Whether it is embassy staff or professional surfers, Chef Israel Gapi knows how to satisfy the heartiest of appetites.
Hailing from Papua New Guinea (Nakukur, Duke of York Islands, East New Britain, and Tsoi Island, New Ireland) Chef Israel has amassed a huge amount of experience in kitchens, hotels and resorts over the years, and currently leads the kitchen at Bird of Paradise Hotel Goroka, for the Coral Sea Hotels group).
Chef Israel describes his cooking as traditional – stemming from his childhood memories, sensory experiences and local foundational cooking methods, such as mumu (the national dish and traditional underground earth-oven feast of PNG).
Chef Israel trained at Holiday Inn Hotel Port Moresby as an apprentice chef, and in 2008, accepted an Australian Pacific Technical College Scholarship to study Commercial Cookery at Port Villa, Vanuatu.
Upon returning to PNG, he worked for Lamana Hotel as Ala Cart Chef, Gateway Hotel as Chef De Partie, Private Chef to the Malaysian Embassy, Eurest Catering Services as Senior Chef catering for more than 4,000 Students at the University of PNG, iPi Catering as Head Chef where he was the face of iPi Group of Companies, and Mountain Catering featuring in all its advertisements.
In 2011, Chef Israel was a recipient of an Australian Development Scholarship, spending two years in Melbourne studying and, on his return, worked for iPi Group as Catering Manager at the University of PNG, and for PNG Safaris as Private Chef to visitors from around the world, surfing breaks in PNG.
The PNG Chef is honoured to be part of the upcoming Ocean of Flavours: One Ocean, Many Flavours event, at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) School of Hospitality and Tourism, from September 21-22, 2026.
Proudly presented by Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand (PTINZ), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL), and supported by New Zealand Chef Peter Gordon ONZM, Ocean of Flavours will see chefs from Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands and PNG traveling to Aotearoa to join forces with some of the country’s top chefs to demonstrate their culinary skills.
Chef Israel and the Pacific cohort will join renowned chefs from New Zealand, to take part in a high-energy culinary collaboration on day one, and engage with food writers, influencers and industry stakeholders on day two, culminating in a dinner for the public on September 22.
Working with the Pacific chefs, Chef Peter will help develop the dinner menu, using Pacific-sourced products for guests, to showcase the flavours of the Pacific and celebrate what the Blue Continent has to offer.
Chef Israel says he is looking forwards to sharing his work with his peers at Ocean of Flavours, as well as broaden his culinary network.
Visit HERE to purchase your ticket to the Ocean of Flavours dinner on September 22, 2026.