[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]aturday, June 19th, 2021, marked the grand opening of Manjares De Mi Tierra, Los Angeles’s first-ever mobile Ecuadorian food restaurant. Manjares De Mi Tierra is a woman-owned business pushing against the risks and obstacles to make a name for the vibrant and diverse community of Ecuadorians of Los Angeles through food. The restaurant’s unique name is an ode to the community by owner Diana Rojas, which translates to delicacies from my land.
In classic Ecuadorian fashion, the inaugural event was carefully curated with live performances from beloved singers Judy Olvera, Adriana Berruz, and Betty Miranda. The event also featured a live DJ set accompanied by a lot of dancing and a raffle in partnership with a local non-profit working to provide aid for children in El Salvador. Diana Rojas’s dream of bringing Ecuadorian cuisine into more mainstream avenues finally came true after months of intense preparation through the grand opening of her food trailer.
Diana migrated to the U.S from Guayaquil, Ecuador, when she was five years old. Since then, she has maintained a connection to her roots through her cooking, describing herself as an entrepreneur on a journey to make a name for Ecuadorian food and culture. Diana got her start in the industry by cooking and selling food out of her home alongside her father, a common thing amongst Ecuadorians in Los Angeles. She eventually branched out on her own and began selling her food at Elysian Park, a central hub for the local Ecuadorian community.
The grand opening took place at Elysian Park, an important space to her as it is where many doors were first opened. Although the mobile food trailer is in its finishing stages of design, the grand opening event was still a definite success. A large crowd of people from all over Los Angeles joined the event, excited to try the delicious plates and mingle with friends. The menu for the grand opening offered a combination of traditional dishes with origins in both the coast and sierra regions of Ecuador. The menu includes Seco de Chivo (stewed goat), Guatita (beef tripe stew), Sanduche de Chancho (a roasted park sandwich), Fritada (a fried pork dish), Bollos de Pescado (banana leaf-steamed green plantain tamales with fish), Hayacas (banana leaf-steamed corn dough tamales with stewed meat), Chuzos (beef skewers), Plato Arrecho (a plantain and meat stew), and Encebollado (a fish stew).