September 20, 2025 • 21 mins
The brainchild of Frank Mendoza, El Sushi Loco is a place to bond with family and a lively place to hang out with friends. El Sushi Loco may be the truest expression of east meeting west, with tastes and textures both exotic and familiar. The flavors and ambiance provide the perfect place for a festive and tasty lunch or dinner. You're going to be happy Mexico met Japan when you try this food!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And there's a gentleman you probably remember from a few
(00:02):
weeks back that we had on, Francisco Mendoza. He says,
call me Frank, but we had him on with El
Sushi Loco and you can find out more at El
Sushi Loco dot com, the Mexican Sushi. We talked about
all those things, but I was out a studio and
I wasn't able to enjoy the food, so we just
talked about and he's kind enough to come back in.
(00:24):
It's nice to see you, brother, Thanks so much for
coming in. Wow, holy hell, look at all this.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, you know what I wanted to envision. You. You know, foodies,
when they get in front of food, they get excited.
Oh yeah, so I brought the best of what I got. Well,
there's more to come, but I brought this. There's more
than this, Yes, there's a bunch more, but I go
you know, I got to bring something. I'm an army
on one today.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Oh yeah, I mean this is a massive amount of food, brother,
go big or go home there? Yeah right, I want
to go home with all the food. So talk about
what you brought here. I mean it is stunning. I've
been taking pictures. I don't even know they're going to
do justice. But it just as lovely.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, you know what it is. For example, the one
you're going to try, it's a spicy male. It's a
shrimp are marinate and garlic and oils and lemons. It's
just amazing, these little shrimp that I actually see here.
It was a fluke on this sauce that I made
years ago playing around in the kitchen. I didn't know
how to cook. Actually, I used to burn eggs for
(01:23):
a living.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Then how did you cross into being a chef?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Well, you know what it was? By default, I was
helping somebody. It was a nephew of mine that unfortunately,
he had lost his mom. And a portion of my
life was I grew up in uh In uptown in Mexico, Ca, Sinaloa,
and right now it's an inferno. People are dying every day, unfortunately.
And his mother had died and she took care of
(01:50):
me when I was a kid. And and he ends up,
you know, he migrates over here and he's doing things well,
and you didn't have a place to live. I say, hey, listen,
you can stay with me. I love your mama. I
wanted to give back you know it's a sensitive subject
because I'm a cry baby. I don't know what happens
to you. I got married, I got my kids. Tell
another just because.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
It means something, because you know, it's not just you
going okay, I can handle this.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
It's like I don't want my kids to feel this,
or I don't want them to hurt, or I don't
want them to I get it.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
So yeah, I take it. So I say, hey, listen,
what do you know how to do? I'm a an
air conditioning guy. That's what I did for a living. Now,
he used to fix their conditions. Yeah, it was a
great living and I was doing so well and I
wanted to get him involved. But he was a heavy guy,
and I go, my, he's gonna fall off if I
put him in the attic.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Probably not the best idea to climb above the people.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
But I say, what do you know how to do?
And he said, I'm a suceetto. Have you heard that,
Neil Suceetto. No, I don't think you're well. He said,
I didn't know what it was. Never in my life,
never in my life. I go, you're a sucetto. Yeah,
I'm a succetto. Dude, I don't know what it is,
and he goes, I make sushi. Oh, you mean the
(03:08):
little rice thingies, the little rice thing is that you
pop in your mind.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I didn't even know there was a translation for a
word in Spanish. If somebody who make sushi, well, we
just gave all.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Your artists a translation. Where's two chatto's in Mexico? Actually,
there are Mexican sushi chefs. Yeah, that's what they go
for two chattos, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
And so, I mean, it makes sense, but it just
is like you just don't normally hear the the compilation
or the mix between Japanese and English or Spanish in
this case.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So I go. So he coicked up some sushi for
I didn't know what it was. I don't know what
it was made out of it. I didn't know what it had.
I don't know about seaweed, I don't know about rice. And
I said, and once I tried, I go, oh, man,
this is pretty good, dude. This is a sushi. This
is sushi. This is good. So then I go, hey, listen,
if I buy a food truck, would you like help
(04:05):
me and teach me and stuff? And he goes, yeah.
So I ended up, you know, trying to buy a
food truck. They're very expensive, you know, yeah, like fifty thousand.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, they go even higher. Yeah, some of those will
go for one hundred thousand bucks.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah, I have that money. I had. Unfortunately, I was
when he lost his mom in two thousand and nine,
I had come out of jail. I was in jail
for nine years. I was I made some very bad
mistakes when I was twenty four that to this day,
I still you know, I want to give back. That's
why I'm so passionate about this.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Must have been one hell of a burnt egg. I
did nine years.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I burned by this egg, got burned for nine years.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
But you know what, I'm sorry to hear that, but
I'm happy to hear that.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
But it saved my life. Actually, you know, I realized
that I was in the hole, and I go, man,
what am I going to do? And I got nine
years to just get better. And so I became a plumber.
I became an air conditioning guy. You know, I got
to get better. So when I got out, when he
came over, you know, we met in the middle. Really,
you know, he had lost his mom, only child. I
(05:09):
was out of you know, prison, And I remember when
I got out of prison, the only thing to my
name knew was a packup bubble bubble gum. That's that's all.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
I had a pack of bubble gum, watermelon bubble gum. Wow,
you have a very specific day.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I know exactly what.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
One of the things that. So I had a couple
of bucks, and you know, I bought a pack of
bubble gum and I just packed the whole bubble gum
in my mouth, like what does that feel like? And
and but so that was my rock bottom and I said,
you know what, I need to give my life back.
I need to do something with my life. And I
found him. He found me, and I go, you can
stay with me, and he taught me what he knew
(05:51):
and it was a way to give back. I didn't
get into food because I wanted to be a foodie guy.
I thought I was going to do their conditioning or
something of construction. But who just found me.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
That's a great story.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
So we're talking with Frank Mendoza from l Sushi Loko. Yeah,
because every Mexican food is crazy. Apparently it's got to be.
It's a chicken, it's crazy. Boy, You look his cousin, Yeah,
his Japanese cousin from far so, uh, these roles, and
(06:27):
you know we're because there's you know, we have people
working here and stuff. I want to make sure that
they get in on this. So they've been coming in
and out trying it, but I haven't tried so this
this year you talked a little about because I rolled
it over to me.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Just look at those shrimp. Oh, they smelled.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Delicious with a lot of love. Meal.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
I came here with Mike to your mouth, will your Frank?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I made that with a lot of love. Every food
that you make, you know what, that's a key ingredient
if you don't add love to your food. I told
my wife today, quit food is the day I stop
loving it.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
And I tell my boy that do you really taste
the love? Yeah, taste the love.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Taste the love. Well, you know what you gotta give love,
You gotta give passion. And I realized that when you
add that's one of the secret ingredients to cooking, because
you know, I used to burn eggs at one point
in my time. The first time I got a knife,
my wife goes, oh my god, he's gonna cut himself
or he's gonna you burn.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Your Mexican you were born with one. This is what happened.
A lot of people don't know this. When you're Mexican,
you're a boy, they give you a little knife, and
then they put up a gold name wrist, that chain
that has your name on it, and then they sent
you off into the world. Then I have this gold
(07:46):
chain with my name on it and a knife.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know what, but I did. I didn't care when
I got burned. I was excited to be my own boss,
to be able to serve, because you know what, that's
another secret ingred. You gotta be willing to serve. You
can't do it for them money.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, if you start wrong, the food doesn't taste right.
It's just it's like art. You know, if you're making
art for money, then it's no longer art. If you
make art in itsels still art, right, But if you're
if you just like I separate those things. When I
do art for myself, it's art. When I would do
it for someone else, it's design. So it's like, no,
(08:25):
I'm designing.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
I'm a designer.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I'm designing something. They're telling me what they want, I'm
designing it. Yeah, it's art elements, but really when I'm
doing it just for myself, then it's art that is fantastic.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
That is the sweet and the heat on that one.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Well, we make all these sauces and I actually brought
them to make our own whole spicy mayle, our own terioky.
It's called anguilla. Anguila's a fish. I realized in Japan
that they actually make it, you know, with true ala,
which is slivery fish. And it's pretty fun to actually
(09:01):
do it. But it's you know, so all the sauces
are made in house. Everything that we do, it's made
in hous There's no way, there's no store Broad Walmart.
You know, this is all by mistake. This is love
at its finest. I think you know when you make something,
when you love it, when you see it with your eyes,
you fall in love with it, you smell it, you know,
the shrimp like they're in front of you, you can
(09:23):
just grab them, eat the whole head, eat the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
You know, I'm eating your love right now. That doesn't
sounds I mean it's delicious. If that's what if that's
what Frank's love dayste like I'm in you know that
really I mean that is.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That is beyond good.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Like for exam, I'm gonna give you it. Just a demo,
Can I do it? Give you a demo of your love?
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I don't know. It's now I'm getting a little nervous.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Okay, this little shrimp here, you see this, I see it.
It's looking at me. You just.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Okay, so you go head in, legs on that. I
knew it.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
I knew it.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
None of that prison talking here. Okay, So you just
went straight head on and everything.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
You seem if I would come to your show and
I didn't like it, would be really disappointed.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
No, you were looking for an excuse to eat it.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
You're like, let me show you. I'm like, I don't
think I've ever ate eaten ahead of a shrimp.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
It's it's it'll it'll do some wonders.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
What if a gag we'll give you.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
I'm not worried about my brow.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
I'm not gonna kiss you.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
No, it's got the shell on and everything.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah, the shell is great. There's a lot of there's
just flavors packed in. There's like the lobster, the little head.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I don't need the head of the lot.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
No, you don't.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Well, I mean, once it's opened up, you get the meat.
Man it is, but I don't eat the.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Skeleton.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
But you know these are sheered shrimp. It was it
was merited in lemon and garlic. And then once I
shared them, oh man, I.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Could what about their old holds?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
They're looking at you, They're gonna look in my belty. No,
they got a lot of protein and they're and they're wonderful.
They're there's delicacy there, really are. You know, these are
like at least they're cooked. They're like they're not raw,
even though there were raw and you know we eat
them raw as well with lemon called that WATCHI list.
You know, so they oh you took the head off
for a shrimp. Yeah, you go, some cool little flavor
(11:38):
and then the flavor inside that's pretty good, right, Yeah,
that was the default sauce. You know. I just you know,
when when when I started to create recipes, it was
by myself actually, and when mama myself, I started being creative.
And then later on my wife goes, you know, why
don't you go to school? Like what do you mean? Yeah,
why don't you go and learn what chefs do? But
(11:59):
I I got two kids. You're gonna send me at
this age to school, he goes, Yeah, So I ended
up rolling. She goes, if you take me to school,
I'll go. So I ended up been rolling to Institute
of Culinary Education. It's called ICE and in Pasadena, and
one of the best decisions on my life. You know.
It's like, oh, that's what chefs do.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
When I saw them make that's no, that's no chump
school either, that's the real deal.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I challenged me, and I ended up going to Japan.
Challenged me again. You know, I want her to cry.
In japan's either you pass or you fail. They are straight. Yeah,
And I told my wife I won't. I'm coming home.
I can't. I can't believe. I can't cut up this
damn fish.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
This is hard.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
My daughter got on the phone, Daddy, just stick with it,
don't give up. And in my mind was what am
I going to tell her when she wants to give
up in school? To give up? And she's telling me
not to give up. So so I stuck with it.
I ended up passing, you know, And so I.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Really how we get to eat your wonderful food?
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Yeah, you know Japan, it takes five years to be
actually become or more to become my actual sushi chef.
You got to master the rice making in Japan, and
they leave you only rice.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
That's all you dorice, so you can't even start anything else.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
You cannot even touch the knife. You'll be in the
back prepping rice or prepping other ingredients. That's how they start.
That's what they you know, they don't give up. You know,
Japanese people are so disciplined. It's either you.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Know the culture. Yeah, with the culture a hold that thought.
We're going to bring you back. And if Tiffany Hobbs
is here, we're going to bring her on too. She's
coming up at five o'clock and followed by Michael Monks,
So go no where. We're talking with chef Frank Mendoza
from El Sushi Loco and you can find him online
if you want to find out more. I highly recommend this.
(13:52):
This food is genuinely special. Chef that shrimp, I don't
know that I've ever had it so tender like it's
got it's so. It tastes delicate and not chewy. It's
well it was, but it's prepared perfectly.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
It's seared, it's it's magic in there. There's a little
juice inside you got to get into and there's scallops
in the inside the little cup. I wish your your
audience can see this.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
This is amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Wow. I'm taking pictures, but you can check it out
on Instagram. You can go to their website El Sushi Loco,
El Sushi Loco. And right now we're talking to Francisco
Mendoza Frank from L Sushi Loco. You can find out
more at El Sushi Loco dot com. And Tiffany hobbs
Uh because we're, you know, right up against the hour,
(14:43):
I asked her to come in and do as we
normally do, to connect and and to meet Frank and
to try some of the food.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
It's right all right, Oh.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
My gosh, to walk into this one, it's visually stunning,
it's colorful, it's laid out, there's so much of it.
I'm upset that I ate before I came. I'm going
to steal gorge on this because you have to, and
then too. It's just it's a testament to your skill
that you can weave such two distinct cultures together into
(15:14):
something like this.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And I can't wait. Well, you know, it brings people together,
that's for sure. I didn't even see the shrimp. Oh,
oh my god. I thought, you know, I'm just going
to bring everything. What most a lot of stuff that
I really enjoy it. I'm represented to Tania and the
staff and the show because once you put it on
the table, just yeah, it's it's a ride, I will
(15:38):
tell you.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Tiffany just walked in and so she's seeing all this.
But what I've been watching is something I see every
now and again, when a chef is excited about their food.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
They eat it.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, because they've had it all the time, of course,
but they'll bring it in and the I don't know
if they don't see it as a sign of hospitality.
I do because now we're eating together. But he like
he enjoys his food, and he's like, try it like this,
and he said, try just biting the shrimp and taking
in the head and eyeballs.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
And I looked at him and I said, few, but.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
I've never done that before. And I didn't feel like
I wanted to try it on live radio the first Yeah,
but I do get it. He's saying, like the the
head of the shrimp is like, yeah, it's a bone, man,
bone marrow.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Yeah, it's just it just but yeah, you use your
teeth and you just bite into it. Like I was
saying before, If you you know most chefs, they don't
really sit down and eat, they'll bite everything. Yeah, and
but there's moments like this right now that I'm I'm going, Wow,
this is amazing food. And and it's even fun of
(16:52):
sharing it with you. But as you said, we're breaking
bread with competent. Yeah, you get to share the food
and what you do and how you do it. And
for me, this is what I've been called to do.
I mean I used to Tiffany, I used to burn eggs.
I did. I was telling Neil that at one point
when I got the knife, I was gonna My wife goes,
(17:14):
he's gonna burn himself, he's gonna cut himself. And actually
did both. I did both.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Comes with the territory, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
It's like you know, I mean, times I'll be talking
to my wife, well I'm I'm like frying something, and
my thumb is in there with it.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
While I'm talking to her, I'm like, what's us? That's me? Yeah,
I'm frying my pretty good the pig for you.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah, but yeah, exactly, but this is really special food
yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
I mean, but nobody really does it. You know, Like
if I take this one row that's called a Flsino row,
the bacon row that is.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I know, and it's everything you hope it to be
here and you just get that sauce on it and
this beauty right here with the salmon and this but everything. Yeah,
look at that. I tell you, I don't I you know,
(18:08):
thank god you found your path. I don't want to
see you back in prison. But if you did go
back to prison, I bet your your Pruno would be.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
But you know what, you can always do something with
your life. You know. You just got to get up
and do it and decide. You can't be cold, you
can't be hot. You just got to go you know what.
I'm going to make the changes I need to make
and stick with them and then give back. You can't
(18:44):
stay with the blessing. You got to be able to
give it forward, do something with it. And for me,
that's my passion to be able to make a difference
in people's lives. You know, there's nothing better. I don't
want to be the richest man in the cemetery. I
hope I'm not. Don't bury me if I am. I
want to be able to give back and for me,
(19:04):
my passion is food to make an impact. You know,
we sponsored kids to go to go to college. There
was a young man in them who sponsored him to
go to college. I'm even part of a rehab program
in East LA Church called Victory or Rich and they
have rehab people. It's for free, twenty twenty individuals that.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Are under the bridge.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
You know, there was a guy that was ready to
kill himself with a gun and a cob walked up
on him and he said, don't do it. Don't do it,
and he went into the rehab program and now he's
changing people's lives on Los Angeles sixth Street, you know,
the where all the homeless are at in those towns,
(19:47):
and he's picking people off the street. When he was
there was a point in time he was going to
kill himself. I should have been dead. So I'm just
grateful to be grateful to be alive, and I pray
to God that he gives me the money the finale
and if you go to Sushi logo, that's what we do.
We make a difference in people's lives through the finances
that we get and we're able to sponsor kids, were
(20:09):
to make I want to make a difference, I really do.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I think you will.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
I know you will, and I know you are, and
I will tell you a lot of people when they
hit rock bottom, they hit it on their back and
they're looking up. And when you look up and you've
got nowhere else to go down is when you do
make a difference.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
And I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
And that's why I heard that passion when we talked,
and but we weren't.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Here in studio.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Now we are, and that's why I wanted to bring
Tiffany in because Tiffany has that same heart too. She
and I share those things about the community and you know,
making sure that that you don't leave people behind, that
you do your best. But it can't be done through
politics and garbage and all that stuff. It's going to
take all sides. So I appreciate what you do, my friend.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Bless you.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Man.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
We're crying over Susy here. I'm like choking it back.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Good food. It's not that was Bobby.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Now.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
You know, when you when you just know where you've been,
you know, and I know there's people that are listening
that they know where they've been, and if you're listening,
you just have to know where you've been and be
grateful and just get back up, get back up,
And there's a gentleman you probably remember from a few
(00:02):
weeks back that we had on, Francisco Mendoza. He says,
call me Frank, but we had him on with El
Sushi Loco and you can find out more at El
Sushi Loco dot com, the Mexican Sushi. We talked about
all those things, but I was out a studio and
I wasn't able to enjoy the food, so we just
talked about and he's kind enough to come back in.
(00:24):
It's nice to see you, brother, Thanks so much for
coming in. Wow, holy hell, look at all this.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, you know what I wanted to envision. You. You know, foodies,
when they get in front of food, they get excited.
Oh yeah, so I brought the best of what I got. Well,
there's more to come, but I brought this. There's more
than this, Yes, there's a bunch more, but I go
you know, I got to bring something. I'm an army
on one today.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Oh yeah, I mean this is a massive amount of food, brother,
go big or go home there? Yeah right, I want
to go home with all the food. So talk about
what you brought here. I mean it is stunning. I've
been taking pictures. I don't even know they're going to
do justice. But it just as lovely.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, you know what it is. For example, the one
you're going to try, it's a spicy male. It's a
shrimp are marinate and garlic and oils and lemons. It's
just amazing, these little shrimp that I actually see here.
It was a fluke on this sauce that I made
years ago playing around in the kitchen. I didn't know
how to cook. Actually, I used to burn eggs for
(01:23):
a living.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Then how did you cross into being a chef?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Well, you know what it was? By default, I was
helping somebody. It was a nephew of mine that unfortunately,
he had lost his mom. And a portion of my
life was I grew up in uh In uptown in Mexico, Ca, Sinaloa,
and right now it's an inferno. People are dying every day, unfortunately.
And his mother had died and she took care of
(01:50):
me when I was a kid. And and he ends up,
you know, he migrates over here and he's doing things well,
and you didn't have a place to live. I say, hey, listen,
you can stay with me. I love your mama. I
wanted to give back you know it's a sensitive subject
because I'm a cry baby. I don't know what happens
to you. I got married, I got my kids. Tell
another just because.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
It means something, because you know, it's not just you
going okay, I can handle this.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
It's like I don't want my kids to feel this,
or I don't want them to hurt, or I don't
want them to I get it.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
So yeah, I take it. So I say, hey, listen,
what do you know how to do? I'm a an
air conditioning guy. That's what I did for a living. Now,
he used to fix their conditions. Yeah, it was a
great living and I was doing so well and I
wanted to get him involved. But he was a heavy guy,
and I go, my, he's gonna fall off if I
put him in the attic.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Probably not the best idea to climb above the people.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
But I say, what do you know how to do?
And he said, I'm a suceetto. Have you heard that,
Neil Suceetto. No, I don't think you're well. He said,
I didn't know what it was. Never in my life,
never in my life. I go, you're a sucetto. Yeah,
I'm a succetto. Dude, I don't know what it is,
and he goes, I make sushi. Oh, you mean the
(03:08):
little rice thingies, the little rice thing is that you
pop in your mind.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I didn't even know there was a translation for a
word in Spanish. If somebody who make sushi, well, we
just gave all.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Your artists a translation. Where's two chatto's in Mexico? Actually,
there are Mexican sushi chefs. Yeah, that's what they go
for two chattos, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
And so, I mean, it makes sense, but it just
is like you just don't normally hear the the compilation
or the mix between Japanese and English or Spanish in
this case.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So I go. So he coicked up some sushi for
I didn't know what it was. I don't know what
it was made out of it. I didn't know what it had.
I don't know about seaweed, I don't know about rice. And
I said, and once I tried, I go, oh, man,
this is pretty good, dude. This is a sushi. This
is sushi. This is good. So then I go, hey, listen,
if I buy a food truck, would you like help
(04:05):
me and teach me and stuff? And he goes, yeah.
So I ended up, you know, trying to buy a
food truck. They're very expensive, you know, yeah, like fifty thousand.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, they go even higher. Yeah, some of those will
go for one hundred thousand bucks.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah, I have that money. I had. Unfortunately, I was
when he lost his mom in two thousand and nine,
I had come out of jail. I was in jail
for nine years. I was I made some very bad
mistakes when I was twenty four that to this day,
I still you know, I want to give back. That's
why I'm so passionate about this.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Must have been one hell of a burnt egg. I
did nine years.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I burned by this egg, got burned for nine years.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
But you know what, I'm sorry to hear that, but
I'm happy to hear that.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
But it saved my life. Actually, you know, I realized
that I was in the hole, and I go, man,
what am I going to do? And I got nine
years to just get better. And so I became a plumber.
I became an air conditioning guy. You know, I got
to get better. So when I got out, when he
came over, you know, we met in the middle. Really,
you know, he had lost his mom, only child. I
(05:09):
was out of you know, prison, And I remember when
I got out of prison, the only thing to my
name knew was a packup bubble bubble gum. That's that's all.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
I had a pack of bubble gum, watermelon bubble gum. Wow,
you have a very specific day.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I know exactly what.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
One of the things that. So I had a couple
of bucks, and you know, I bought a pack of
bubble gum and I just packed the whole bubble gum
in my mouth, like what does that feel like? And
and but so that was my rock bottom and I said,
you know what, I need to give my life back.
I need to do something with my life. And I
found him. He found me, and I go, you can
stay with me, and he taught me what he knew
(05:51):
and it was a way to give back. I didn't
get into food because I wanted to be a foodie guy.
I thought I was going to do their conditioning or
something of construction. But who just found me.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
That's a great story.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
So we're talking with Frank Mendoza from l Sushi Loko. Yeah,
because every Mexican food is crazy. Apparently it's got to be.
It's a chicken, it's crazy. Boy, You look his cousin, Yeah,
his Japanese cousin from far so, uh, these roles, and
(06:27):
you know we're because there's you know, we have people
working here and stuff. I want to make sure that
they get in on this. So they've been coming in
and out trying it, but I haven't tried so this
this year you talked a little about because I rolled
it over to me.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Just look at those shrimp. Oh, they smelled.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Delicious with a lot of love. Meal.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
I came here with Mike to your mouth, will your Frank?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I made that with a lot of love. Every food
that you make, you know what, that's a key ingredient
if you don't add love to your food. I told
my wife today, quit food is the day I stop
loving it.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
And I tell my boy that do you really taste
the love? Yeah, taste the love.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Taste the love. Well, you know what you gotta give love,
You gotta give passion. And I realized that when you
add that's one of the secret ingredients to cooking, because
you know, I used to burn eggs at one point
in my time. The first time I got a knife,
my wife goes, oh my god, he's gonna cut himself
or he's gonna you burn.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Your Mexican you were born with one. This is what happened.
A lot of people don't know this. When you're Mexican,
you're a boy, they give you a little knife, and
then they put up a gold name wrist, that chain
that has your name on it, and then they sent
you off into the world. Then I have this gold
(07:46):
chain with my name on it and a knife.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know what, but I did. I didn't care when
I got burned. I was excited to be my own boss,
to be able to serve, because you know what, that's
another secret ingred. You gotta be willing to serve. You
can't do it for them money.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, if you start wrong, the food doesn't taste right.
It's just it's like art. You know, if you're making
art for money, then it's no longer art. If you
make art in itsels still art, right, But if you're
if you just like I separate those things. When I
do art for myself, it's art. When I would do
it for someone else, it's design. So it's like, no,
(08:25):
I'm designing.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
I'm a designer.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I'm designing something. They're telling me what they want, I'm
designing it. Yeah, it's art elements, but really when I'm
doing it just for myself, then it's art that is fantastic.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
That is the sweet and the heat on that one.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Well, we make all these sauces and I actually brought
them to make our own whole spicy mayle, our own terioky.
It's called anguilla. Anguila's a fish. I realized in Japan
that they actually make it, you know, with true ala,
which is slivery fish. And it's pretty fun to actually
(09:01):
do it. But it's you know, so all the sauces
are made in house. Everything that we do, it's made
in hous There's no way, there's no store Broad Walmart.
You know, this is all by mistake. This is love
at its finest. I think you know when you make something,
when you love it, when you see it with your eyes,
you fall in love with it, you smell it, you know,
the shrimp like they're in front of you, you can
(09:23):
just grab them, eat the whole head, eat the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
You know, I'm eating your love right now. That doesn't
sounds I mean it's delicious. If that's what if that's
what Frank's love dayste like I'm in you know that
really I mean that is.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That is beyond good.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Like for exam, I'm gonna give you it. Just a demo,
Can I do it? Give you a demo of your love?
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I don't know. It's now I'm getting a little nervous.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Okay, this little shrimp here, you see this, I see it.
It's looking at me. You just.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Okay, so you go head in, legs on that. I
knew it.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
I knew it.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
None of that prison talking here. Okay, So you just
went straight head on and everything.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
You seem if I would come to your show and
I didn't like it, would be really disappointed.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
No, you were looking for an excuse to eat it.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
You're like, let me show you. I'm like, I don't
think I've ever ate eaten ahead of a shrimp.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
It's it's it'll it'll do some wonders.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
What if a gag we'll give you.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
I'm not worried about my brow.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
I'm not gonna kiss you.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
No, it's got the shell on and everything.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah, the shell is great. There's a lot of there's
just flavors packed in. There's like the lobster, the little head.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I don't need the head of the lot.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
No, you don't.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Well, I mean, once it's opened up, you get the meat.
Man it is, but I don't eat the.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Skeleton.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
But you know these are sheered shrimp. It was it
was merited in lemon and garlic. And then once I
shared them, oh man, I.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Could what about their old holds?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
They're looking at you, They're gonna look in my belty. No,
they got a lot of protein and they're and they're wonderful.
They're there's delicacy there, really are. You know, these are
like at least they're cooked. They're like they're not raw,
even though there were raw and you know we eat
them raw as well with lemon called that WATCHI list.
You know, so they oh you took the head off
for a shrimp. Yeah, you go, some cool little flavor
(11:38):
and then the flavor inside that's pretty good, right, Yeah,
that was the default sauce. You know. I just you know,
when when when I started to create recipes, it was
by myself actually, and when mama myself, I started being creative.
And then later on my wife goes, you know, why
don't you go to school? Like what do you mean? Yeah,
why don't you go and learn what chefs do? But
(11:59):
I I got two kids. You're gonna send me at
this age to school, he goes, Yeah, So I ended
up rolling. She goes, if you take me to school,
I'll go. So I ended up been rolling to Institute
of Culinary Education. It's called ICE and in Pasadena, and
one of the best decisions on my life. You know.
It's like, oh, that's what chefs do.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
When I saw them make that's no, that's no chump
school either, that's the real deal.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I challenged me, and I ended up going to Japan.
Challenged me again. You know, I want her to cry.
In japan's either you pass or you fail. They are straight. Yeah,
And I told my wife I won't. I'm coming home.
I can't. I can't believe. I can't cut up this
damn fish.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
This is hard.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
My daughter got on the phone, Daddy, just stick with it,
don't give up. And in my mind was what am
I going to tell her when she wants to give
up in school? To give up? And she's telling me
not to give up. So so I stuck with it.
I ended up passing, you know, And so I.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Really how we get to eat your wonderful food?
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Yeah, you know Japan, it takes five years to be
actually become or more to become my actual sushi chef.
You got to master the rice making in Japan, and
they leave you only rice.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
That's all you dorice, so you can't even start anything else.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
You cannot even touch the knife. You'll be in the
back prepping rice or prepping other ingredients. That's how they start.
That's what they you know, they don't give up. You know,
Japanese people are so disciplined. It's either you.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Know the culture. Yeah, with the culture a hold that thought.
We're going to bring you back. And if Tiffany Hobbs
is here, we're going to bring her on too. She's
coming up at five o'clock and followed by Michael Monks,
So go no where. We're talking with chef Frank Mendoza
from El Sushi Loco and you can find him online
if you want to find out more. I highly recommend this.
(13:52):
This food is genuinely special. Chef that shrimp, I don't
know that I've ever had it so tender like it's
got it's so. It tastes delicate and not chewy. It's
well it was, but it's prepared perfectly.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
It's seared, it's it's magic in there. There's a little
juice inside you got to get into and there's scallops
in the inside the little cup. I wish your your
audience can see this.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
This is amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Wow. I'm taking pictures, but you can check it out
on Instagram. You can go to their website El Sushi Loco,
El Sushi Loco. And right now we're talking to Francisco
Mendoza Frank from L Sushi Loco. You can find out
more at El Sushi Loco dot com. And Tiffany hobbs
Uh because we're, you know, right up against the hour,
(14:43):
I asked her to come in and do as we
normally do, to connect and and to meet Frank and
to try some of the food.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
It's right all right, Oh.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
My gosh, to walk into this one, it's visually stunning,
it's colorful, it's laid out, there's so much of it.
I'm upset that I ate before I came. I'm going
to steal gorge on this because you have to, and
then too. It's just it's a testament to your skill
that you can weave such two distinct cultures together into
(15:14):
something like this.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And I can't wait. Well, you know, it brings people together,
that's for sure. I didn't even see the shrimp. Oh,
oh my god. I thought, you know, I'm just going
to bring everything. What most a lot of stuff that
I really enjoy it. I'm represented to Tania and the
staff and the show because once you put it on
the table, just yeah, it's it's a ride, I will
(15:38):
tell you.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Tiffany just walked in and so she's seeing all this.
But what I've been watching is something I see every
now and again, when a chef is excited about their food.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
They eat it.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Yeah, because they've had it all the time, of course,
but they'll bring it in and the I don't know
if they don't see it as a sign of hospitality.
I do because now we're eating together. But he like
he enjoys his food, and he's like, try it like this,
and he said, try just biting the shrimp and taking
in the head and eyeballs.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
And I looked at him and I said, few, but.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
I've never done that before. And I didn't feel like
I wanted to try it on live radio the first Yeah,
but I do get it. He's saying, like the the
head of the shrimp is like, yeah, it's a bone, man,
bone marrow.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Yeah, it's just it just but yeah, you use your
teeth and you just bite into it. Like I was
saying before, If you you know most chefs, they don't
really sit down and eat, they'll bite everything. Yeah, and
but there's moments like this right now that I'm I'm going, Wow,
this is amazing food. And and it's even fun of
(16:52):
sharing it with you. But as you said, we're breaking
bread with competent. Yeah, you get to share the food
and what you do and how you do it. And
for me, this is what I've been called to do.
I mean I used to Tiffany, I used to burn eggs.
I did. I was telling Neil that at one point
when I got the knife, I was gonna My wife goes,
(17:14):
he's gonna burn himself, he's gonna cut himself. And actually
did both. I did both.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Comes with the territory, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
It's like you know, I mean, times I'll be talking
to my wife, well I'm I'm like frying something, and
my thumb is in there with it.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
While I'm talking to her, I'm like, what's us? That's me? Yeah,
I'm frying my pretty good the pig for you.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah, but yeah, exactly, but this is really special food
yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
I mean, but nobody really does it. You know, Like
if I take this one row that's called a Flsino row,
the bacon row that is.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I know, and it's everything you hope it to be
here and you just get that sauce on it and
this beauty right here with the salmon and this but everything. Yeah,
look at that. I tell you, I don't I you know,
(18:08):
thank god you found your path. I don't want to
see you back in prison. But if you did go
back to prison, I bet your your Pruno would be.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
But you know what, you can always do something with
your life. You know. You just got to get up
and do it and decide. You can't be cold, you
can't be hot. You just got to go you know what.
I'm going to make the changes I need to make
and stick with them and then give back. You can't
(18:44):
stay with the blessing. You got to be able to
give it forward, do something with it. And for me,
that's my passion to be able to make a difference
in people's lives. You know, there's nothing better. I don't
want to be the richest man in the cemetery. I
hope I'm not. Don't bury me if I am. I
want to be able to give back and for me,
(19:04):
my passion is food to make an impact. You know,
we sponsored kids to go to go to college. There
was a young man in them who sponsored him to
go to college. I'm even part of a rehab program
in East LA Church called Victory or Rich and they
have rehab people. It's for free, twenty twenty individuals that.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Are under the bridge.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
You know, there was a guy that was ready to
kill himself with a gun and a cob walked up
on him and he said, don't do it. Don't do it,
and he went into the rehab program and now he's
changing people's lives on Los Angeles sixth Street, you know,
the where all the homeless are at in those towns,
(19:47):
and he's picking people off the street. When he was
there was a point in time he was going to
kill himself. I should have been dead. So I'm just
grateful to be grateful to be alive, and I pray
to God that he gives me the money the finale
and if you go to Sushi logo, that's what we do.
We make a difference in people's lives through the finances
that we get and we're able to sponsor kids, were
(20:09):
to make I want to make a difference, I really do.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
I think you will.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
I know you will, and I know you are, and
I will tell you a lot of people when they
hit rock bottom, they hit it on their back and
they're looking up. And when you look up and you've
got nowhere else to go down is when you do
make a difference.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
And I appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
And that's why I heard that passion when we talked,
and but we weren't.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Here in studio.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Now we are, and that's why I wanted to bring
Tiffany in because Tiffany has that same heart too. She
and I share those things about the community and you know,
making sure that that you don't leave people behind, that
you do your best. But it can't be done through
politics and garbage and all that stuff. It's going to
take all sides. So I appreciate what you do, my friend.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Bless you.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Man.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
We're crying over Susy here. I'm like choking it back.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Good food. It's not that was Bobby.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Now.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
You know, when you when you just know where you've been,
you know, and I know there's people that are listening
that they know where they've been, and if you're listening,
you just have to know where you've been and be
grateful and just get back up, get back up,
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