From a researcher to a tacos restaurant owner

“’Delicious’ is not something special. The important part is to cook by your own hands.”

Kazuhiro Kobayashi, the owner of TAQUERIA PACHANGA

I love this chill-out store.

Along the street of Higashi Odori, there is a food stand like restaurant at the corner where the Night-scented lily leaves grow thickly. You will notice a sweet corn scent as you step in.

Taqueria Pachanga is a hand-made tacos restaurant. Kazuhiro Kobayashi, the store owner, has a unique career – he was originally a researcher, then a writer, and now a tacos restaurant owner.

From a researcher, then a writer, and now a tacos restaurant owner

After graduating from Ritsumeikan University in 1983 and working as a university staff for 9 years, he studied international relations at the graduate school.

“I was interested in Latin America. My research theme was the transformation of sugarcane agriculture before and after the Cuban Revolution. When I stayed in Mexico for two months to study Spanish, I often ate great tacos on the way back from school.”

Kazuhiro continued his research after completing the master’s course while working as a writer in the agriculture field. It became a turning point for his life when his friend happened to find a free property for restaurants.

“I was not too sure about the idea in the beginning, but all of my friends had supported me to prepare for the opening by painting the store.”

The store opened in 2002. At the time, there were no casual tacos restaurants in Kyoto. Kazuhiro just hoped the Kyoto University’s exchange students will stop by to keep the store running, but never expected the store to last for 12 years. The recipe is very simple. His “hands” create the delicious taste.

“Tacos is a something like Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki – a casual light meal for Mexicans. Therefore, the recipe is very simple.”

Kazuhiro showed us how to make the tortilla, the tacos skin. Corn flour is well knead with water and the dough is neatly rounded with his muscular arms. Using a special iron equipment, the dough is crushed and formed into a circular shape.

The scent of sunshine will arise from the dough after a few minutes of baking. The classic toppings are chicken and frijoles (pinto bean paste). Finishing it up with a scoop of salsa and there you go, such a delicious taco!

“I don’t think ‘delicious’ is something special. Our salsa is made simply from salt, coriander, and lime. But if you treat the ingredients with care and cook it by your own hands, it will definitely be delicious.”

There are a couple of ethnic and Italian restaurants around Tanakaokubo-cho bus stop. Twenty percent of the customers of TAQUERIA PACHANGA are foreigners. You can hear many foreign languages around noon.

“Should I call it a ‘casual international’. I like the easy chill-out mood in this area.”

Handmade tacos with a glass of beer would make a perfect sunny afternoon. This is a Latin American style unique restaurant.

1 / A open air restaurant with a street view. 2 / 3 kinds of tacos (chicken & frijoles, spicy meat, Brazilian sausage) with red salsa sauce and green jalapeno. Guacamole (avocado dip with chips) is also popular. 3 / Mexican goods decorated in the shop are cute. 4 / Tortillas are made from round corn flour doughs crushed by a special iron equipment.