With backgrounds in fine and Michelin-star dining, Cristian Ochoa and Christian Moreno knew they would work well together. Now partners behind the new Los Pingüinos Mexican Kitchen food truck, the pair are excited about bringing more authentic Mexican classics to the streets of the Flathead Valley.  

“I just wanted to keep it really simple and similar to the street tacos I grew up on,” Ochoa, the chef behind Los Pingüinos Mexican Kitchen, said. “But I also try to apply some of my fine dining training here... things that are maybe more refined or more detailed.” 

Ochoa, originally from Yuma, Arizona, grew up learning the fundamentals of cooking from his grandmother, which quickly grew into a passion of his own.  

“I grew up in the kitchen with my family,” Ochoa reflected, stating that the red, hot salsa Los Pingüinos makes from scratch is resemblant of a salsa that his dad would make. 

The menu is simple, reminding Ochoa of the food he ate as a kid. With carne asada, chicken tinga and carnitas options, the food truck specializes in tacos and burritos. 

The carnitas are his favorite, he said, while helping a customer in the parking lot of The Rancher’s Daughter in Kalispell at the beginning of June. You can’t beat crispy pork cooked for hours in fat, he said.  

But all options are packed with flavor. A chicken tinga taco, a sauce made with onions, tomatoes and chiles, is served with cilantro, onions, radishes and a lime wedge. Each bite is packed with punch, the meat juicy and the flavor profile evened out with the addition of acids and vegetables.  

The burritos are served with rice and beans. 

Special to him, the tortillas are shipped to the valley from his favorite Mexican market in Yuma. Everything else, from marinades to sauces to finely shaved radishes, is created in-house. 

He hopes to expand the menu as Los Pingüinos continues to grow, with the addition of more classic options and various specials, like street corn and carne asada tater tots.  

“The food trucks are great because we can move around, but it would be cool to find a permanent spot for people to visit us at,” Ochoa said.  

He attended culinary school in Northern California, which led him to work at a one Michelin star restaurant in Menlo Park. He stayed there for two years before moving to a two Michelin star establishment in San Francisco.  

After moving to the Flathead Valley, Ochoa helped develop a series of menus across the valley, including at Whitefish Handcrafted Spirits, The Lodge at Whitefish Lake and Herb & Omni.  

While working at the lodge, Ochoa and Moreno met via social media. Moreno took over Swift Creek Cafe in Whitefish seven years ago. With his own background in fine dining, Moreno and Ochoa connected over their skills. Moreno already owned the food truck, he said, but was not using it at the time.  

“When [Ochoa] came along, I told him he should start his own thing,” he said.  

From there, the idea became a reality.  

“Eventually it would be cool to start more trailers for more chefs to grow their businesses,” Moreno said. “It would be cool. Theres no shortage of food in the valley but a lot of it is monotonous. There isn't a lot of ethnic food or food that is simply done well.” 

The weekly schedule for the food truck is posted at instagram.com/los_pinguinos_mexican_kitchen/. For catering or event inquiries, call 406-219-1006.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].