Perhaps it is an unobtainable nostalgia we are after, us Californians. We search and search for things that bring us close to home. But Hawai‘i is not California. So, why do we lament the lack of good taquerias here?
First, “good” is completely subjective. Upbringing, culture and experience determine our taste in food, so my opinion will not be like yours. And Mexican food has so many regional differences and styles that have been adapted to tastes everywhere that it’s no wonder Mexican food in Hawai’i tastes different. Mexican food will taste different around the world.
I grew up in California, both Southern and Northern, and have taken trips to Mexico with friends and family my whole life. I’d love to find the crunchy beef tacos I’d order from taqueria drive-throughs after a night of drinking in San Diego. Tacos from places with names like Alberto’s, Roberto’s, Rosarito’s and Sombrero’s—places that shove shredded beef inside tortillas, bathe them in sizzling oil until crisp, then top them with shredded lettuce, grated cheddar cheese and a mild taco sauce of chile de arbol, garlic and tomato. Or street tacos from Bay Area taquerias or roadside stands in Baja, Mexico of meat, diced onion and chopped cilantro on a couple of 3-inch corn tortillas warmed on the grill in animal fat…