15: Fusion of Mexican and Asian Flavors

In this episode of EPFV, Meredith E. Abaca speaks with chef and restaurant owner of “El Charlatan: Taqueria y Ramen-Ya.” The restaurant is located in Socorro, Texas, about a 20 minute drive east of downtown El Paso.  Enrique shares his culinary journey that began with him cooking downtown El Paso, took him to Chicago, to eventually opening his own restaurant, El Charlatan. In Chicago, he worked for six months at Next Restaurant.  Recalls how his father was instrumental in getting him to Chicago. They used to watch cooking shows in Netflix such as The Chef’s Table and Mind of a Chef. After an episode featuring chef Graut Ashatz, Enrique’s father encouraged his son to follow his dreams.  His culinary career has not been a product of formal training at a culinary school. He learned be method began by watching cooking shows, cooking with his father, and  “hands-on” experimentation. Since his journey of becoming a chef and restaurant owner has taken a path of just doing things without formal culinary training and creating ethnic fusion foods—Mexican and Asian, he came up with the name El Charlatan. In Spanish, this word suggests a person that does not quite belong in a social setting, but nonetheless claims a space for himself. Enrique is not simply claiming a space for himself in the culinary world, but claiming cultural visibility and offering economic support to the food industry of the “Lower Valley” in El Paso del Norte area, a place was born and raised.