahi Street.
Now Noguchi is expanding his brand in Kakaako in a bigger way with Mission, a lunch spot to open Sept. 15 at the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives. Noguchi and his wife, Amanda Corby, owners of the Pili Group, signed a contract Friday with Mission Houses Executive Director Tom Woods.
They are taking the space formerly occupied by Good Eats.
Mission will serve "contemporary Hawaii foods" that reflect local flavors, made with as many locally sourced ingredients as possible.
"I’m not reinventing anything. I’m not taking a laulau and deconstructing it," the chef said.
"I’m using flavors we grew up with and thoughtfully reworking dishes."
Plans for the menu include such items as local venison and luau stew as well as soups and sandwiches, and Mission will offer poi and paiai daily.
Noguchi and his Pili team also want to offer contemporary dishes based on the food that was served during the era of the mission houses.
They’re looking at archives and ship manifests — even missionary wives’ diaries — to figure out what the dishes of the time were like.
Mission will offer indoor and outdoor seating as well as takeout. Along with the new restaurant, Mission Houses will begin offering cultural food education such as paiai and poi pounding.
Noguchi will continue to run Lunchbox, the cafe for Hawaiian Airlines employees, where he moved when Taste closed.
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GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM