Viva Vegan will be opening a brick and mortar location by the end of August. Last Sunday we were happy to visit them at their pop-up vegan Mexican food event at The Green Corner Store. The owners were on hand serving plates of tamales, beans, and rice for $10. They also offered horchata cupcakes for $3, which quickly sold out.
Each plate included a crispy tortilla, which served as a nice utensil with which to scoop food onto my fork. The beans were simple but flavorful and smoky. While the rice was tasty enough, with its chilis and tomato paste, it was the tamale that was a true departure from the typical meat-eater’s fare. The texture of the corn was similar to traditional tamales, while the filling was, I believe, jackfruit. Though it wasn’t exactly what I was accustomed to, I don’t know that I could have told you it wasn’t meat if I didn’t already know.
I took a vegan with me for an official opinion. Though he did compare the tamales to his mother’s, we agreed the flavor, particularly with the “cheese” sauce on top, was nice enough to look warrant a return trip upon their opening.
Little Rock is certainly primed for more vegan and vegetarian options. We’ll look forward to Viva Vegan’s opening and wish them luck as it draws nearer.