LCI Alumni Spotlight: Noah Ponjuan

Baton Rouge native and Louisiana Culinary Institute alumnus Noah Ponjuan has found himself far from home but doing what he loves. While New York City has offered a place for him to craft his fine dining skills, the flavors and influence of his southern roots and family’s culture still run deep. Noah is a sous chef at The Musket Room in NYC, an acclaimed Michelin Star restaurant, but his journey from the Red Stick to the Big Apple began long before he entered the doors of LCI.

“I didn’t grow up knowing I wanted to be a chef but being from South Louisiana, my connection to food was always very powerful,” remembers Noah. Growing up with a father who was a Cuban emigrant and a grandmother who was a home cook meant that he was always around food. “I always loved to eat, but I didn’t connect the dots that I also loved to cook until I was a little bit older.” 

Noah’s culinary aspirations began in high school when he took a front-of-the-house position at Bin 77 in Baton Rouge. After working there for a while, on his father's advice, he enrolled in culinary school. “My dad’s a teacher at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge and he recommended that because I enjoyed working in the restaurant so much, I should try culinary school, and I did.” His experience and connections in the restaurant led him to LCI, which has opened many opportunities. “One of the main benefits of LCI is the range of people and the diversity of people doing many different things,” says Noah.

After graduating, Noah worked at Beausoleil in Baton Rouge under fellow alum Nathan Gresham. “At Beausoleil, I feel like I really started to learn how to cook.” When Gresham left for the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Noah went on to expand on his culinary experience. “What I learned about myself there, and what a lot of culinary students learn about themselves is that you get exposed to many things, and you get to find out what you like to do.” 

After some time in Colorado, Noah felt it was time for a change. “I talked to my parents, and they bought me a plane ticket to New York to try out at a few different restaurants. At the end of culinary school, I was into the idea of getting into the fine-dining world. I’ve always been interested in the chefs, recipes, and ingredients, but I haven’t been able to experience it. I wanted to be able to be where that stuff was, so I decided to come to New York,” remembers Noah.

His goal was to get his foot in the door at any Michelin Star restaurant he could, which led him to The Modern as a garde manger cook. He learned a lot during this time and worked his way up as the pandemic began. While this was a challenging time as he figured out his next step, Noah found opportunities to learn and be exposed to more of the culinary world, including working in a Chinese restaurant. He eventually landed at The Musket Room. “I feel like I’ve found my culinary home now.” As a sous chef, Noah has taken from his experiences and grown into a leadership role, and he is now finding opportunities to include his own dishes on the menu. 

Noah will participate in The Lineup, an opportunity for up-and-coming chefs to demonstrate their talents and passion. This pop-up dinner allows each chef to put their entire vision on display, from the ambiance and music to drinks and the menu. Noah was nominated by The Musket Room’s Executive Chef, Mary Attea. “In early conversations, they were excited about the direction I had in mind and the inspiration behind it.” This dinner is dedicated to his Mom, who has been a huge inspiration.

While Noah may be far from Baton Rouge, the experiences, connections, and skills he learned at Louisiana Culinary Institute and beyond are evident in his creativity and culinary contributions. “At the end of the day, I’d like to have a platform of my own where I can lead people, teach people, and have the opportunity to be creative and share food with people.”