Benoit and Rachel Angulo opened their first food truck, La Cocinita, in New Orleans back in 2011. Steadily expanding since then, the Angulos brought the beloved flavours of La Cocinita to the Evanston community nearly a decade ago, serving arepas — a traditional, soul-warming Venezuelan dish.
Benoit Angulo’s connection to arepas runs deep; his dad and him shared that love for arepas when he was growing up. Since the age of nine, he has been known for spending time with his friends’ parents in the kitchen, learning to develop his own family’s arepa recipe, absorbing techniques and flavours with a quiet devotion. He wanted to transform his passion into a tangible result.
After spotting a gap in late-night dining spots near their favourite bar back in New Orleans, they decided to park their truck right outside. Their Evanston brick-and-mortar location, which opened in 2016, gave Benoit the canvas he had always dreamed of — a space where every detail, from the tender, pillowy arepas to the hand-selected wallpaper adorned with the very palm trees of his homeland, speaks to the warmth and spirit of Venezuela.
The Angulos admit that it is hard to please everyone, with some being their “biggest fans, but also some of our toughest critics.” They add their own household twist to traditional arepas, with a culinary variation that adds complexity and depth to the flavour profile.
Unique to La Cocinita is the cilantro cabbage slaw, which preserves the texture variation of raw onions and cilantro, a traditional topping on street tacos. It moves away from the strong raw onion, yet protects the flavour profile and texture.
Rachel Angulo highlighted her favourite of their restaurant’s offerings as El Pabellón, the Venezuelan National Dish, an arepa of marinated brisket, black beans, delicately fried sweet plantains, queso fresco and cremita. She says for the full experience, their sit-down restaurant offers the “Mix and Match,” getting you a taste of the variety of arepa options.
La Coninita now takes pride in introducing community members and first-time customers to arepas, while also bringing awareness to the plight of Venezuelans.