By Nadely Requena, VRG Intern

Altering my diet to vegetarianism four years ago and only recently to veganism, I’ve definitely felt disconnected from Mexican culture and cuisine as a Latina. I grew up in a family where meat was always placed at the center of the table. So when meat and certain flavors that I had eaten my entire life weren’t the star of my meals anymore, I couldn’t help but feel isolated.

With the rising movement of veganism, however, new fully vegan restaurants have been popping up all across the country. One of those restaurants includes Nissi VegMex. They recently opened their brick-and-mortar location in Southeast Austin. They had previously operated a food truck in Downtown Austin.

Their menu, which is 100% vegan, has a focus on Mexican cuisine. Just by taking a look at it, one can instantly notice how well Nissi VegMex has combined timeless vegan proteins with key components that exist in Mexican dishes. With classic dishes such as hamburgers, chalupas, nachos, flautas, tacos, burritos, birria tacos, and my favorite duo rice and beans, you are guaranteed to find something at Nissi VegMex that will remind you of authentic Mexican cuisine.

And it won’t just be visible in the food, but also in the drinks. I grew up drinking horchata, which is a sweet Mexican drink traditionally made with milk, rice, and cinnamon. At Niss VegMex, you can order “hempchata” and instantly feel at home. Other Latin American drinks include Jamaica and Topo lime drink, along with others.

Worried there won’t be enough options? Impossible. Nissi VegMex offers six different types of “meats”: Carne Asada, Picadillio, Fajita, Al Pastor, Chicharron, Cheek’n (Chicken), and rice. When it was time to order, I was in such awe of the menu and its variety of options that I honestly didn’t know what to order. I wanted to try everything! Going so long without seeing proper representation in vegan cuisine of the foods I grew up eating, I found myself longing for those flavors. Nissi VegMex ignited and reminded me of that joyful feeling I would get when I was younger. In the end, I decided to opt for their taco plate, flauta plate, chips and queso, and hempchata.

You can’t really go wrong with chips and queso. While I was a little disappointed I couldn’t dip my chips in classic red salsa, Nissi VegMex definitely showed that they wanted to stay true to Mexican cuisine, but also add a little twist to their menu. Their burnt orange queso was definitely cheesy and it also had a spicy element that kicked in with every bite.

The taco plate comes with four double-layered corn tortilla tacos that you can fill with up with two different proteins that will be topped with chopped cilantro and white onion. I chose the Carne Asada and I was genuinely amazed by how similar it looked and tasted like the meat I ate all the time at family gatherings. My second protein was Picadillo, which is traditionally meat and potatoes, and while it did taste similar to the Carne Asada, the potatoes added a soft element to the tacos that I really enjoyed.

The flauta plate comes with three cheek’n (chicken) flautas that are covered in guacamole and crema (or white cream). This was, without a doubt, the winner plate, mainly because of the cheek’n protein. It was incredibly flavorful and I found myself not wanting to stop eating the flautas. The corn tortilla was hard, but with a bite, it would just melt in your mouth and the guacamole and crema added another layer of rich flavor and authenticity to the meal.

Both of these plates come with the famous pair of classic rice and beans. I felt as if I was back home and my mother was cooking for me. My recommendation: mix the rice and beans, add a spoonful of Nissi VegMex’s orange salsa, and you’ll be running back to this restaurant in no time. I will advise that the orange salsa is not for the faint of heart, so in that case it may actually make you drive away from the restaurant if you don’t have a high spicy tolerance. Instead you might want to choose the green salsa and you shall feel a smile form on your face. Your tongue will also thank you.

Lastly, I definitely recommend getting the hempchata as the taste is undeniably the same as horchata. It’s such a staple to Mexican drinks and while it’s not the center of the meal, I do think that its white color with hints of brown cinnamon sprinkles will make the meal complete.

Needless to say, for sure I will be visiting Nissi VegMex sometime soon. This restaurant really has those components of Mexican cuisine present in their menu and that’s something I haven’t been able to find anywhere else yet.

Nissi VegMex is a great representation and reality that vegan cuisine is increasing with its experimentation with flavors. It’s a reminder to me, at least, that I don’t have to compromise on that authenticity that makes me who I am and feel as if I am partaking in the traditions I grew up with.

Link to Nissi VegMex’s Website: https://www.nissivegmex.com/

Link to Niss VegMex’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vegmexnissi/?hl=en

For more information on veg restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada, visit The Vegetarian Resource Group Restaurant Guide: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/