Mirepoix

I stumbled upon Mirepoix Trio, a monthly collaboration between three vegan chefs, via a post on City and Dale. I’m not vegan, but if there’s a vegan option on a menu, I have this urge to try it. With my latest vegan eats, (donuts included!) I’ve had some pretty good experiences thus far. So why not try their monthly pop-​up?
Held at The Clever Rabbit, neighbor to Duchess Bakery on 124 St, Mirepoix Trio held two seatings: 6pm and 9pm. A $ 45– six course menu was already set for diners, and with the theme of «Without a Fork», the small plates were served tapas style and, of course, without forks. I managed to grab a reservation for Jody and I after a cancellation.
We started with a trio of soup: beet, avocado, and cucumber. Adam, one of the three chefs, introduced the first course to the room of twenty or so guests. Thank goodness he did, as these were not just simple soups. The avocado shooter (pictured right) was my first, garnished with cilantro. A strong spice came through, what Jody and I agreed to be cumin and it reminded us of guacamole! Yum! My second, the beet soup (pictured center) was garnished with dill, was not overly «beet-​y», a flavor which I actually dislike. Whatever they made it with, it was just the right amount of sweetness and showcased the beets really well. Lastly, the cucumber soup (pictured left). You’d think the cucumber shooter would be refreshing, perhaps a palate cleanser of sorts, and this is where I really thank Adam for coming out and letting us know that it was a mixture of cucumber and chili, garnished with a mint leaf. Ohhhh boy, there was chili already. Enough heat to make you take a good swig of water right after! Overall, a good trio, although all three had a pretty thick consistency which made it hard to drink out of the glasses. I even witnessed a table neighboring us watering down the soup with water in order to clean it out! Perhaps a slightly thinner consistency would have worked better with the glasses, or else amuse-​bouche tasting spoons would have been more appropriate.
Next was a plate of two mini ‘slaw tacos, presented to us by Rylan. The menu called for a Kimchi coleslaw, and although it packed some heat, it was definitely not Kimchi heat. The mushroom «meat» was well done and in combination with corn, red peppers, and an avocado aioli, the dish was presented beautifully. One of the better dishes of the night!
Jade, third of the trio (she’s so cute!), presented the third dish: a vegan take on nigiri sushi, featuring cauliflower rice. This was completely intriguing although it ended up being one of the least favorite dishes for both Jody and I. The rice did not hold its shape well so it was a bit harder to dip in the soy sauce, and I really did not like my bite of shallot! A cute concept, although perhaps a maki roll or temaki cone would have provided a better vehicle.
Jade introduced the fourth course, a stuffed onigiri, inspired by her three-​week trip to Thailand with her sister. The rice was well made and held its shape nicely, unlike the prior course. One was stuffed with a green pea ginger mixture, which was my favorite of the two. The other, a sesame mushroom, although the sesame flavor didn’t shine through as much as the mushrooms and onions.
Last savory dish was a take on Philly cheesesteak, and one that I was looking forward to. Seitan beef was a new terminology to me. Seitan is actually a food product of gluten, the main protein in wheat. When cooked, it creates a stringy, chewier texture than it’s soy-​based meat alternative, and thus gives the taste and texture of meat. The mini sandwiches were delicious! And if nobody had told me it was vegan, it could have very well pulled off to be a Philly cheesesteak sandwich! The cheese sauce was also vegan, although they didn’t specify how so. I can only guess of cashew creams that other vegan restaurants create, but either way, it worked!
Dessert for the night was a duo of chocolate shots. White chocolate shot glass with a mango filling, dashed with black pepper and a dark chocolate shot glass with a whiskey and raspberry filling. The dark chocolate was a clear winner as the black pepper and mango combination was a bit odd and the white chocolate didn’t seem to have frozen well, with a chalk-​ish texture. The raspberry filling was delicious and a great combination! Although no forks were available throughout the night, the dessert did come out with a spoon!
For $ 45 per person, it’s a bit steep. Definitely nothing out of the blue for a pop-​up though, as most are at this price range. The trio’s efforts are highly commendable, thinking of unique and clever vegan dishes for their monthly dinners. The tacos and the Philly cheesesteak were my favorites for the night. Since each monthly dinner is different, I can’t vouch for the next event but it was a great experience overall, and I would recommend it to those who are more adventurous and enjoy pop-​up events!