If you've ever been to Mark's Place or eaten from Contemporary Flavors Catering in Lihue, you've tasted Mary Oyama's culinary creations. Mark, who is also a Kauai Community College instructor, has been inducted in to the ninth annual Hawaii Restaurant Association Hall of Fame on Sept 21 in Oahu.
Inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected for their dedication and commitment to the growth of the restaurant and food service industry in Hawaii.
Oyama starting teaching in China, but has held chef positions in Alaska, Connecticut, Oahu and the Big Island before accepting a faculty position at KCC in 1992. Little did Oyama know that his culinary skills would come in handy as 1992 was the year that Hurricane Iniki hit and he was in charge of managing the kitchen as a temporary shelter for the community. He served over 90,000 meals to those affected.
A true leader in our community, Oyama serves on more than seven boards, including the Kauai Mayor’s Agricultural Advisory Board and the Kauai Economic Development Food and Agriculture Council.
Congrats to Mark Oyama on this recognition!