By Renée Tillotson & Sarah Hodges
We enjoy some delightful neighbors in the trailer parked next door to Still & Moving Center. They always serve us great food with good cheer and a big scoop of smiles: Thyda’s Tacos.
Thyda, originally from Cambodia, grew up in Fresno, California, where she developed a passion for Mexican food. Her partner says Thyda is the real cooking talent behind the business! Her dream was to make food for people that was inexpensive, healthy and tasty.
Thyda met Majed Alabdali in Venice, Ca. He and his younger brother Abdullah, born in the U.S. to Saudi Arabian parents, came from California to Hawaii in 2013.
In 2015 Thyda’s Tacos moved to town from North Shore. The three of them built their trailer from scratch. According to Majed, “It’s a good way to earn our living. We three are the only ones who work here, we have reasonable work hours and can maintain our healthy lifestyles.” This tiny powerhouse provides fast good food for construction workers, condo owners, nearby offices and others around the neighborhood…including grateful, hungry students and teachers from Still & Moving Center!
One yelper was impressed that they “provide cheap tacos to all the bros in the area.“ Thyda’s Tacos won Best Tacos in the state of Hawaii with Yelp and Best Food Truck in Hawaii by the Book of Lists!!
Majed has his bachelors in Economics. After having a corporate career, he wanted to be his own boss. This taco truck is most fun he’s ever had working. His favorite part of this business is to feed people. He loves person-to-person interactions. “When people eat good food, they’re happy” he says. He is so friendly, that he has gained a nickname “Magic” from his customers.
For Abdullah, Thyda’s has been his first non-corporate job. It works well for him because the flexible schedule allows him to indulge in his love of surfing. He also loves working with his brother.
Thyda commits herself to a healthy lifestyle. She serves fresh food with good ingredients. This last year she helped Majed convert to veganism and to cut sugar from his diet. Since then he has lost 35 pounds and – more significantly, perhaps – his gout has subsided as a result!
They provide a fairly extensive menu for a food truck. My go-to is the vegetarian jackfruit bowl!
Call 310.666.4671 to make an order. They are generally open Tues-Thurs 11-5 and Fri-Sat 11-3. They are considering opening on Mondays as well – depending on whether that allows them to continue their happy life-style. Happy cooks make happy, good-for-us food!
Email: Leonixiam@gmail.com
Facebook: Thydastacos
Instagram: Thydastacos
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This post is also available in: 日本語 (Japanese)