Disappointed with the vegan Mexican options available in the Bay Area, Raul Medina decided he wanted to make tacos that actually tasted like the ones he grew up with.
From carnitas made of yuba and carne asada made of dried soy to pollo made of finely shredded soy, his vegan expressions of taqueria standbys are all convincingly meaty and delicious, whether they’re used to make tacos or massive 2-pound burritos. But Medina doesn’t stop there: He also offers cauliflower al pastor, vegan chicharrón prensado , and soy-free versions of the carnitas and chicharrón made from king mushrooms.
“There was sweet potato on a tortilla, or kale on a tortilla, like a salad on a tortilla, and they're calling that a taco,” he said. “I'm like, ‘No, I'm sorry, I'm Mexican.’ I want greasy, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth texture and spice.” Owner Raul Medina holds a plate of his vegan tacos from La Venganza inside Emporium Arcade Bar in Oakland, Calif., on March 9, 2023.When Medina first moved to Oakland in 2014, he was working as a paralegal for an immigration attorney. He found the job depressing.So he took the cooking skills he’d learned from his grandmother and started making plant-based tacos.
He started off making tacos for dates at Lake Merritt, asking what they thought and how much they’d pay for them. Things escalated from there.
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