Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandro Carrasco.
Hi Alejandro, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I stared as a dish washer, an I always have a mind set to be a cook not even a chef all I want it was just to be available to use the knife and make food, and because of my lenguaje barrier it was so hard to move up, but every time I’ll have the dish station clean, and I’ll ask the chef if they will need help in the kitchen sometimes I’ll peel potatoes or carrots or chopped onions or simple things or sometime the chef will say no you are a dish washer, but I never let that to put me down, until one day chef Warren Schwartz at the viceroy hotel give me the chance to be a prep cook and then my life changed, then I started to move to every station, when I notice I was available to cook on every station, the after every station and I was available to cook at any restaurant that I want, and after that I was cooking for some of the best chefs in LA, from Micheline restaurants to country clubs, hotels and very upscale restaurant then I move to Vegas to help to open a restaurant for a friend and then because a really bad experience with one of the owners at Las Vegas I open my eyes and I decide To start my own restaurant the. I found my angels(investors) haejin baek and Robert pinto, they trust on my and we open bee taqueria in West Adams, my first solo restaurant, it was scary because this time it was just me, but since day one, I can say that the restaurant was a success, people love it
And in 2021 I was recognized by the Michelin guide with a bib gourmand
After that, I partner it with Nabil Mihoubi to open Onizuka in West Hollywood, and now we are opening the second location of bee taqueria, I will be partnering up with Danny Bitar ( Station 1640 ) and Freddy Braidy (Yamashiro ) to create a very unique NEW CONCEPT for a live venue called the FOX HOLLYWOOD ALONG with BEE TAQUERIA restaurant in the front of it so Hollywood will definitely have an amazing taste of my new concept
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was never easy, you always find people who make your life impossible, but in the end, you realize that these people only help you to be stronger, on some occasions the chefs discriminated against me for not speaking Perfect English, when I started my career the industry was completely different, you worked long hours without a break, chefs yelled at you, pushed you, burned you, if a dish was not perfect they threw it at you, insulted you. later the responsibilities were other, now I had to make sure that everything was in clean order, that the product orders were on time that the restaurant was ready and prepared for opening time, that the employee schedule was ready you had to discipline people, and then as an owner, it is even more difficult, now you have to deal with permits, food costs, employees, taxes, reviews lol, customers and this never ends but in the end this is what life prepares me to be able to fulfill my dreams
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a chef/ owner now I went back to my roots, and I dice to bring Mexican food to my level and my point of view, and that is how people know me for the chef that can turn a simple taco into a story in a memory. I’m proud of what I have done with my life and my food people that taste what I cook can taste not just the ingredients or flavor but can taste the love the passion the tears, the culture the tradition, and the history behind each bite I don’t cook for a recognition or money I cook because that is my purpose in my life I crate in people mouths experience that creates memories and that brings recognition,
What matters most to you? Why?
Nothing matters to me, but I always try to make sure that people leave satisfied and happy. Because that is the purpose of a restaurant.
Pricing:
- Tacos are from 5-7 dollars
- Tacomakase testing menu 10 courses goes from 100-125
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beetaqueria.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/beetaqueria
- Youtube: https://www.facebook.com/beetaqueria
- Yelp: Bee taqueria
