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Many food pop-ups that emerged during the pandemic have fallen into four categories: they no longer do them, they opened their brick-and-mortar, they transitioned into other business ventures, or maybe they do it once in a blue moon.
Today, I want to talk about one business that has been doing pop-ups consistently since 2021: One Hot Minute. This Peruvian-Chinese cuisine pop-up was founded by Cesar and Sarina. Cesar is from Lima and grew up in Los Angeles. Sarina, who’s of Chinese descent, was born and raised in the Bay area.
When I went on their Instagram, I saw that they had three pop-ups the following week! Most of their pop-ups are on the East Side of LA.
I first found out about them thanks to my friend Philip, owner of the gallery shop Ends of the Earth in Long Beach. Every time we meet, we excitedly share our latest restaurant discoveries. When I went to his gallery two weeks ago, one of the places that came up was One Hot Minute.
“Have you been?” he said. “No,” I said. “No? Oh my God, you have to go. Yes, out of all these places we’re talking about, that one, you definitely have to go. Their sandwich is amazing. It’s so good”.
The following week, I went to their pop-up in Echo Park on a Friday afternoon, where I interviewed Cesar and Sarina.
Many businesses do their pop-ups inside restaurants or at events, but for this one, Cesar and Sarina did theirs smack dab in the middle of Sunset Boulevard, which I thought was better. People that were stuck in rush hour traffic kept looking at the tent with curiosity.
After interviewing them, I proceeded to order my sandwich. Sarina asked, “How do you want your spice level?” I said that my spice tolerance was low. “Ok, so mild,” said Sarina. Cesar laughed and said, “Sarina really likes spicy food.” She replied, “I don’t want anyone to die.”
The bread of the sandwich is made from scratch, which is a big bonus. The patty, which is made of cauliflower rice and Peruvian beans, is battered and then deep-fried. After it was done, Cesar brushed the breaded patty with Szechuan sauce, and then Sarina drizzled their One Hot Minute signature sauce (also known as OHM sauce). They topped the seasoned patty with crisp lettuce, a warm round slice of sweet potato and lime pickled onions. For the sweet potato, Cesar told me they go to a market on the Eastside, where the sweet potatoes are huge. “They’re like the size of your head,” he said. When you place your order, you’ll be given a tiny cup of OHM sauce.
Unless I’m having a burger with fries, I’m not a condiment aficionado. Growing up in Europe, adding sauces to my already prepared meal wasn’t something we did in our household. But I digress…
Eating OHM’s signature sauce for the first time was a one-of-a-kind experience. The flavor was off the charts. It tasted like a Yum Yum sauce, but much richer. You can see in the pictures how vibrant the color is.
The OHM sauce was creamy, savory, with hints of spice and sweetness that surprisingly, paired very well with the subtle heat of the Szechuan sauce. Sarina already adds the OHM sauce on the patty, but I also recommend adding it from the cup as you’re eating the sandwich. Good is a huge understatement. I liked it so much that I dipped a few of the taro chips into it, trying to get every last bit off the tiny cup. Seriously, I probably could have had this sauce on its own. The Szechuan sauce was thick and sweet, with hints of savory soy. Delicious.
As I was eating the sandwich, it took me a minute to grasp all these flavors and textures. There was a lot going on: sweet, salty, tangy, creamy, crispy, crunchy and slightly spicy.
I wasn’t impressed by the taro chips. Although they were big, they weren’t filling me up. I was still thinking about the sandwich, longing to relive the amazing sensory experience I’d just had. So, what did I do? I ordered another one (no chips).
When I went back to the stand, Sarina said, “Wow, your friend definitely recommended you to the right place!” This time, I was able to have a better appreciation for the assembly of the sandwich.
The pickled onions add a tangy crunch, and they’re a must-have in this sandwich.
Cesar told me that the patty was his take on Tacu Tacu, a staple in Peruvian cuisine. “We deep-fry it as opposed to pan-fry it.” You may be wondering, “What is Tacu Tacu?” It’s a mix of leftover rice and beans that is mashed together and then pan-fried.
Sarina said that most people are surprised by the mild spice level because it’s not spicy at all, which is very much appreciated for those with sensitive taste buds. Cesar also said the best way to enjoy the sandwich was right after it was made. So, it was a nice gesture on their part to also set up tables and chairs.
Overall, this sandwich is not so much about the ingredients, per se, it’s about the different textures and sauces. If you were to eat this sandwich without any sauce, you wouldn’t get the full sensory experience. The sauces are what elevate this sandwich to the stratosphere and make it so unique and different.
It’s very inspiring to see how Cesar and Sarina are sharing their cultural backgrounds through food, while also educating people along the way.
“Why another burger place?” said Cesar. “We want to offer something different and meaningful to the community,” he said. Before doing pop-ups full-time, Cesar was a high school teacher, and Sarina was a nurse, which goes to show how passionate they are about their business!
After trying One Hot Minute, I was very surprised to find only a few write-ups, which is why I’m even more excited to share this post with you! While I was editing this interview, I loved learning about Peru’s fascinating culinary history, and I hope you do as well!
What’s the backstory of One Hot Minute?
Cesar: We started helping a friend with his Nashville hot chicken pop-up. We did that for like six months, and then eventually he stopped doing it. A year passed. In our heads, we were like, “that was fun”. We really had a lot of fun doing it, but we never got to do it ourselves and take the lead. After thinking about it, we just went for it. We had some recipes that we really wanted to launch.
Cesar: We bring elements from our infancy. We fuse the flavors that we grew up with and our cultural background together to bring new dishes. We want to use One Hot Minute to build a community to inspire people from a new generation, or people that were raised here (with different cultures).
It looks like every person who tries your sandwich becomes an instant fan. What is it about this sandwich that is loved by so many?
Cesar: We put a lot of thought and effort into this sandwich. Growing up, I used to go to these sandwich shops in Lima. They had these chicharrón sandwiches with Peruvian French bread that were very popular. Later in my adult life, when I went back to Peru, I learned that these sandwich shops were owned by Chinese people. So without me knowing, I was already eating fusion food!
Note: After my interview with Cesar and Sarina, I researched sandwich shops in Lima. I was surprised to see so many! The sandwiches I came across resembled One Hot Minute’s sandwich. I thought, “Wait a minute, I just had this!”. The bread they use is Peruvian-French bread, like Cesar said. Another interesting fact is that Peruvians like having this sandwich with coffee.
Cesar: Everything about this sandwich we wanted to get it right. We wanted the bread to be right. We couldn’t find any store or bakery with the bread that we wanted, so we decided to make it ourselves. We wanted the patty to have the right texture and crunchiness, so we put a lot of effort into that as well. The Szechuan sauce gives it a very unique and spicy flavor, and I think is the reason people come back.
Cesar: The lettuce, the sweet potato and the onions are elements from Peru that I always craved, but wasn’t able to find anywhere here in Los Angeles. I thought people would like it, and they seem to like it! (laughs)
Besides the sandwich, what are other menu items that people can find at One Hot Minute?
Cesar: Our two other popular menu items are our funnel cake and our fried rice, “arroz chaufa”. The funnel cake is based on Peruvian Picarones, which is like a doughnut that’s very popular in Peru. We Americanized the recipe a little bit so people would be more open to trying it out.
Cesar: Arroz Chaufa is Peru’s version of Chinese fried rice. It’s a signature dish in Peru. We put a lot of effort into that fried rice. We didn’t want people to have a wack vegan fried rice. We don’t always have it, but we like it. (laughs)
Note: Before going to the pop-up, I was planning on ordering the sandwich and the fried rice. Unfortunately, Cesar and Sarina told me they weren’t making the fried rice anymore. Cesar said: “It’s one of those things that we did so much until we got sick of making it (laughs). Then when we stopped, people asked us for it. We’ll eventually bring it back. It’s just a lot of prep in terms of chopping vegetables.”
You’ve been very consistent with your pop-ups since you started. Why?
Sarina: Our goal is to open a brick-and-mortar so that people can come in, gather and try our food. We’re getting there and we’re being consistent by doing weekly pop-ups.
What has been the most rewarding and most challenging part of doing pop-ups?
Sarina: The most rewarding part is meeting the people who come, try our food and then when they say how much they liked it. It’s really rewarding. The most challenging part is everything else (laughs). Running the business, being consistent, doing all the work to prepare for our weekly pop-ups…
Cesar: Setting up the pop-ups is very tough. I never imagined I’d be a street vendor, but here we are! It’s worth it, it’s just a lot of hard work. We look forward to not having to do it anymore and finally have our own spot (laughs).
What neighborhoods do you have in mind for the brick-and-mortar?
Cesar: We’re looking into this area: Echo Park, Silverlake… maybe the Virgil Village area, East Hollywood… We’re keeping our eyes open.
Why the name One Hot Minute?
Cesar: I’m a big fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers*, that’s one of the reasons. I also think it’s a cool phrase. It makes people think, “What does it mean?” It catches people’s attention. I also think it means that you have to be ready for the moment. When your moment comes, you have to step up and do it.
*In September 1995, Red Hot Chili Peppers released their sixth studio album, One Hot Minute.
Los Angeles
What do you like about LA?
Sarina: I moved here from San Francisco in June 2016 to start my first job at UCLA as a nurse. I ended up staying because I really liked the weather.
Cesar: I moved to LA from Lima when I was 9 years old, and I love it here! I’m a huge Lakers fan. (He points to his Laker’s hat). LA is a melting pot of so many different cultures. Our business can definitely thrive here because people are open-minded. It’s not something people will find find weird.
What are your favorite restaurants?
Cesar: The best Peruvian restaurant is Bodegon 69 in Pasadena. If you guys want an authentic Peruvian experience, that’s the place to go. Our favorite vegan restaurants is Vinh Loi Tofu in Reseda. Also, Vege Valley in Alhambra. That place is really good.
Sarina: For pop-ups, I like Vegan Bánh Mi Thào, Seedy, and Shane’s Tamales.
Also, Feed the People. They’re mainly doing catering now, but they used to do pop-ups.
What about your favorite places?
Cesar: In my early 20s, I used to hang out in this area (Echo Park) a lot. We used to go to Los Globos Nightclub (Echo Park), Good Times, Short Stop (Echo Park). It’s a really fun vibe out here. Then you have Zebulon (Frogtown) and Atwater Village… I like to dance (laughs).
*End of interview*
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