Tucked away behind a little building and under a few canopies off of Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, there is a fish taco stand that thousands of people have declared as the “best in LA”. We couldn’t agree more. And Ricky wants the experience to be just as good as his food. A meal at his stand typically starts with the difficult task of finding it, if you’re a first timer. This is more challenging than one might expect. But, once inside the gated courtyard, customers enter under a canopy of pop-up tents where the sounds of large deep fryers cooking freshly battered fish is met with conversations over lunch from his many patrons seated at plastic fold-out tables. Overheard can be the sound of order numbers being called out and new orders being placed by eager taco fans. He doesn’t begin cooking the food until you’ve placed the order. Fresh fish is pulled from ice chests, placed into a secret batter, and dipped into the fryer until a crispy golden-brown. Fish is placed onto tortillas with fresh cabbage, pico de gallo, and four optional sauces. There’s always a fresh batch of aqua fresca as well. Payment is made after customers finish their meals by a simple cash system. The first bite always gets the same response: SATISFACTION. In our LA LIFE series, we’ll interview people who are doing things we love. Here is our interview with Ricky:

1) WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT PROFESSION?

Ricky: “I am a cook.”

2) WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Ricky: “I would say the need of authentic Ensenada-style fish tacos in LA. I’m talking about the essence. Starting with the equipment and the outdoor setting and getting closer to the original flavor of the fish tacos in Baja. I had a hard time finding fish tacos in LA that had that authentic flavor, so that’s when I decided to go for it. That’s what basically inspires me.”

3) WHAT GOT YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

Ricky: “Consistency. My Followers. I believe that if you try really hard, people will respond to it.”

4) WHO IS ONE OF YOUR HEROES?

Ricky: “Grandma. She had a tough life and became a tough woman. She left us with a lot of courage and strength. She set a good example and she always had a good sense of humor. Its a life story.”

5) WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST?

Ricky: “I love honest people. I love courageous people. And nowadays it can be very hard to find. Have you noticed that I leave the cash register open for people? I never go home with less money than what I’m supposed to. And I love that. If you don’t give the opportunity to people to be honest, to practice it, then where are you going to see it?”

6) DEFINE BEAUTY IN YOUR WORK.

Ricky: “Friendship. Support. Responsibility.”

7) DEFINE STORY IN YOUR WORK.

Ricky: “When a situation arises: the response to the needs that come up and how they were challenged and the results that came from it.”

8) DEFINE MEANING IN YOUR WORK.

Ricky: “Satisfaction.”