Marco Garcia is a man with a mission that is at once modest and radical. At Los Tacos Azules, his bright, cheerful little restaurant, his aim is simply to serve the staple food of his homeland, Mexico. But along the way, he is likely to blow a few minds, palates and preconceptions.
Garcia is no stranger to Japan. He first came here in his college days as an exchange student. Besides learning the language, he was so smitten by Japanese food culture — the seasonality, quality of ingredients, precision and aesthetics — that it changed his life path.
He traveled around Mexico learning the traditional processes for making corn tortillas, then set up a restaurant in the city of Monterrey. But it was always his dream to serve his food in Tokyo. Late last month he made that happen, with the official opening of Los Tacos Azules on a quiet side street near Sangenjaya, Setagaya Ward.