East Idaho Eats: Beixy’s Kitchen brings Venezuelan culture to Pocatello

POCATELLO — A new restaurant has brought Venezuelan culture to the Gate City.

Beixy Shepard is co-owner of Beixy’s Kitchen, a new food truck operating in Pocatello and Chubbuck. Shepard sees it as a way she can share her culture with her home of 15 years.

“I want to be connected to my culture and to just bring it to people,” Shepard said. “So people can get to know me, to get to know our food.”

Beixy’s Kitchen offers an array of menu items, most prominently featuring her empanadas, with beef, pork, chicken and black bean flavors.

But when people go to taste the empanada, Shepard said they should dip it in their garlic and cilantro sauce because “that’s where the magic happens.”

The empanada shells have sugar in them, so they carry a sweet and savory flavor when combined with their slow-cooked meat. Then, when the empanada is dipped in sauce, it also adds acidity, creating a flavor combination that melts in your mouth.

The idea for Beixy’s Kitchen started with Beixy Shepard cooking empanadas for her husband, Nick Shepard.

“It’s such a big part of my culture that I want to share with him, and he loves it,” she said.

She had always wanted to run a cafe “or something that’s small.”

“What if we just started with a truck?” Nick asked.

The Shepards began creating a business plan and figuring out how they would run the truck while also working their day jobs. Once they had the plan created, they were ready to move forward.

“I think the hardest part of the decision was me saying yes,” Beixy said. “Finally we did it, and two weeks later, he bought me a truck.”

Their last step was to enlist the help of Mark Daniels, a local artist. He painted the outside of their truck and got it ready for business.

Beixy’s first day of operation was July 31, and they did pop-ups throughout the summer and fall.

While their last day of operation for the year was Oct. 28, they’ll come back in the spring. They are also still available to cater events.

Beixy said that they wanted to start out small this year and create more awareness of their business.

“So next year when we come back with our truck, they already know the property, they already know the faces,” Beixy said.

Beixy said that people can keep an eye out for their business next year by following their Facebook page and Instagram and website.