What is your stance on traditional Mexican cuisine?For the record, fajitas are not a Mexican dish. Haha, okay. So you started Casa Mexicana, which is part of Luga’s Villa Mexican Restaurant & Bar. Why a Mexican restaurant in Beijing? I am Mexican and I love my culture. I want to let people know the rich ingredients we have in our food. Mexican food has such a variety from region to region — people don’t even know one percent of it. Nachos and quesadillas are not Mexican. There is more to that. What does Casa Mexicana have that shows traditional Mexican food? Our tortillas are not commercially made. We use Mexican corn tortillas that are made right on the spot. We also have Mexican spaghetti with corn, as well as special nachos with guacamole and corn. We import our chilies from Mexico — we don’t use tomato sauce. The chilies are dry, long and have a special flavor. They’re not spicy. How is Casa Mexicana different from a Tex-Mex restaurant? I cannot accept that people know just Tex-Mex. Saying Tex-Mex is Mexican is like saying Chinese people only carry umbrellas and ride rickshaws. I am disappointed with Tex-Mex restaurants because the ‘Mex’ is classified with that. And that’s not true. So, we heard you also hold cooking classes for a Latino group? Yes we meet once a month in Beijing and I was recently featured on Spanish CCTV.

Zachary Franklin