Our Educators
Gene Gonzalez, President
Junjun de Guzman
Gino Gonzalez
Chef Gino is the owner and Executive Chef of Buenisimo located at BGC, Taguig City. He also Head Instructor and the Center for Asian Culinary Studies and Executive Chef of the multi-awarded Cafe Ysabel. His line of Cafe Ysabel specialty products called Chef Gino’s Gourmet is currently offered at popular hypermarts and food markets.
Giannina Gonzalez
With a love for photography and film, Giannina finished her BA in Communication Arts at the De La Salle University Manila. Then she finished her Professional Culinary Training at CACS. She then became an assistant food stylist under the Supreme Food and Beverage Consultancy for a year and flew off to New York to take the Food Styling Course in CIA under Delores Custer. She also took the Master Food Styling Program under Denise Vivaldo in California. She has also taken Master Classes in Thai Cuisine in Chiang Mai under Sompon Nabnian. Giannina is currently the Operations Manager of CACS and is also working as a freelance food stylist for photography and video productions. She also manages their satellite stalls called Chef Gino’s Gourmet in SM Hypermart Pasig, Fairview and the Mall of Asia. She, along with her brother, Gino, recently opened a restaurant named Buenisimo which has become highly rated before it reached it’s 6th month in operations.
Elena Rivera
Is a CACS Chef Instructor for more than 8 years. Presently an ASEAN MASTER
Lawrence ‘Toto’ Erfe
A graduate of the professional program, Chef Toto was the assistant of Chef Gene for a decade. He belonged to the team of Chef Gene Gonzalez when they represented the country in the Philippine Gastronomic Festival at Meritus Mandarin Singapore and was the Master Planner for Logistics in Catering for the Asian Tourism forum in 2006 that catered to 3,000 delegates for one whole week in Davao. He is now a fly-in professor at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies Davao, a food writer for the Manila Bulletin and currently Sous Chef of Café Ysabel. He also trained with chefs of top schools in Vietnam and Thailand. At present, he is also a faculty member for culinary arts at his alma mater, Miriam College.
Lawrence ‘Toto’ Erfe
A graduate of the professional program, Chef Toto was the assistant of Chef Gene for a decade. He belonged to the team of Chef Gene Gonzalez when they represented the country in the Philippine Gastronomic Festival at Meritus Mandarin Singapore and was the Master Planner for Logistics in Catering for the Asian Tourism forum in 2006 that catered to 3,000 delegates for one whole week in Davao. He is now a fly-in professor at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies Davao, a food writer for the Manila Bulletin and currently Sous Chef of Café Ysabel. He also trained with chefs of top schools in Vietnam and Thailand. At present, he is also a faculty member for culinary arts at his alma mater, Miriam College.
Francisco Roman III
Alvin Magpantay
Arvin “King” Estolano
ANA PATRICIA IGNACIO-FRAGANTE
She is an Accredited Competency Trainer and Assessor for Cookery NC II, Bread and Pastry Production NC II, Commercial Cooking NC III and IV for TESDA. She is also an ASEAN National Master Trainer and Master Assessor on Food Production.
She is a recipient of the Rosario Arnedo Award for Baking.
Currently, Chef Tricia balances her time between being a Chef Instructor at CACS and St. Paul’s College Pasig, a consultant for start-up restaurants, and an entrepreneur with a catering business and her own line of artisanal food products.
Francis M. Asuncion
Agnes Borromeo
She began her culinary education with classes at Heny Sison for Baking and Advanced Cake Decoration followed by courses at the Wilton School of Cake Decoration. She continued on with courses in Restaurant Business Operations, Breadmaking, International Cuisine and culminating with the Professional Culinary Arts Program at CACS, where she was a Medalist in 2005.
Her first job as a Chef was with Nestle Foodservices and from there, went on to work with many of the country’s food companies such as Unilever Food Solutions, Emborg, Bakersfield, Heinz Philippines, Innovatrade as well as consultancies for various restaurants, country clubs, resorts and hotels all over the country.
Currently, she is on her 10th year as an instructor for CACS, is a teacher at Miriam College Culinary department and continues to enjoy her consultancy work.
Strategic Partners
We only work with the best