While excitement about the new Nigerian taqueria, Naija Boy Tacos, has been spreading around Sacramento, owner Rasheed Amaedu says he is not a newcomer to the scene. The idea for the restaurant was the result of a culinary experiment he did a few years back where he successfully created tortillas from plantains.
He was working as a sous chef at a Sacramento restaurant at the time, but the restaurant idea didn’t emerge until he met his business partner, John Vignocchi, two years ago. Vignocchi had a plan to develop a residential property in the area with commercial, retail space at the bottom. Naija Boy Tacos fit perfectly into this vision.
Amaedu had no desire to reinvent the wheel, but he wanted to add a Nigerian flare to established Mexican dishes. Instead, he created a taco from a different perspective that celebrates the Nigerian food palette.
