Articles

HCC Culinary Arts student chefs gain valuable experience during Houston Restaurant Weeks

By Donald Sparks, HCC Central Communications Director

Sep 16, 2025

Chefs Michael Cordúa, Carlos Gamboa, David Cordúa pose for a picture at HCC’s Culinary Arts Building.

Each year, thousands of foodies anticipate the month of August to explore diverse culinary cuisines throughout the city of Houston to please their palates as part of Houston Restaurant Weeks.

This year, two longtime chefs were looking forward to the annual event to showcase a curated experience not just for customers, but for student chefs as part of Houston City College’s (HCC) Culinary Arts program.

David Cordúa, chef and owner of The Lymbar, and Carlos Gamboa-Muller, chef and culinary arts instructor, HCC, fulfilled what started from a conversation during both their family’s vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, into a reality.

“My wife Irunú García Gamboa, introduced me to Chef Cordúa, a friend from her high school days, telling him that her husband is also a chef,” Gamboa said. “We had plenty to talk about because we have both been in the restaurant industry for so long. When I told him about my work as a culinary arts educator at HCC, he shared the idea of bringing the students to cook at The Lymbar, a restaurant with the perfect platform and clientele to launch new talent.”

Recalling the poolside conversation, Cordúa thought the idea would make a perfect collaboration between his restaurant and HCC’s Culinary Arts program – especially since they are neighbors in Midtown.

Since joining HCC, Gamboa mentioned it was always his dream to provide his students with the ultimate experience and go the extra mile to put them on a pathway to success in the industry.

Placing my students in The Lymbar during Restaurant Week gave them real-world experiences beyond the classroom.

“With a unique, discerning clientele expecting excellent service and delicious food, they were challenged to refine their skills and work under pressure,” Gamboa said. “Knowing Chef Cordúa’s expertise, I was confident they would learn a great deal from him. This experience helped them grow not just as cooks, but as professionals ready for any culinary environment.”

Although the Cordúa and Gamboa could have collaborated anytime during the class semester, both agreed putting the students through the crucible during Houston’s Restaurants Week would give them an unforgettable learning experience.

Cordúa praised HCC’s equipment, collective wisdom and culinary arts lab where the students receive their learning and instruction.

“However, culinary school is just what it is – it’s just is school,” Cordúa said. “There's no, no better teacher than the high impact, high stakes, high adrenaline, and energy of a professional kitchen. There's just no replacement for it. The plates know when you’re scared.”

Describing Restaurants Week as the “Super Bowl” of Houston’s culinary arts scene, Cordúa was happy to get as many hands as possible on deck to prep, cook and serve the meals to the restaurant’s patrons.

“That's really where I think the real-life learning happens is when you're putting what you learned at school to work in a in a real professional kitchen environment,” Cordúa

To motivate and guide his students during the height of the action, Gamboa maintained clear communication, giving step-by-step instructions and broke tasks into manageable pieces. He encouraged them to stay calm, trust their training and to support each other.

“My goal was not only to ensure the success of the service but also to teach them resilience, problem-solving and professional skills that will serve them throughout their culinary careers,” Gamboa said.

At the conclusion of their night in the Lymbar’s kitchen, the students celebrated and congratulated each other after surviving an eye-opening experience. After moving to Houston from Nevada last year, Afrin Mirzabaig chose to attend HCC to pursue a career in culinary arts.

Upon hearing that she and her classmates would be working at a real restaurant during Houston Restaurant Weeks, she was both excited and nervous.

“At first, it was stressful because we were preparing food for real guests—not just for ourselves or classmates,” Mirzabaig said. “Timing was crucial, and we had to work efficiently as a team in a busy kitchen. But once the first course went out on time, I started to feel more confident.”

She said the Lymbar experience gave him a real taste of the professional culinary world.

“This was one of the best experiences of my life,” Mirzabaig said. “Hearing that the guests loved the food we made was such a rewarding feeling and confirmed that I’m on the right path. It made me even more determined to follow my dream of opening my own restaurant one day.”

One of the most memorable moments was a surprise visit from Chef Michael Cordúa, father of David and a pioneer of Latin American cuisine in Houston, to HCC’s Culinary Arts lab to pass on his expertise.

“Seeing him share his knowledge and passion with our students was extraordinary,” Gamboa said. “It reinforced the importance of mentorship and legacy in the culinary world.”

Chef David Cordúa demonstrates a technique to fold Italian ham prosciutto to HCC Culinary Arts students during Houston Restaurant Weeks at The Lymbar restaurant.