Chef James is a San Antonio native with over 39 years of culinary experience. His focus is to maintain the highest culinary arts standards and support the next generation of culinary artist. Growing up, his mother worked at Hilton and James would go to work with his mother on the weekends. While in high school James worked as a bus boy at the Hilton hotel restaurant in San Antonio and that sparked his interest in the culinary arts.

After high school James pursued his culinary education in the culinary arts program at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio. While there, he worked as a full-time apprentice chef at the Hilton in San Antonio. The general manager took notice of James’s passion and potential and paid for his culinary arts education. After graduating James worked as the Garde Manger Chef for the Hilton.

In 1987, Chef James left San Antonio to continue perfecting his culinary talents at various Hilton hotels across the United States including the Myrtle Beach Hilton, Rye Town Hilton, Atlanta Hilton and Towers, Miami Airport Hilton and the Flamingo Hilton in Laughlin. In 1999 he received a call from his mentor at the Hilton asking him to return to San Antonio as the Executive Chef. Almost twenty years after his first job as a bus boy, Chef James returned to the hotel that launched his culinary career. Just as his mentor supported James in his culinary career. James supports the next generation of culinary artists as a mentor to students and externs at the Culinary Institute of America as well as with culinary students from St. Philip’s college.

Volunteering in the San Antonio community is also important to Chef James. He spends spare time volunteering at SAMC cooking meals for the Wounded Warriors, Community Bible Church, San Antonio Food Bank, Children's Hunger Fund, Salvation Army Show In, and taking Pillow Pets to children in local hospitals. Chef James truly enjoys raising money for charity events within the community through his love of cooking. 

Chef James brings the spirit of community with the combination of exceptional taste to Boeing Center at Tech Port and with his royal touch in catering along with providing high quality service that is truly unmatched!

Bringing a chef’s edge to street tacos, Jaime Hernandez, has honed that edge since he was 13 years old, cooking with his mother and grandmother in Mexico. At age 18, he came to the United States, where he attended culinary school in Austin, then worked his way through kitchens at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Supper American Eatery at the Pearl’s Hotel Emma, the private San Antonio club The Argyle and La Cosecha Mexican Table in New Braunfels.

After the worst pandemic Jaime left La Cosecha to open La Fonda de Jaime. Regarding his time at La Fonda de Jaime, “It was more about surviving and following my dream,” he said. When opportunity knocks, Jaime knows it's time to open the door and he's been given great ones so far due to his innovative touch on traditional Mexican cuisine that inspires savory bites of indulgence to all who have the pleasure of biting into. 

He was recruited at Boeing Center at Tech Port in January 2022 as Sous Chef and worked diligently with Chef James Bocanegra to open and prep the kitchen and back of house efforts at Boeing Center at Tech Port. There are many plans Chef Jaime has for the future of Tech Port and we are honored to have his expertise housed in our very own kitchen and making food more than just food by making ocassions more flavorful in every bite!