My name is Jose Aste. I was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Miami, Florida. I have been living in the greater Lansing area since 2013 with my wife Melissa, and two children, Nelly and August.My professional background began in aviation as a licensed Aircraft Technician/Avionics Technician. During my thirteen years in the Aerospace industry, I have worked in commercial airlines, avionics facilities, general aviation, corporate jets, and as lab instructor here at Lansing Community College of Aviation Technology.
Having the privilege of growing up in a melting pot of cultures and peoples in Miami, I have always been genuinely interested in human beings and the communities I have been a part of, always learning and submersing myself in different perspectives.
Apart from my love for airplanes, and people, I have always loved my Peruvian heritage and culture. The delicious Peruvian food my parents would cook on a daily basis, plus the effect it would have on our family and friends, would have me daydreaming of one day having my own little food truck where people would gather. This dream set into reality in the summer of 2019, when I first started Tantay, here in Lansing. Mid-Michigan’s first Peruvian cuisine concept.
Since then, Tantay has systematically grown from Allen Neighborhood Center’s Incubator kitchen, accelerator kitchen, food truck, and soon into our first brick and mortar space.