September 20, 2025 • 31 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! It's all on KFIAM-640!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's Neil Savedra.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You're listening to kfi EM six forty the Fork Report
on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Happy Saturday to you,
Neil Savedra here with the Four Reports, celebrating food, the
people that make it, the culture behind it. If you remember,
some weeks ago, we had some really lovely folks on
the show, Frank Mendoza, chef with Mexican sushi, and but
(00:25):
we weren't in studio, so he came in studio. He's
going to be joining us in a little bit. We're
going to talk about the Mexican sushi, all about it,
but we're going to taste it this time. And I'm
really looking forward to that because it just sounds delicious. Okay,
So we'll be getting into that shortly. I wanted to
(00:45):
remind you again, if you'll just lend me your ear
for a second. This is the second year that Amy
King and I are going over the Edge for the
Union Rescue Mission.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
We both become very, very fond of them. A year ago.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
We asked them a lot of questions because I have
made it clear my issues with how the homeless situation
is being dealt with. I don't like it, and there's
got to be a better way. I don't think it's
humane to have people on the streets, and I feel
the way the city treats the homeless is disgusting to me.
(01:26):
So I met the folks at the Union Rescue Mission.
They are a dry organization, which means you have to
want to get off drugs and become sober to use
their program. And their program is, you know, a multifacet
to get you back on your way home truly and permanently,
(01:48):
and I fell in love with it. I became a
monthly donor and have been doing that for a year,
well over a year now or.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Somewhere around a here. You're the one, yeah, and I
are doing that now.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Over the Edge is what they do for this event
to raise money, and we go literally over the edge
of the Hilton Universal City, which is right off of
the one oh one there, and it's just it's exhilarating.
I'm afraid of heights, so it's an interesting thing. But
it's for a good cause. So I'm willing to do that.
Amy King's willing to do that. If you want to
(02:23):
join us to do that, you can donate one thousand
dollars and they'll harness you up with us. You can
go literally over the edge with us on the twenty
sixth of September Friday, that's when we're going to be
doing it. They'll also do it on Saturday if you
want to do that, but we will not be there.
So it's very cool and it's a neat way to
remind people that there are those organizations like the Union
(02:46):
Rescue Mission that are doing the real work and not
just you know, false charity or something like that. So
if you go to rm dot org slash ote, that's
for over the Edge, youm dot org slash ote, look
for the Team KFI button, click on that and you'll
(03:08):
find how you can donate if you want to go
over the edge with us. Great, that's, like I said,
a donation of one thousand dollars and they have a
full crew that puts you in the gear and all.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
That teaches you how to do it.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And or if you just want to give five bucks,
ten bucks, whatever you feel moved to do, boy, we
sure would appreciate it because it is I know, it's
been a tough year and there's a lot going on
right now and we're going to be sliding into the holidays,
but this is an important cause and I don't want
to just complain about things. I want to be part
of the solution. So your help is very much appreciated,
(03:42):
and you can do that again by donating, and it
can be you can donate to my team, or if
you hate me, you can donate to anybody else's team,
including Amy's if you hate her.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Who hates Amy? Does anybody hate Amy? No?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It doesn't make sense. So that doesn't mean that's not
going to work. She's a redhead. Maybe you hate redheads.
Maybe you dated one and she treated to you poorly, or.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Anyways, if you feel moved to donate, or you're looking
for a good cause, yourm dot org slash ote, look
for the KFI click button, click on that and you
can find us there. It all goes to the same place.
So really, I just thrilled Dede was a big donor
and she gave money to both of us this morning,
(04:29):
and I thought that was very very kind. So thank
you so much for listening to me on that, because
I think it's a very important cause indeed, and they're
doing it right and.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I love that. Okay, So honeybees, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
We're having problems here in southern California, actually California, all
all over the place. And there's a new proposal and this,
I think is a great program, and this is waiting
awaiting Governor Newsom's approval. It's a grant program, and it's
really to protect honeybe Everything you see, basically food wise,
(05:06):
plant wise has to be pollinated and has to grow.
Birds take you know, nuts. It's funny that birds do
not react to the oil capsaicin which is in peppers,
so the stuff that makes peppers hot, they don't react
to it. They're the ones that carry those seeds to
other places and help them grow. But honey bees are
(05:27):
really the top when it comes to pollinating and all
of these things, especially for lots of food. So one
of the top food producers in the country is looking
to assist one of its most vital food helpers, the
honey bee. Now they're going to establish this new grant
program to find to fund rather research and to just
(05:52):
basically set upon developing strategies to protect this incredibly important pollinator.
With you're looking at a lot of the foods that
in California that can go by the wayside. They're tiny.
I get it, they're small, but man, do they pack
a wallup in what they do. And they're part in
(06:12):
our agriculture and our food here in southern California, all
across California. So about one third of the state's agriculture
comes from pollination dependent crops or pollinator dependent crops. That
equates to about eleven point seven billion dollars, and the
(06:34):
vast majority of that pollination is done by managed honeybees.
So this is an important part of the entire process
of how we get our food in our agriculture here,
and honey bees are dying off. Now if you ask, well,
why are they dying off, there's a bunch of different reasons.
Climate control, forage loss, pathogens that cause problems with them.
(07:02):
All these things play a part in that. So beekeepers
have reported that, particularly commercial beekeepers, up.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
To sixty two percent of colony losses.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And you know, I know that our friend Dean Sharp
has talked about.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
This on the air.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
He actually keeps bees as well because he knows what
they do and the importance of them. And it's not
because he likes the sound of maybe he does. Maybe
he has a b suit I am King of the bees,
but it's actually like a b suit, not like a
bee keeper suit.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
You shall bow down to me.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Your nerd is showing. I think it's time to go
to commercial break, my nerd.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Your nerd not nerdy.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
You're nerdy.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Well to quote Star Wars.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
That kind of epitomizes nerding.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
What But I'm with you.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
I love Star Wars too.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I don't think they're ganging up on him, my fellow nerd.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
No, I'm backing up. He though, embrace the nerdiness.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
I think he should, I mean, but also not do
it so much on air because it makes the cool
people uncomfortable, like myself.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Okay, I wasn't gonna do this, but I'm gonna clear
up my Yoda voice.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Jesus, you're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra
on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Thanks for hanging out today, man, it's been so nice
to kind of cleanse the palette of the news week
and all the heaviness and just celebrate food and culture today.
And there's a gentleman you probably remember from a few
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
(08:52):
Sushi Loco dot com the Mexican sushi. We talked about
all those things, but I was out a studio and
I wasn't a to enjoy the food, so we just
talked about and he's kind enough to come back in.
It's nice to see you, brother, Thanks so much for
coming in. Wow, holy hell, look at all this.
Speaker 6 (09:12):
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.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I'm an army on one today.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
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 3 (09:43):
Yeah, you know what it is.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
For example, the one you're gonna try it's a spicy mayo.
It's a shrimp are merit 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.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
I didn't know how to cook. Actually, I used to
burn eggs for a living.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
How did you cross into being a chef? Well, you
know what it was?
Speaker 3 (10:11):
By default, I was helping somebody.
Speaker 6 (10:14):
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, can Sinaloa,
and right now it's an inferno. People are dying every day, unfortunately,
and his mother had died and she took care of
me when I was a kid. And he ends up,
you know, he migrates over here and he's doing things well,
(10:36):
and you have.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
A place to live.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
I say, hey, listen, you can stay with me. I
loved your mom. I always wanted to give back. You know,
it's a sensitive subject because I'm a cry baby. I
don't know what happens with you. I got married, I
got my kid, tells another just because it.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Means something, because you know it's not just you going okay,
I can handle this. Now. 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 3 (10:59):
So yeah, I take it.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
So I say, hey, listen, what do you know how
to do? I'm was 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 1 (11:19):
I'm no, probably not the best idea to climb above.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
I said, what do you know how to do?
Speaker 6 (11:25):
And he said, I'm a suceetto. Have you heard that,
Neil Suchetto? No, I don't think well, he said, I
didn't know what it was. Never in my life, never
in my life. I go, you're a succetto. Yeah, I'm
a Suchetto, dude, I don't know what it is. And
he goes, I make sushi. Oh you mean.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
The little rice thing? Is the little rice thing is
that you pop in your mind?
Speaker 2 (11:54):
I didn't even know there was a translation for a
word in Spanish. If somebody makes sushi, well, we.
Speaker 6 (11:59):
Just gave all your artists a translation. Where's two chattels
in Mexico? So actually there.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Are Mexican sushi chefs.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Yeah, that's what they go for, food chattos.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
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 in Spanish in
this case. So I go.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
So he coicked up some sushi for I didn't know
what it was. I don't know what it was made
out of. I didn't know what it had. I don't
know about seaweed, I don't know about rice. And I said,
and once.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
I tried to go, oh man, this is pretty good, dude.
This is a sushi. This is sushi. This is good.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
So then I go, hey, listen, if I buy a
food truck, would you like help me and teach me
and stuff? And he goes, yeah, So I ended up,
you know, trying to buy a food truck.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
They're very expensive, you know, yeah, like fifty thousand.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yeah, they go even higher. Yeah, some of those will
go for one hundred thousand bucks.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Yeah, I have that money.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
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 what I'm so passionate about.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
This must have been one hell of a burnt egg.
Did nine years.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I burned by this egg, got burned for nine years.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
But you know what, I'm sorry to hear that, but
I'm happy to hear that.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
But it saved my life.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
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 gotta get better. So when I got out,
when he came over, you know, we met in the middle. Really,
you know, he lost his mom, only child. I was
(13:50):
out of you know, prison, and I remember when I
got out of prison, the only thing to my name,
you was a backup bubble bubble guy.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
That's that's all.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I have a pack of bubble.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Gum, watermelon, bubble gum.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Wow, you have a very specific day. I know exactly what.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
One of the things.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
So I had a couple of bucks and you know,
a bottle pack of bubble gum and I just packed
the whole bubble gum in my mouth.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
What does that feel like?
Speaker 6 (14:18):
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 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
(14:39):
their conditioning or some kind of construction. But who just
found me.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
That's a great story.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
When we come back, we're going to talk more with
Frank and talk more about El Sushi Loco. I don't
know what it is about Mexicans, but all their food
is loco. There's no sane food in Mexico. It's all
crazy food. Sushi Loco dot com l Sushi Loco dot com.
We're gonna taste some of the food and talk more
about these stories. Man, I'm so glad. I'm so glad
(15:08):
you found your way out.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Brother.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
That's an important story and lesson for all of us.
We'll be back with more. So go nowhere.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Sevedra on
demand from KF I am six forty.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Happy Saturday to you. The lovely day to day.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I know it's been kind of crazy out and it's
been crazy with news too, and I'm thrilled that we
have an opportunity to hang out today and talk food.
So we're talking with Frank Medoza from l Sushi Loko. Yeah,
because every Mexican food is crazy. Apparently it's got to be.
(15:44):
Well it's a chicken, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Boy. You look his cousin, Yeah, his Japanese cousin from
far So these roles and you know we're.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Because there's you know, we have people working here and
stuff to make sure that they get in on this.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
So they've been coming in and out trying it.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
But I haven't tried so this ish year you talked
a little about because I rolled it over to me.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Just look at those shrimp. Oh, they smell.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Delicious with a lot of love meal.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
I came here with to your mouth. Well, your frankly,
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 1 (16:29):
And I tell my boy that you really taste the love. Yeah,
taste the love.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Taste the love.
Speaker 6 (16:36):
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 Your.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Mexican, you were born with one. This is what happened.
A lot of people don't know this. When you're Mexican,
your boy, they give you a lit knife, and then
they put a gold name wrist, that chain that has
your name on it, and then they send you off
into the world.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Then, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I have this gold chain with my name on it
and a knife, you know what.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
But 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 the money.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
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, I'm designing.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
I'm a designer.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I'm designing something. They're telling me what they want. I'm designing.
It has art elements. But really, when I'm doing it
just for myself, then it's hard. That is fantastic, and
that is the sweet.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
And the heat on that one.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
Well, we make all these sauces in actually brought them
to make our own whole spicy male, our own terioky.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
It's called anguilla. Anguila's a fish.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
I realized in Japan that they actually make it, you know,
with true angila, which is slivery fish. And it's pretty
fun to actually 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 there's no store brought Walmart.
(18:37):
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
just grab them, eat the whole head, eat the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
You know, I'm eating your love right now.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
That doesn't I mean it's delicious. If that's what if
that's what Frank's love days like I'm in you know that?
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Really? I mean that is.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
That is beyond good Like for I'm gonna give you
it's just a demo.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Can I do it?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Give you a demo of your love? I don't know.
It's a Now I'm getting a little nervous.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Okay, this little shrimp here, you see this, I see it.
It's looking at me. You just.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Okay, So you go head in, legs on that. I
knew it.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
I knew it.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
None of that prison talking here, Okay, So you just
went straight head on and everything you see.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
If I would come to your show, and I didn't
like it would be really disappointed.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
No, you were looking for an excuse to eat it.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
You're like, let me show you. I'm I don't think
I've ever ate eatn ahead of a shrimp.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
It's it's it'll it'll do some wonders.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
What if I a gag?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
We'll give you.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
No, I'm not worried about my brow.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
I'm not gonna kiss you.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
No, it's got the shell on and everything.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
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 2 (20:19):
I don't need the head of No, you don't. Well,
I mean, once it's opened up, you get the meat. Man,
it is, but I don't eat the exo skeleton.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
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 1 (20:36):
Could what about their old hoss. They're looking at you,
They're gonna look at my belty.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
No, they got a lot of protein and they're and
they're wonderful.
Speaker 6 (20:43):
There there's delicacy there, really are you know, these are
like at least are cooked. They're like they're not raw,
even though they were raw, and you know we eat
them raw as well with lemon called that watch list,
you know, so they.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Oh, you took the head off for a shrimp.
Speaker 6 (21:03):
Yeah, you go, some cool little flavor and then the
flavor inside.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
That's pretty good, right, Yeah, that was the default sauce.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I just you know, when when when I.
Speaker 6 (21:14):
Started to create recipes, it was by myself actually, and
when by myself I start being creative.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
And then later on my wife goes, you know, why
don't you go to school?
Speaker 6 (21:22):
Like, what do you mean? Yeah, why don't you go
and learn what chefs do? But I got two kids?
You want you're gonna send me at this age to school?
He goes, Yeah, So I ended up rolling. He goes,
if you take me to school, I'll go. So I
ended up been rolling to uh 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,
(21:45):
that's what chefs do.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
When I saw them make that's no, that's no chump
school either, that's the real deal.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
Challenged me, and I ended up going to Japan. Challenged
me again. You know, I wanted to cry in Japan's
either you pass or you fail. They are strict. Yeah,
And I told my wife, I'm coming home. I can't
have this. I can't believe. I can't cut up this
damn fish.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
This is hard. 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.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
So so I stuck with it and little passing, you know,
And so I.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Really how we get to eat your wonderful food?
Speaker 6 (22:27):
Yeah, you know in 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 3 (22:38):
That's all you do.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Rice, So you can't even start anything else.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
You cannot even touch the knife.
Speaker 6 (22:44):
You'll be in the back prepping rice or prepping other ingredients.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
That's how they start.
Speaker 6 (22:50):
That's what they you know, they don't give up, you know,
Japanese people are so disciplined.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
It's either you know the culture. Yeah, that's what the
culture hold that we're gonna 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 L L Sushi Loco and you can find him
(23:16):
online if you want to find out more. I highly
recommend this. This food is genuinely special. Chef that shrimp,
I don't know that I've ever had. It's so tender
like it's got. It's so it tastes delicate and not chewy.
Speaker 6 (23:34):
It's well, it was prepared, It's prepared perfectly, it's seared.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
It's magic in there.
Speaker 6 (23:42):
There's a little juice inside you got to get into
and there's scallops in that inside that little cup. I
wish your your audience can see this.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
This is amazing.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
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 will be back with more. You've been
listening to the report, you can always hear us live
on KFI AM six forty two to five pm on
Saturday and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app. It's
been a long week filling in for Bill Handle and
(24:12):
we got another week coming up here and I'm looking
forward to and I'm always on Here's been behind the
mic here at KFI and for Bill Handles extra special
because he and I are friends, and you know, I
started as an intern. So join me there after wake
up call with Amy King on Monday. And right now
we're talking to Francisco Mendoza Frank from L Sushi Loco
(24:35):
you can find out more at el Sushi Loco dot com.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
And Tiffany hobbes Uh because.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
We're, you know, right up against the hour, I asked
her to come in and do as we normally do,
to connect and to meet Frank and to try some
of the food.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
It's right by God, all right, Oh.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
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 still 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
(25:13):
something like this.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
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.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
I'm represented to Tania and his staff and the show,
because once you put it on.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
The table, just yeah, it's a ride, I will tell you.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
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.
They eat it, 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
(25:58):
of hospitality.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
I do.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
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 1 (26:09):
And I looked at him and I said a few.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
But 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 6 (26:30):
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
(26:51):
sharing it with you.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
But as you said, we're breaking bread with competent.
Speaker 6 (26:55):
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.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I did.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
I was telling Neil that at one point when I
got the knife, I was gonna My wife goes, he's
gonna burn himself, he's gonna cut himself.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
And actually did both. I did both.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Comes with the territory, you know.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
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 1 (27:27):
While I'm talking to her, I'm like, what's us? That's me? Yeah,
I'm frying my.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Pretty good the long pig for you.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Yeah, but yeah, exactly. But this is really special food.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yeah it is, I mean, but nobody really does it.
Speaker 6 (27:41):
You know, Like if I take this one row that's
called a Flsino row, the bacon row that is.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
I know, and it's everything you hope it to be
here and you just get that sauce on it.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
And this beauty right here with the salmon and this.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Everything. Yeah, look at that. I tell you, I don't
I you know, 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 you're your
Pruno would be.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
But you know what, you can always do something with
your life.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
You know.
Speaker 6 (28:28):
You just got to get up and do it and
decide you can't be cold, you can't be hot.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
You just got to go.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
You know what.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
I'm going to make the changes I need to make
and stick with them and then give back. You can't
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
(28:57):
hope I'm not don't bury me. If I am, I
want to be able to give back and for me,
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
(29:18):
have rehab people.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
It's for free twenty twenty individuals that.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Are under the bridge.
Speaker 6 (29:25):
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,
(29:47):
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 finances
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
(30:08):
to make.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
I want to make a difference, I really do.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I think you will. 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 1 (30:26):
And I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
And that's why I heard that passion when we talked,
and but we weren't.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Here in studio.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
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 3 (30:52):
Bless you.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Man.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
We're crying over sushi here, I'm like choking it back.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Good food is not.
Speaker 6 (31:00):
About me, now, you know, when you when you just
know where you've been, you know, and I know there's
people that are listening, 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.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
I think that's a good place for us to leave
and pass over right now, Tiffy.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Now, I'm going to be in.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
In our own tears. I'll get each other so I
can't right now, tiff coming up moments from now and
then Michael Monks go nowhere. El Sushi Loko dot com.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from kf I a M six forty
Hey, it's Neil Savedra.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You're listening to kfi EM six forty the Fork Report
on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Happy Saturday to you,
Neil Savedra here with the Four Reports, celebrating food, the
people that make it, the culture behind it. If you remember,
some weeks ago, we had some really lovely folks on
the show, Frank Mendoza, chef with Mexican sushi, and but
(00:25):
we weren't in studio, so he came in studio. He's
going to be joining us in a little bit. We're
going to talk about the Mexican sushi, all about it,
but we're going to taste it this time. And I'm
really looking forward to that because it just sounds delicious. Okay,
So we'll be getting into that shortly. I wanted to
(00:45):
remind you again, if you'll just lend me your ear
for a second. This is the second year that Amy
King and I are going over the Edge for the
Union Rescue Mission.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
We both become very, very fond of them. A year ago.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
We asked them a lot of questions because I have
made it clear my issues with how the homeless situation
is being dealt with. I don't like it, and there's
got to be a better way. I don't think it's
humane to have people on the streets, and I feel
the way the city treats the homeless is disgusting to me.
(01:26):
So I met the folks at the Union Rescue Mission.
They are a dry organization, which means you have to
want to get off drugs and become sober to use
their program. And their program is, you know, a multifacet
to get you back on your way home truly and permanently,
(01:48):
and I fell in love with it. I became a
monthly donor and have been doing that for a year,
well over a year now or.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Somewhere around a here. You're the one, yeah, and I
are doing that now.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Over the Edge is what they do for this event
to raise money, and we go literally over the edge
of the Hilton Universal City, which is right off of
the one oh one there, and it's just it's exhilarating.
I'm afraid of heights, so it's an interesting thing. But
it's for a good cause. So I'm willing to do that.
Amy King's willing to do that. If you want to
(02:23):
join us to do that, you can donate one thousand
dollars and they'll harness you up with us. You can
go literally over the edge with us on the twenty
sixth of September Friday, that's when we're going to be
doing it. They'll also do it on Saturday if you
want to do that, but we will not be there.
So it's very cool and it's a neat way to
remind people that there are those organizations like the Union
(02:46):
Rescue Mission that are doing the real work and not
just you know, false charity or something like that. So
if you go to rm dot org slash ote, that's
for over the Edge, youm dot org slash ote, look
for the Team KFI button, click on that and you'll
(03:08):
find how you can donate if you want to go
over the edge with us. Great, that's, like I said,
a donation of one thousand dollars and they have a
full crew that puts you in the gear and all.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
That teaches you how to do it.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And or if you just want to give five bucks,
ten bucks, whatever you feel moved to do, boy, we
sure would appreciate it because it is I know, it's
been a tough year and there's a lot going on
right now and we're going to be sliding into the holidays,
but this is an important cause and I don't want
to just complain about things. I want to be part
of the solution. So your help is very much appreciated,
(03:42):
and you can do that again by donating, and it
can be you can donate to my team, or if
you hate me, you can donate to anybody else's team,
including Amy's if you hate her.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Who hates Amy? Does anybody hate Amy? No?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It doesn't make sense. So that doesn't mean that's not
going to work. She's a redhead. Maybe you hate redheads.
Maybe you dated one and she treated to you poorly, or.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Anyways, if you feel moved to donate, or you're looking
for a good cause, yourm dot org slash ote, look
for the KFI click button, click on that and you
can find us there. It all goes to the same place.
So really, I just thrilled Dede was a big donor
and she gave money to both of us this morning,
(04:29):
and I thought that was very very kind. So thank
you so much for listening to me on that, because
I think it's a very important cause indeed, and they're
doing it right and.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I love that. Okay, So honeybees, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
We're having problems here in southern California, actually California, all
all over the place. And there's a new proposal and this,
I think is a great program, and this is waiting
awaiting Governor Newsom's approval. It's a grant program, and it's
really to protect honeybe Everything you see, basically food wise,
(05:06):
plant wise has to be pollinated and has to grow.
Birds take you know, nuts. It's funny that birds do
not react to the oil capsaicin which is in peppers,
so the stuff that makes peppers hot, they don't react
to it. They're the ones that carry those seeds to
other places and help them grow. But honey bees are
(05:27):
really the top when it comes to pollinating and all
of these things, especially for lots of food. So one
of the top food producers in the country is looking
to assist one of its most vital food helpers, the
honey bee. Now they're going to establish this new grant
program to find to fund rather research and to just
(05:52):
basically set upon developing strategies to protect this incredibly important pollinator.
With you're looking at a lot of the foods that
in California that can go by the wayside. They're tiny.
I get it, they're small, but man, do they pack
a wallup in what they do. And they're part in
(06:12):
our agriculture and our food here in southern California, all
across California. So about one third of the state's agriculture
comes from pollination dependent crops or pollinator dependent crops. That
equates to about eleven point seven billion dollars, and the
(06:34):
vast majority of that pollination is done by managed honeybees.
So this is an important part of the entire process
of how we get our food in our agriculture here,
and honey bees are dying off. Now if you ask, well,
why are they dying off, there's a bunch of different reasons.
Climate control, forage loss, pathogens that cause problems with them.
(07:02):
All these things play a part in that. So beekeepers
have reported that, particularly commercial beekeepers, up.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
To sixty two percent of colony losses.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And you know, I know that our friend Dean Sharp
has talked about.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
This on the air.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
He actually keeps bees as well because he knows what
they do and the importance of them. And it's not
because he likes the sound of maybe he does. Maybe
he has a b suit I am King of the bees,
but it's actually like a b suit, not like a
bee keeper suit.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
You shall bow down to me.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Your nerd is showing. I think it's time to go
to commercial break, my nerd.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Your nerd not nerdy.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
You're nerdy.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Well to quote Star Wars.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
That kind of epitomizes nerding.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
What But I'm with you.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
I love Star Wars too.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I don't think they're ganging up on him, my fellow nerd.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
No, I'm backing up. He though, embrace the nerdiness.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
I think he should, I mean, but also not do
it so much on air because it makes the cool
people uncomfortable, like myself.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Okay, I wasn't gonna do this, but I'm gonna clear
up my Yoda voice.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Jesus, you're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra
on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Thanks for hanging out today, man, it's been so nice
to kind of cleanse the palette of the news week
and all the heaviness and just celebrate food and culture today.
And there's a gentleman you probably remember from a few
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
(08:52):
Sushi Loco dot com the Mexican sushi. We talked about
all those things, but I was out a studio and
I wasn't a to enjoy the food, so we just
talked about and he's kind enough to come back in.
It's nice to see you, brother, Thanks so much for
coming in. Wow, holy hell, look at all this.
Speaker 6 (09:12):
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.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I'm an army on one today.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
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 3 (09:43):
Yeah, you know what it is.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
For example, the one you're gonna try it's a spicy mayo.
It's a shrimp are merit 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.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
I didn't know how to cook. Actually, I used to
burn eggs for a living.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
How did you cross into being a chef? Well, you
know what it was?
Speaker 3 (10:11):
By default, I was helping somebody.
Speaker 6 (10:14):
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, can Sinaloa,
and right now it's an inferno. People are dying every day, unfortunately,
and his mother had died and she took care of
me when I was a kid. And he ends up,
you know, he migrates over here and he's doing things well,
(10:36):
and you have.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
A place to live.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
I say, hey, listen, you can stay with me. I
loved your mom. I always wanted to give back. You know,
it's a sensitive subject because I'm a cry baby. I
don't know what happens with you. I got married, I
got my kid, tells another just because it.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Means something, because you know it's not just you going okay,
I can handle this. Now. 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 3 (10:59):
So yeah, I take it.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
So I say, hey, listen, what do you know how
to do? I'm was 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 1 (11:19):
I'm no, probably not the best idea to climb above.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
I said, what do you know how to do?
Speaker 6 (11:25):
And he said, I'm a suceetto. Have you heard that,
Neil Suchetto? No, I don't think well, he said, I
didn't know what it was. Never in my life, never
in my life. I go, you're a succetto. Yeah, I'm
a Suchetto, dude, I don't know what it is. And
he goes, I make sushi. Oh you mean.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
The little rice thing? Is the little rice thing is
that you pop in your mind?
Speaker 2 (11:54):
I didn't even know there was a translation for a
word in Spanish. If somebody makes sushi, well, we.
Speaker 6 (11:59):
Just gave all your artists a translation. Where's two chattels
in Mexico? So actually there.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Are Mexican sushi chefs.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Yeah, that's what they go for, food chattos.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
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 in Spanish in
this case. So I go.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
So he coicked up some sushi for I didn't know
what it was. I don't know what it was made
out of. I didn't know what it had. I don't
know about seaweed, I don't know about rice. And I said,
and once.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
I tried to go, oh man, this is pretty good, dude.
This is a sushi. This is sushi. This is good.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
So then I go, hey, listen, if I buy a
food truck, would you like help me and teach me
and stuff? And he goes, yeah, So I ended up,
you know, trying to buy a food truck.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
They're very expensive, you know, yeah, like fifty thousand.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yeah, they go even higher. Yeah, some of those will
go for one hundred thousand bucks.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Yeah, I have that money.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
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 what I'm so passionate about.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
This must have been one hell of a burnt egg.
Did nine years.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I burned by this egg, got burned for nine years.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
But you know what, I'm sorry to hear that, but
I'm happy to hear that.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
But it saved my life.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
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 gotta get better. So when I got out,
when he came over, you know, we met in the middle. Really,
you know, he lost his mom, only child. I was
(13:50):
out of you know, prison, and I remember when I
got out of prison, the only thing to my name,
you was a backup bubble bubble guy.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
That's that's all.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I have a pack of bubble.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Gum, watermelon, bubble gum.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Wow, you have a very specific day. I know exactly what.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
One of the things.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
So I had a couple of bucks and you know,
a bottle pack of bubble gum and I just packed
the whole bubble gum in my mouth.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
What does that feel like?
Speaker 6 (14:18):
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 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
(14:39):
their conditioning or some kind of construction. But who just
found me.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
That's a great story.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
When we come back, we're going to talk more with
Frank and talk more about El Sushi Loco. I don't
know what it is about Mexicans, but all their food
is loco. There's no sane food in Mexico. It's all
crazy food. Sushi Loco dot com l Sushi Loco dot com.
We're gonna taste some of the food and talk more
about these stories. Man, I'm so glad. I'm so glad
(15:08):
you found your way out.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Brother.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
That's an important story and lesson for all of us.
We'll be back with more. So go nowhere.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
You're listening to the Fork Report with Nil Sevedra on
demand from KF I am six forty.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Happy Saturday to you. The lovely day to day.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I know it's been kind of crazy out and it's
been crazy with news too, and I'm thrilled that we
have an opportunity to hang out today and talk food.
So we're talking with Frank Medoza from l Sushi Loko. Yeah,
because every Mexican food is crazy. Apparently it's got to be.
(15:44):
Well it's a chicken, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Boy. You look his cousin, Yeah, his Japanese cousin from
far So these roles and you know we're.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Because there's you know, we have people working here and
stuff to make sure that they get in on this.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
So they've been coming in and out trying it.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
But I haven't tried so this ish year you talked
a little about because I rolled it over to me.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Just look at those shrimp. Oh, they smell.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Delicious with a lot of love meal.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
I came here with to your mouth. Well, your frankly,
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 1 (16:29):
And I tell my boy that you really taste the love. Yeah,
taste the love.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Taste the love.
Speaker 6 (16:36):
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 Your.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Mexican, you were born with one. This is what happened.
A lot of people don't know this. When you're Mexican,
your boy, they give you a lit knife, and then
they put a gold name wrist, that chain that has
your name on it, and then they send you off
into the world.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Then, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I have this gold chain with my name on it
and a knife, you know what.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
But 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 the money.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
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, I'm designing.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
I'm a designer.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I'm designing something. They're telling me what they want. I'm designing.
It has art elements. But really, when I'm doing it
just for myself, then it's hard. That is fantastic, and
that is the sweet.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
And the heat on that one.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
Well, we make all these sauces in actually brought them
to make our own whole spicy male, our own terioky.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
It's called anguilla. Anguila's a fish.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
I realized in Japan that they actually make it, you know,
with true angila, which is slivery fish. And it's pretty
fun to actually 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 there's no store brought Walmart.
(18:37):
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
just grab them, eat the whole head, eat the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
You know, I'm eating your love right now.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
That doesn't I mean it's delicious. If that's what if
that's what Frank's love days like I'm in you know that?
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Really? I mean that is.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
That is beyond good Like for I'm gonna give you
it's just a demo.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Can I do it?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Give you a demo of your love? I don't know.
It's a Now I'm getting a little nervous.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Okay, this little shrimp here, you see this, I see it.
It's looking at me. You just.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Okay, So you go head in, legs on that. I
knew it.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
I knew it.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
None of that prison talking here, Okay, So you just
went straight head on and everything you see.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
If I would come to your show, and I didn't
like it would be really disappointed.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
No, you were looking for an excuse to eat it.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
You're like, let me show you. I'm I don't think
I've ever ate eatn ahead of a shrimp.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
It's it's it'll it'll do some wonders.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
What if I a gag?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
We'll give you.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
No, I'm not worried about my brow.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
I'm not gonna kiss you.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
No, it's got the shell on and everything.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
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 2 (20:19):
I don't need the head of No, you don't. Well,
I mean, once it's opened up, you get the meat. Man,
it is, but I don't eat the exo skeleton.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
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 1 (20:36):
Could what about their old hoss. They're looking at you,
They're gonna look at my belty.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
No, they got a lot of protein and they're and
they're wonderful.
Speaker 6 (20:43):
There there's delicacy there, really are you know, these are
like at least are cooked. They're like they're not raw,
even though they were raw, and you know we eat
them raw as well with lemon called that watch list,
you know, so they.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Oh, you took the head off for a shrimp.
Speaker 6 (21:03):
Yeah, you go, some cool little flavor and then the
flavor inside.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
That's pretty good, right, Yeah, that was the default sauce.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I just you know, when when when I.
Speaker 6 (21:14):
Started to create recipes, it was by myself actually, and
when by myself I start being creative.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
And then later on my wife goes, you know, why
don't you go to school?
Speaker 6 (21:22):
Like, what do you mean? Yeah, why don't you go
and learn what chefs do? But I got two kids?
You want you're gonna send me at this age to school?
He goes, Yeah, So I ended up rolling. He goes,
if you take me to school, I'll go. So I
ended up been rolling to uh 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,
(21:45):
that's what chefs do.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
When I saw them make that's no, that's no chump
school either, that's the real deal.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
Challenged me, and I ended up going to Japan. Challenged
me again. You know, I wanted to cry in Japan's
either you pass or you fail. They are strict. Yeah,
And I told my wife, I'm coming home. I can't
have this. I can't believe. I can't cut up this
damn fish.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
This is hard. 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.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
So so I stuck with it and little passing, you know,
And so I.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Really how we get to eat your wonderful food?
Speaker 6 (22:27):
Yeah, you know in 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 3 (22:38):
That's all you do.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Rice, So you can't even start anything else.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
You cannot even touch the knife.
Speaker 6 (22:44):
You'll be in the back prepping rice or prepping other ingredients.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
That's how they start.
Speaker 6 (22:50):
That's what they you know, they don't give up, you know,
Japanese people are so disciplined.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
It's either you know the culture. Yeah, that's what the
culture hold that we're gonna 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 L L Sushi Loco and you can find him
(23:16):
online if you want to find out more. I highly
recommend this. This food is genuinely special. Chef that shrimp,
I don't know that I've ever had. It's so tender
like it's got. It's so it tastes delicate and not chewy.
Speaker 6 (23:34):
It's well, it was prepared, It's prepared perfectly, it's seared.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
It's magic in there.
Speaker 6 (23:42):
There's a little juice inside you got to get into
and there's scallops in that inside that little cup. I
wish your your audience can see this.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
This is amazing.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
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 will be back with more. You've been
listening to the report, you can always hear us live
on KFI AM six forty two to five pm on
Saturday and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app. It's
been a long week filling in for Bill Handle and
(24:12):
we got another week coming up here and I'm looking
forward to and I'm always on Here's been behind the
mic here at KFI and for Bill Handles extra special
because he and I are friends, and you know, I
started as an intern. So join me there after wake
up call with Amy King on Monday. And right now
we're talking to Francisco Mendoza Frank from L Sushi Loco
(24:35):
you can find out more at el Sushi Loco dot com.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
And Tiffany hobbes Uh because.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
We're, you know, right up against the hour, I asked
her to come in and do as we normally do,
to connect and to meet Frank and to try some
of the food.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
It's right by God, all right, Oh.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
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 still 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
(25:13):
something like this.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
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.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
I'm represented to Tania and his staff and the show,
because once you put it on.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
The table, just yeah, it's a ride, I will tell you.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
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.
They eat it, 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
(25:58):
of hospitality.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
I do.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
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 1 (26:09):
And I looked at him and I said a few.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
But 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 6 (26:30):
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
(26:51):
sharing it with you.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
But as you said, we're breaking bread with competent.
Speaker 6 (26:55):
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.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I did.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
I was telling Neil that at one point when I
got the knife, I was gonna My wife goes, he's
gonna burn himself, he's gonna cut himself.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
And actually did both. I did both.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Comes with the territory, you know.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
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 1 (27:27):
While I'm talking to her, I'm like, what's us? That's me? Yeah,
I'm frying my.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Pretty good the long pig for you.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Yeah, but yeah, exactly. But this is really special food.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yeah it is, I mean, but nobody really does it.
Speaker 6 (27:41):
You know, Like if I take this one row that's
called a Flsino row, the bacon row that is.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
I know, and it's everything you hope it to be
here and you just get that sauce on it.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
And this beauty right here with the salmon and this.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Everything. Yeah, look at that. I tell you, I don't
I you know, 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 you're your
Pruno would be.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
But you know what, you can always do something with
your life.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
You know.
Speaker 6 (28:28):
You just got to get up and do it and
decide you can't be cold, you can't be hot.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
You just got to go.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
You know what.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
I'm going to make the changes I need to make
and stick with them and then give back. You can't
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
(28:57):
hope I'm not don't bury me. If I am, I
want to be able to give back and for me,
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
(29:18):
have rehab people.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
It's for free twenty twenty individuals that.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Are under the bridge.
Speaker 6 (29:25):
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,
(29:47):
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 finances
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
(30:08):
to make.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
I want to make a difference, I really do.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I think you will. 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 1 (30:26):
And I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
And that's why I heard that passion when we talked,
and but we weren't.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Here in studio.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
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 3 (30:52):
Bless you.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Man.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
We're crying over sushi here, I'm like choking it back.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Good food is not.
Speaker 6 (31:00):
About me, now, you know, when you when you just
know where you've been, you know, and I know there's
people that are listening, 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.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
I think that's a good place for us to leave
and pass over right now, Tiffy.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Now, I'm going to be in.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
In our own tears. I'll get each other so I
can't right now, tiff coming up moments from now and
then Michael Monks go nowhere. El Sushi Loko dot com.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
You're listening to The Fork Report with Nil Savedra on
demand from kf I a M six forty
The Fork Report w Neil Saavedra News
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