Meet Angel Farias: Bringing the Flavours of Los Angeles to Mordialloc

If you have recently discovered Tacos LA in Mordialloc, there is a good chance you have wondered about the chef behind the food.

Chef and owner Angel Farias grew up near Los Angeles in a Mexican family, surrounded by the food, people and cultures that make Southern California unlike anywhere else in the world.

Today, he is bringing those experiences to Melbourne through Tacos LA, now located at:

1/9 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, Victoria

What began as a travelling food truck has developed into one of Mordialloc’s newest food destinations, attracting locals alongside American and Mexican expats searching for a genuine taste of home.

Who Is Angel Farias?

Angel Farias is a Mexican-American chef raised just outside Los Angeles in an area heavily influenced by Mexican and broader Latin American culture.

His food reflects the environment in which he grew up. It combines Mexican traditions with the distinctive food culture of Los Angeles and California, where immigrant communities, local produce and ideas from across the world come together.

Angel does not describe Tacos LA as traditional Mexican food from one specific region. It is also not Mexican food changed to suit Australian tastes.

It is LA-style Mexican food.

The recipes are shaped by Angel’s Mexican heritage, his upbringing in Los Angeles and the professional techniques he has developed throughout his career as a chef.

From Los Angeles to Melbourne

After relocating to Australia, Angel continued developing his skills within Melbourne’s hospitality industry.

His career has included working at Burnham Beeches during its time under chef Shannon Bennett, as well as collaborating with respected names from Melbourne’s food community.

However, Tacos LA gave Angel an opportunity to create food that felt deeply personal.

It allowed him to draw on the flavours he remembered from Los Angeles: grilled meats, handmade components, fresh garnishes, comforting stews and food designed to be eaten with your hands and shared with the people around you.

The Original Broadsheet Feature

In April 2023, Broadsheet featured Angel and the Tacos LA food truck in an article exploring his Californian approach to Mexican food.

The article described Angel’s cooking as being inspired by the diverse food he grew up eating on the west coast of the United States. It also highlighted popular Tacos LA dishes, including birria tacos, quesadillas, tostadas and creative off-menu specials.

At that time, Tacos LA was a roaming food truck appearing at different locations across Melbourne, including Mordialloc, Bayswater and St Kilda.

A lot has happened since then.

Tacos LA has now found a more permanent home in Mordialloc.

Tacos LA Finds a Home in Mordialloc

You can now find Angel and the Tacos LA team at:

Tacos LA

1/9 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, Victoria

The new location gives people the opportunity to experience Angel’s food in a place that feels connected to both the local Mordialloc community and the origins of Tacos LA.

Since opening at Kareela Street, the response has been incredible.

Word has quickly spread through Melbourne’s food community, with customers travelling from different suburbs to experience Angel’s take on Los Angeles-inspired Mexican food.

For many locals, it has been their first experience with this particular style of Mexican cooking.

For others, the food has brought back powerful memories of home.

American and Mexican Expats Are Finding Tacos LA

One of the most meaningful parts of opening the Mordialloc location has been meeting the American and Mexican expats who have discovered Tacos LA.

Customers from the United States have told us that the food reminds them of the taco shops, food trucks and neighbourhood restaurants they grew up visiting.

Mexican customers and families have connected with the familiar ingredients, cooking methods and generosity behind the food.

Some customers have travelled across Melbourne after hearing about Tacos LA through friends, social media or Melbourne’s Mexican and American communities.

The response has been overwhelming.

We regularly hear that the food takes people back to Los Angeles, reminds them of family or gives them something they have struggled to find since moving to Australia.

That is an enormous compliment because creating that connection has always been at the heart of Tacos LA.

What Makes Tacos LA Different?

Melbourne has an incredible food scene, but Los Angeles-style Mexican food has its own identity.

Angel’s cooking is influenced by the proximity of California to Mexico, along with the generations of Mexican-American families who have developed their own food traditions throughout Los Angeles.

At Tacos LA, that means combining rich, slow-cooked flavours with fresh produce, carefully prepared garnishes and the relaxed, energetic approach associated with Southern California food culture.

Everything is prepared with purpose.

The meat, tortillas, salsas, onions, coriander, lime and other components all work together. The result is food that is bold and comforting without becoming unnecessarily complicated.

It is the type of food Angel knows, loves and wants to share.

A New Mexican Food Hot Spot in Melbourne’s South-East

Tacos LA is quickly becoming a new hot spot for Mexican food in Mordialloc and Melbourne’s south-east.

The growing support from the local community has been extraordinary. New customers are arriving after seeing the food online, while others are returning with friends and family after their first visit.

The excitement is not only about the tacos.

People are connecting with Angel’s story, the atmosphere surrounding the business and the feeling that they have discovered something different.

Tacos LA is not attempting to reproduce a generic version of Mexican food.

It is Angel’s story on a plate: Mexican heritage, a Los Angeles upbringing and a culinary career developed here in Melbourne.

Visit Tacos LA in Mordialloc

Whether you grew up eating Mexican food, have spent time in Los Angeles or are discovering LA-style tacos for the first time, we would love to welcome you.

Come and meet Angel, experience the food and discover why American and Mexican expats - as well as plenty of Melbourne locals - are getting so excited about Tacos LA.

Tacos LA

Address: 1/9 Kareela Street, Mordialloc, Victoria Cuisine: Los Angeles-inspired Mexican food

Chef and owner: Angel Farias

Follow Tacos LA on social media for current opening hours, menu updates, specials and upcoming announcements.

The original Broadsheet article about Angel and the Tacos LA food truck can be read here: “Roving Food Truck Tacos LA Serves Birria Tacos and Cheesy Quesadillas in St Kilda, Mordialloc and Bayswater.”