亚洲AV

New Taco Bamba a thank you to Mason

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Victor Albisu stands in front of the counter of his restaurant Taco Bamba
George Mason alumnus and owner and chef at Taco Bamba Victor Albisu.
Photo by Lathan Goumas/Strategic Communications

The rock music was loud, the place was jammed and Victor Albisu was jumping from one corner of the restaurant to another.

Albisu was just as much a host this day as he is the owner and creative force behind his newest Taco Bamba restaurant, patiently explaining to his patrons the nuances of the 22 taco concoctions available, including a breakfast taco.

鈥淲e鈥檝e put a lot of hopes into this place,鈥 Albisu said.

Not only because it is the fifth Taco Bamba location in the Washington, D.C., area, but because this one鈥攚hich opened Dec. 6 in University Mall, the shopping center across the street from 亚洲AV鈥檚 Fairfax Campus鈥攊s a celebration of Albisu鈥檚 time at the university.

鈥淚t means a lot,鈥 said Albisu, who grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, and graduated from Mason in 1999 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in . 鈥淢y time at George Mason was always filled with anticipation of what鈥檚 next in my life. To come back after all these years, it鈥檚 profoundly satisfying. It鈥檚 profoundly humbling. It鈥檚 more, maybe, than I can articulate.鈥

So he lets his food do the talking. What is he trying to say with a taco that has a base of ramen noodles?

鈥淚 cooked for my friends all the time,鈥 he said of his student days, 鈥渁nd I used to do these fun concoctions with ramen noodles. It鈥檚 kind of an ode to what we used to do with very little means.鈥

Albisu, 43, has been a fixture in the area鈥檚 culinary scene for a while, with acclaimed restaurants Del Campo and Poca Madre in Washington, D.C., and his Taco Bamba taquerias in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia.

It鈥檚 a career arc perfectly suited for someone from a family with Peruvian and Cuban roots that, according to Albisu, 鈥渨ould be eating dinner and talking about tomorrow鈥檚 dinner.鈥

Growing up, Albisu would make sandwiches in his mother鈥檚 store, Plaza Latina, that started in Alexandria, Virginia, but is now in Falls Church, just a few doors down from Albisu鈥檚 first Taco Bamba restaurant. He also developed an affection for tacos.

鈥淚鈥檓 inspired by the food of poverty, by the food of the streets, the food of indigenous cultures,鈥 Albisu said.

How does an education in government, politics and international relations fit in with all this? Albisu said he loves the subject matter and even worked in international development after graduation for a while.

鈥淏ut I didn鈥檛 have the patience at the time,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 wanted to do something that had a bit more visceral reaction from people, and food was that way for me.鈥

Not that his Mason education hasn鈥檛 come in handy. Albisu is on the board of the World Central Kitchen, which helps with disaster relief. He has worked for CARE, a humanitarian aid company, and the U.S. State Department as a culinary ambassador.

鈥淏y combining his education, passion and heritage to launch a wildly successful culinary career, Victor embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of our university,鈥 Mason President 脕ngel Cabrera said. 鈥淗e is an example of how you鈥檙e not defined by your major鈥攜ou鈥檙e defined by your ambitions and the goals and dreams that you choose to pursue.鈥

鈥淚t鈥檚 something kids maybe don鈥檛 understand right away,鈥 Albisu said. 鈥淟ife finds a way of wrapping all your interests up in a way, if you let it.鈥

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