Moanalua culinary teacher Lars Mitsuda views food as more than just a meal; it’s a way to bring people together. Inspired by his love for cooking from a young age, Mitsuda pursued a career in culinary arts, studied at Lakewood Washington Community College, and worked in the food industry for 15 years. His first culinary experience was in Washington, and those experiences helped shape his skills and perspective, which he now shares with his students.
“Growing up, I found that cooking unites us all and it was magical to me,” Mitsuda stated. That love for food and creativity eventually helped him to pursue culinary arts and, eventually, share this passion with students as a teacher.
Working in a professional kitchen has taught him one of life’s valuable lessons: perseverance. “It takes enormous dedication, commitment, and grit,” he explained. “No one is good on their first day. It takes years.” Mitsuda emphasizes a growth mindset to his students, reminding them that patience and persistence are the key to success.
In class, Mitsuda teaches students how to be both creative and consistent with their cooking. He explained that students need to first learn the basics before trying new things. “The balance comes from what’s tried and true,” he said.
Students have grown a lot under Mitsuda’s guidance. Senior Priya Jackson shared, “I have been able to work under pressure better, have better standards in the kitchen, better teamwork and communication, and definitely better attention to detail.” Senior Nash Ethan Valdez also shared that he learned how to manage stressful situations in the kitchen thanks to Mr. Mitsuda’s ways of teaching.
Once students understand the foundation, they can branch out and experiment. Mitsuda explains that one example is pizza. Once you get a solid pizza dough, you can have fun experimenting with different toppings and sauces.
Keeping up with new changes in the food industry is not lost on Mitsuda. Over the years, he’s noticed that eating out has become more expensive, so fewer people are going to restaurants, resulting in a decline in clientele. Another difference he noticed is how service is run now. Restaurants are running operations with fewer staff now due to a lack of employees. Even though the industry is shifting, Mitsuda still focuses on teaching students about the love of cooking and being ready for any future challenges.
When it comes to his favorite foods to teach students to prepare, Mitsuda enjoys brunch foods the most. He said brunch dishes are fun because they combine cooking and baking skills, like eggs, pastries, and breads. It gives students the chance to learn a variety of techniques in this genre of food.
For students who are interested in joining the culinary field, Mitsuda has a couple of words of wisdom. He stresses that the first couple of years are learning and growing, and your sense of growth is being tested. Mitsuda also states that having a good mentor will help your culinary journey. Mitsuda shared that he had mentors at every restaurant he worked at, and he’s worked at many. Some of the more well-known restaurants he gained experience from include Roy’s Waikiki, The Pig and the Lady, Namikaze, and FETE. “You can’t grow without a good mentor.”
If Mitsuda weren’t a culinary teacher, he claims would probably be working as a food activist. He would want to support local farmers, promote local agriculture, and help change school lunches. By “change”, Mitsuda means helping connect farms and schools to use more local produce in school lunches. Even though this is another big job possibility, Mitsuda believes teaching is where he’s meant to be.
Overall, Lars Mitsuda shows that following your passion can open your door to many amazing opportunities. His love for culinary arts turned into a career, and now he uses it to teach students every day. Whether or not his students go into the culinary industry, they walk away with knowledge of new skills and a big life lesson: perseverance.
