Food Truck Podcast_Episode 11_6-26-23_Jikoni East African Cuisine

Food Truck Podcast_Episode 11_6-26-23_Jikoni East African Cuisine

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
And Demetrius in the morning. Allright, Tom, I mean Dademis sugar
for Montelito's drag. Queen Kelly Latt'sthe princess of property from Howard Hannah Realty.
We got Renee our good time galfrom the East Side. We have
a special guessed studio. Um.He runs one of the more popular food

(00:23):
trucks in Toledo's He's only been doingthis since March, so March every like
three or four months, but alreadya huge buzz with the food truck,
and my wife and I are addictedto the food. It is absolutely amazing.
I had never had this type offood before. But Thomas here,
he's the owner of Jaconi. It'sToledo's only East African inspired cuisine food truck,

(00:45):
and Thomas here with us. Goodmorning, Tom. You probably want
to speak into that microphone time.What do you think this was just a
regular conversation. We just invited youover to the living room. They don't
they don't. They don't have thosein Africa. I guess the home every
day gets fine. We're just speakingabout around it, that's all you and

(01:07):
Demetrius is allowed to do the accident. I don't think you are. I'm
sorry, that's okay, I wasn'taware. I'm sorry to your Italian and
your so so Tom, Hey,good morning morning. You were actually here
from Um from Kenya? Right,that's your home my home country up and
then from what age to what age? Kenya born until when I was born

(01:30):
till I was twenty three? Twentythree you were born until you were twenty
three. I was born in kepdon't listen, Let's be nice to our
at least on their first day.I demand a lot from my people all
So, So, Tom, whatwas it like growing up in Um in

(01:53):
Kenya? Oh? Fun man?I mean, I mean I've been up
for fifteen years, but I stillmissed community, you know, I missed
the aspect of it. Um.I don't know. I'm Americans different,
you know, you know from anadult view, Yeah, very close.
You know, what do you like? What do you think America is better
at? And then what do youthink Kenya is better at? I mean,

(02:15):
I mean I took my kids forthe first time to Carya four years
ago and though surprised how much communityis you know, like just people everywhere,
you know, because people are peopleare outside. You know, Um,
you can you can leave your kidswith the neighbors for the day.
You can leave the kids that youknow, you can leave and just you

(02:36):
know, so like for the day, like you just leave them, like,
hey, I'll see you and thinkout my kids. I'll be back
and burn nothing down. And theneighbors like gotcha. Like that's how it
was for me in the East Side. We're growing up, like yeah,

(02:57):
my parents could go away and Iwould are you okay? Here's here's the
weird thing. You guys don't know. Tom was actually he made sure his
kids were okay because he was visiting. She was their first time. Your
family always disappointed because you always foundthem like, damn, she made it
back. We're just dropping off theday. I know, Dad. You

(03:23):
guys know now. Tom was actuallyraised by elephants, which is crazy.
Yes, that's true, right Tom, I have bad notes. I have
bad notes. Move away from thatone. I don't know what Tom did.
Were I mean, we're there wildanimals? No, I mean compared

(03:47):
with Narrobi Kenya is you know,um, there's no animal running around your
back yard. There's no. It'sactually like Narrobi is one of the biggest
you know CITs right now, it'slike an entire real country. Yeah,
it's weird because I think the onlything that I ever see of Avery is
like when they go in the Safarisand stuff, like I never see like

(04:10):
there's big city. There's cities andinfrastructure and got roads toilets, images of
our face like children, all thesethings. Yeah, the same thing that
happens before I came to America isall my America news was from MTV videos,
you know. So when I cometo America, I was like,
I'm gonna come here for two years, party body like money, you know,

(04:33):
go back home and you know,drive Lamborghini. But it's like a
lot of people in America do notlook like the people video, So I
thought it was gonna be all JerseyShore just like everything. Tom from what
from what age did you know thatyou wanted to come to America? Twenty

(04:56):
one to twenty three? You knowmy mom and she passed away for five
years ago. But I'm sorry,Yeah, sure, the one who really
wanted me to call, you know, because I'm the I'm the oldest child,
you know, so there's this senseof hey, you know, you
go do better then you know,bring you bring your siblings, then you
bring your siblings back, you knowwith me. And then I came here
I realized who you know, Yeah, life is pretty hard, you know,

(05:20):
but you know, I no focuson school to school, you know,
graduated. See that's amazing. Likeyou did the American drink thing,
Like you came to America, yougot a degree, and you started your
own business. Baby. Yes,I mean I walked. I actually went
to school for pet you know,pete assistance. So I was in the
clinics. You know, I've walkedin the medical in the medical. So

(05:45):
time, can I ask you aquestion? Um, at what point in
your time in Kenya did you decidethat you were going to cook and not
run marathons? Oh see skinny assbarefoot man who run thirty thousand miles in
two hours. And then with everyAmerican in America, I look around,

(06:09):
like if I do the Glass CityMarathon, I look around. I'm like,
make sure there's no Kenyans that I'mcoming in first. Why why is
it? Why why are you somany Kenyons so faster than not talk?
I mean, I'm a look atme. I'm not like, you know,
yeah you got a runner. Yeahwe knew that you've been American.

(06:30):
Yeah, but it's only a smallsection of It's kind of like Ohio Columbus
that it's the only area that there'slike the one running area. Yeah yeah,
so Ken isn't a whole running Imean that's what we are good at
it running, But we're also goodat running. We're good at you know,
field hockey, we're good at soccer. It all sounds like running running

(06:57):
sense of the theme women, Yeah, isn't rugby horses, No, like
we are British football football one ofthe time. It's kind of like American
football with no Thomas here, Thomashere of the Jaconi's food truck. It's
the East African inspired cuisine, umfood truck. Look, look for it

(07:19):
all over the place now, tomSo, So you knew it, like
around twenty one to twenty three thatyou wanted to come to America, But
did you? Are there not opportunitiesout in Kenny? Like there are here.
There are plenty, but it's notAmerican dream that want to you know.
I mean I had a good life. I mean I went to I
went you know, I also wentto college back home. I mean I

(07:40):
was doing good. But I feellike if people were all next about the
American I don't think a lot ofpeople really want to a lot of America.
America. No, I America isamazing, but you have to think
yeah, yeah, I mean thatdoes. But you have to knock on
those doors. And I mean theAmerican dream back in the fifties when it

(08:01):
became a thing, when the middleclass first became a thing, like when
you invented the middle class. Yeah, the American dream was achievable. And
I mean, Kelly knows. Interms of real estate, it used to
be you could work a full timejob in the sixties and buy a house,
easy, peasy, one income,and that was the average and anymore.
We still have the American dream,but it is not nearly as attainable

(08:24):
for the everyman as it was inthe past. Time. So where did
you get exposed to the American dream? Was it through movies? Television?
Like we're like where did you knowthat? Or your mom? You and
your mom you know movies and Ihave you know, I have a few
older, older cousins who who'll bethere for a long time out in the
New Jazzy area. Yeah, soI mean so all that saw them on

(08:46):
like every time they'll come home.I'm like, oh, you guys have
all the nice jow does and stuff. I wanna, you know, maybe
I wanna, But it was deeplydown it was just to take out of
my family. But how but howscary was you left your whole family behind
by yourself? Yeah? By myself? You know? So did they give
you just give you just some moneyand put you on a plane. No,

(09:07):
no, no, I came throughut Oh, came from school.
But yeah, but I asked youabout myself. I just you know,
I just h And it was duringa very um some of the political stuff
was not truly good and it wasan election season, so it's crazy,
that's crazy. Yeah, And Ieven my mom my family couldn't get to

(09:30):
say good bye to me at theairport because I should take another I look
to a different seat to kind offly out of. So they just left
me in my hometown. I waslike, okay, bye, and that's
the last time I you know.And then yeah, but that's I mean,
isn't that kind of like You're thefirstborn, right, so that's that's
your role, right, That's whathas been expected of you since you were
a child, is that you wouldgrow up and then go out, make

(09:52):
your way and then bring your siblingswith you, so you still you still
send money home. I mean that'sthe thing about out. Also, the
second thing about American systems back homeis your parents raise you. They pay
for your school that you know thatmake sure they do anything right by you.
You don't have to take any loansout of everything that they work hard

(10:13):
for you to go to school,knowing in the tale when when you get
old, when they take care ofthem. Yeah, because but you know,
there's no laughing homes, there's noyou know, all these facilities,
there's no you know, second senseof family. Yeah. Yeah, I
mean you get all your your kidstake care of Yeah, the family all
stays together for forever basically. Yeah, tented you meet your wife here?

(10:37):
Yeah we did. Yeah, wedid when I was in school, when
I was doing my physical therapy clinicals. Because she's she's she's an ot so
so we met with a love storyputting up a little bit um. So
Okay, so you're you're doing physicaltherapy and all that. What got you
interested in the food truck business?Yeah? I mean one of the one

(10:58):
thing I like about, you know, my family is we love to host
people. I mean, every weekendthere's always someone at our house at the
table is one big family table.So and I was like, wait,
there's no African so so, Imean I used to cook, but my
cooking wasn't like you know, becauseas as a man. I mean,
I cooked, but my mom didmost most most of the cooking, and

(11:20):
I watched the cooking stuff. So, you know, you know, COVID
came, you know, I gotlaid off and stuff, and I was
like, wait, maybe you know, maybe I can. I can.
I can said this is a businessand bring something in community different. But
I didn't have the I didn't haveit yet. So you know, I
told my hey, baby, I'mgonna check. I'm going home for two

(11:41):
months, you know, you know, for a few weeks. Yeah.
So I went back home and youknow, me and my aunt spent like
two three weeks just you know,the cooking, cooking and testing and that's
really cool. See. So whatI know about starting a business from nothing
because that's what I did, andit's terrifying and so hard and especially I

(12:07):
mean it's probably this is one ofthe differences I'm sure between Kenya and the
US that like the regulations around startinga business. We had so much.
How was it navigating that process inAmerica? Because as an American that process
is still hard for me. Itwas, I mean, yeah, you
want you want to you want tosell food? You yeah, you cooking
it and you sell your food.Yeah, I was like twenty licenses and

(12:35):
which is good, Which is good. Absolutely, it was just less easier,
easier, especially when you're starting andyou don't have like a corporate backer
or you don't have a financer.You're starting at yourself, and like our
government makes it so hard. Here'swhy I love Tom too. He came
to America and now if you goto his food truck, Tom is I
mean, he's the perfect spoke.First he's out talking to people and smiling

(12:58):
and shaking her hands, and he'sa bunch of white people in the kitchen
working for him. That's the beautyof American. We need to rename your
truck June tea Une teeth and wegot nothing but crackers working in the Cracker
is selling you African food. Thatthe thing that's right, sad. Put

(13:20):
it in a ball. Get outwhich is which is? Which is?
Which is? You know? Um? I mean it's a blessing to be
able to have all these white people? Are you listening to his voice like
I'm being drawn to him? Ifeel like maybe I should go work for
But but that was it something quickas as as hot as it is to

(13:45):
um starting the sun a business theToledo SBA on the Toledo e CDL.
Yes, I really. I meanif you really want to such something,
and I like you have an ideawhere to go, just go to the
Sham of commas on man. Imean, yeah, I took a couple
of free classes that they offer onbusiness and they were so how good?
Yeah, small Business and Administrations andChamber of Conversation and Toledo are both amazing

(14:09):
groups. Ye. First, Igotta tell you that we're talking to Tom,
who's the owner of the Jaconi foodtruck here in the Toledo area.
I gotta say, phenomenal food,man. I mean next, my wife
and I are are addicted to it. The the halapeno cilantro. Hey that
sound good, good made hallapeno cilantrolime dressing that he put that he puts

(14:33):
on like the meals m cherry Cone. Yeah, how do we find how
do we find you? On firstmove and JACONI j I K and I
i'm a I'm a that button rightnow, so you just memorize that.
Here's my next question. Right youwere married before you went back to Kenya

(14:56):
for what two years? You saidtwo months? Two months to learn recipe.
Out of that whole two months whereyou were gone from your wife,
did you think maybe I shouldn't comeback close? His wife is the sweetest
and the cool thing is that youguys do it together. You're you're the

(15:16):
face, You're the face of theof the truck and you are all that
stuff. But your wife is inthe kitchen busting and I mean my wife
walks, walks full time. Youknow. People don't realize how much she
does in the you know, behindthe scenes, you know, so you
know, without her, I don'tthink Joe Nicola been a you know,
because you know she cut at mefor two years when I was still right

(15:37):
when like when when? When?This is all a dream to me?
So you know, she's like percent, you know, the face of good,
good, good woman, good womanfound on There's a lot of dirt
out here. Demetris just got divorcedrecently, so that's okay, But you

(16:03):
know, it's been almost two years. The anger is still relatively Do we
yell at a non bet when hegets a little triggered. No, we
do what you do with your triggers. All right, Well, Tom,
tell us a little about your food, um, and what it's based on
and what you have, what youyeah, I mean, I have a

(16:26):
very small menu. Um. Ihave a pillow rice, which is a
rice known in Kenya. With allof my spices come from Kenya, which
is also unique. Yeah, soyou know, we have a pillow rice,
a lot of ginger, cardamom,all the warm spices. And I
also need to be careful when I'mdoing this because every time I say warm
spices, people like eyes hot nosound hot, savory? Yeah yeah yeah,

(16:52):
so you know. So then Ihave I have my two two two
proteins, my chicken. I don'tknow, I might be curry, my
appetizers, my my samosas. Eventually, you know, the more help I
have and the more I expand hopefullyyou know you guys know, oh yeah,
you kind of just and keeping themenu simple is the way to do.
It is great, baby. Andthe smosas. Samosas are a pastry

(17:19):
and they're filled with meat and hehand fills them with some of the flavors
are just amazing. And the foodis not hot as far as it's not
hot at all, you know,it's it's just it's just amazing, the
great taste, not so hungry.What's the what's the most popular dish that
you serve my truck? My pillowrice and chicken and not be somemost on

(17:42):
the side. Yes, yeah,you get that with a beet with the
beat samosa and you put the twotogether and it's amazing. Are you going
to be either of our pop upfood truck things for party one or three?
Three? This week? We haveone on Tuesday and one on Thursday.
You come into another one? Baby? Man about it? Yeah?
Okay, oh yeah, you know. Details we'd love man check he's that

(18:03):
covin I could pick that out.Details. Yeah, it's just like somebody
going, hey, you want tocome to my party. He's like,
yeah, I just just send methe info. I'm just gonna go with
that. He set him and hiswife like to entertain. I'm assuming we're
all getting an invite. Yeah.So, so as far as what is

(18:29):
the biggest difference between Kenya and here? If you picked one thing between America
and Kenya. What is the biggestdifference Because I talk I talked. I
talked to a guy once that wasfrom England, and I said, what's
the biggest difference between England and here? He says, you guys love your
sauces. He goes, you putsauces on sauces. I love. We
do love sauce. So what wouldyou say the biggest difference that you that

(18:52):
you found between the two. Uh, just in general, I'll say two
at quick. I think the firstone is simplicity. I feel like America
we are so backed down with stuff, you know, the stuff, you
know, big house. I wanta big I want, you know.
And yeah, so that's one thingthat that I see is people just want

(19:15):
stuff, you know, pecause Ijust you know, people just like stuff.
That's so much stuffs. It's horribleand people people are not really peaceful
with that. You know, themost stuff you have, the most you
have to you have to take careof. And I think that's one thing.
And also the second thing is rush. We're just in a howry you

(19:37):
know, even my food, youknow, I mean I took I remember
when I took my wife for thefirst time back home, our supper.
We start making dinner around eight o'clockat night. Oh wow, no,
and the dinner you go to themarket, get to fresh Greenians came moment
cook and you know making food.So but you eat it like ninth starting
and at night like it's so it'stoo late. But we just we we

(19:57):
don't rush, you know, wedon't know why we we take time eating
as a family. That's the onething I'm trying to do do bad.
It's just you know, it's kindof appreciate what you would would you say,
Um, let's say it comes withthe stuff, all the stuff that
we have to have as Americans.Would you say you've come here and tak

(20:19):
your family how to live with lessstuff or if you've gotten caught it up
into it and eat now you're you'vebecome Americanized where you need more stuff.
I mean I was before before astuff that you know, but you know,
we have kids and I realize,you know, there there's there's kind
of motor left stuff thinking your stuff. Yeah, we have to like get

(20:40):
rid of almost stuff in a basement. Really, I'm just a sharp yeah,
yeah, So I'm kind of ingto slow down Tom, you are
amazing. You're such are You're sucha kind guy. Thank you. You're
always smiling, which I love.You're always always talking to everybody when I
see you out, and and yourwife is just amazing. It's a great
family. Congratulations to all your successand it is deserved. Yeah, and

(21:04):
I'm sure it will continue. SoI can't wait for you to hire more
white people. Yes, that ismy dream for you, sir. Yes,
I want you to be the timeof all the white people. I
have a dream. I may nothire you all today. I may not

(21:25):
make it there. You don't havea check written by me, and Tom's
gonna hire all white people. Awesome, Thank you Tom. All right,
man, there is Tom from JACONI.