Chef Gabriel Boyer is a lecturing instructor of Culinary Arts at CIA San Antonio, where he brings a global perspective and real-world discipline to his students every day.
After earning his associate degree in Culinary Arts from CIA in 2006, Boyer began his culinary journey in Chicago. He was chef de cuisine at Elate in Chicago’s Hotel Felix, owned and operated Wusniak’s Charcuterie, and cooked in acclaimed kitchens including L2o, Tru, Flying Fish, and Café Campagne.
He took his talents to Asia and became a driving force in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s modern dining scene. He founded and led Soul Burger Saigon as owner and executive chef, developed innovative products as corporate R&D chef for LP Foods, and oversaw multivenue operations as group corporate chef for Global Foods Group. He shaped dining experiences at high-profile destinations such as Shri Restaurant & Lounge, Chill Skybar, and the trio of Cirrus, Strata, and Alto at the Bitexco Financial Tower. He also shared Vietnam’s flavors with travelers as a Chef Tour Guide with Saigon Street Eats.
Growing up in a household where his mother and stepfather were lifelong public-school teachers, teaching came naturally to Boyer when he started to develop his pedagogy as an English teacher at Asia Pacific College. His passion for teaching would eventually bring him back to CIA, his alma mater, as an educator. Though it was CIA’s New York campus where he earned his associate degree in Culinary Arts.
When he is not in the kitchen or classroom, Boyer enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. He is a film buff, music nerd, and diehard Chicago Bears fan.