The Vegan Shack: The Casco Viejo Story I Should Have Written Sooner
The Vegan Shack is one of those stories I should have written much sooner. I had eaten there several times, enjoyed the food and always admired the fact that this genuinely vegan restaurant continued quietly doing its thing on Fourth Street in Casco Viejo. I remember walking out after my first meal with Leanne, turning to her and saying, “That was a great meal.” Yet somehow, I never stopped long enough to find out who was behind it.
That changed recently when I dropped in and met Mia G. Sharfi, the remarkably young chef and owner behind The Vegan Shack. We spoke briefly, and within a few minutes I knew there was far more to this restaurant than I had realised. Mia was bright, confident and very clear about what she was building. I arranged to return for a proper conversation and sent her my questions a couple of days beforehand.
When I arrived for the interview, Mia was waiting with a notebook in front of her the same notebook I had noticed during our first conversation. She had read through every question, made notes and was ready. After more than 40 years in hospitality, I notice details like that. Plenty of people have enthusiasm, and plenty have ideas, but preparation tells you something altogether different about a person. Mia was not simply excited about owning a restaurant; she was organised, disciplined and serious about understanding every part of her business.
I had gone there expecting to write about a very good Vegan Restaurant in Casco Viejo. Instead, I discovered the story of an unusually talented young chef who turns twenty-four in October, began baking at seven, entered culinary school at twelve and already has her sights set far beyond Fourth Street. By the end of our conversation, I understood that The Vegan Shack was not really the whole story. Mia was.
The Chef Behind a Vegan Restaurant in Casco Viejo
Born in Bocas del Toro, Panama, Mia developed an interest in food when she was only seven years old. While most children that age are still deciding what they want to be when they grow up, she was already baking and had created a small brand of her own. By the time she was twelve, she was attending Panama’s IGA culinary institute. At twelve years old, she was already taking her interest in food seriously enough to pursue professional training. That was also the age she became vegan, a choice that would eventually shape her own restaurant.
As our conversation continued, it became clear that cooking was only one part of an unusually broad education. Mia was homeschooled and speaks Spanish, English, French and Hebrew, and she is now learning Japanese. She reads music, plays the piano and has studied ballet, dance and aerial silks. Every time I thought we had reached the end of the list, she calmly added something else.
One of Those Disney Kids
My mind immediately went to one of those incredibly talented Disney kids who can sing, dance, act and somehow appear capable of doing everything. I mentioned the comparison to Mia, although it quickly became obvious that we came from completely different Disney generations. She smiled politely, but I am not entirely convinced she knew who I was talking about.
Behind all that talent is a very close family. Mia’s mother moved to Panama from Israel in 1998, while her father is from Bocas del Toro. She also has a sister, and it was clear throughout our conversation how important her family has been to her journey. Mia describes her mother as her best friend and the backbone of the business. The talent may belong to Mia, but The Vegan Shack was never built by one person alone.
From Cooking During COVID to Fourth Street
Mia opened her first shack in Playa Venao in 2020, during COVID, while living there with her family. Still in her teens, she began cooking for people in the local community. What started on a relatively small scale quickly showed the family that there was a genuine appetite for the kind of food Mia was preparing. People were not ordering it simply because it was vegan; they were ordering it because it tasted good.
Encouraged by the response, Mia and her family began considering whether the idea could work as a permanent restaurant in Panama City. During a planning visit, they spent time looking at different possibilities, but Casco Viejo felt like the right fit. They went on to open The Vegan Shack on Fourth Street with a skeleton team, a great deal of family commitment and a young chef who was still only at the beginning of her professional journey.
Building a Business That Could Last
What impressed me was that the family did not approach the restaurant casually. Before opening, Mia’s mother helped develop the operating procedures and systems the business would need. As demand grew, they hired employees and built a proper team. The original idea was to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but they soon realised trying to do everything would eventually exhaust everyone. Instead, they created hours that allowed the restaurant and its people to operate sustainably.
That may sound like common sense, but the hospitality industry has never been particularly good at work-life balance. I certainly was not thinking that way at twenty-three; it took me until I was around thirty-seven to begin understanding it properly. Mia already recognises that a successful restaurant cannot depend on its owner and employees running themselves into the ground. Once again, I found myself looking at that notebook. The preparation I had noticed during our interview was not for show. It reflected the way Mia and her family had built the entire business.
A Vegan Restaurant in Casco Viejo Changing the Conversation About Food
Let’s be honest: when many Western diners hear the words “vegan restaurant,” they immediately imagine a plate of leaves and leaving hungry. We jokingly call it rabbit food, and I have certainly been guilty of thinking that way myself. But travel has a wonderful way of correcting those assumptions. Across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, I have eaten outstanding plant-based dishes built around spices, sauces, grains, vegetables and layers of flavour. Nobody needed to announce that the food was vegan. It was simply very good food.
That is what I found at The Vegan Shack. Mia describes her focus simply: “Wholesome meals that happen to be plant-based.” The menu does not lecture you or ask you to give up everything you enjoy. Instead, it gives you familiar, satisfying dishes prepared entirely from plant-based ingredients. The banana pancakes and tofu scramble make a proper breakfast, while the sliders arrive with roasted potatoes and enough substance to remove any concern that you are going to leave looking for a second lunch.
More Than a Bowl of Vegetables
The pineapple ceviche is fresh, bright and exactly the kind of dish that makes sense in Panama’s tropical climate. The Abundance Bowl brings together colour, texture and flavour without feeling like something designed simply to prove a nutritional point. There are also smoothies, coffee and fresh coconut water, making this vegan restaurant in Casco Viejo just as comfortable for breakfast or an afternoon stop as it is for a full lunch.
As Mia explained the ingredients, sauces and spices behind each dish, her culinary training became obvious. There was a reason for every flavour and every element on the plate. You do not have to be vegan to appreciate that. Good food is good food, and The Vegan Shack succeeds because Mia understands that changing someone’s opinion about vegan cooking begins with what arrives on the table—not with trying to change the person.
A Restaurant That Feels Like a Home
The Vegan Shack occupies one of those wonderful old Casco Viejo spaces that feels more like a home than a conventional restaurant. Its bright colours immediately give it personality, but the atmosphere remains relaxed and unpretentious. Children are genuinely welcome, and families can settle in without feeling that they have walked into a restaurant designed only for serious food people. It is comfortable, cheerful and very much its own place.
While I was there, regular customers came in to collect meals for their families. That always tells me more about a restaurant than any social media campaign ever could. Tourists may visit somewhere once because they have read about it online, but local customers return because the food is consistent and the experience works. This vegan restaurant in Casco Viejo has become part of the routine for people who live in and around the neighbourhood.
Behind the Kitchen Door of a Vegan Restaurant in Casco Viejo
Mia also took me into the kitchen, which was spotless. After four decades in hospitality and having owned restaurants myself, I pay attention to what happens behind the dining room. The kitchen is where you discover whether the story being presented to customers is genuine. Here, the sous chef and cook worked together quietly and confidently. There was no unnecessary drama, shouting or confusion just a small team that clearly understood what it was doing.
Employees receive a meal during their shift, allowing them to gradually experience the dishes they serve and understand the complete menu. It is a small detail, but a very sensible one. The restaurant can also accommodate private gatherings of approximately twenty people in its back room, although the final capacity and arrangements should be confirmed directly with Mia. Like so much of The Vegan Shack, the space is more versatile than it first appears.
Planning Your Visit to The Vegan Shack
The Vegan Shack is located on Calle 4a Oeste, within easy walking distance of Casco Viejo’s principal plazas, museums and historic attractions. It fits naturally into a morning or afternoon exploring the neighbourhood, whether you are looking for breakfast before setting out or somewhere relaxed to stop for lunch along the way.
From a hospitality perspective, this vegan restaurant in Casco Viejo is a useful choice for couples, families and small groups with different dietary preferences. Finding somewhere to eat for one vegan traveller and several companions who are not vegan can sometimes become more complicated than it should be. The Vegan Shack solves that problem because nobody has to feel they are compromising. The vegan guest can order confidently, while everyone else can simply choose something that sounds good.
This is a casual neighbourhood restaurant rather than somewhere requiring an elaborate plan or formal dress. However, operating hours can change, particularly in Casco Viejo, so visitors should check the restaurant’s Instagram page before making a special journey. Anyone travelling with a larger group or hoping to arrange something privately should contact Mia and her team in advance.
The Vegan Shack: Fast Facts
- Restaurant: The Vegan Shack
- Chef and Owner: Mia G. Sharfi
- First shack opened: Playa Venao, 2020
- Location: Calle 4a Oeste, Casco Viejo, Panama City
- Cuisine: Fully vegan and plant-based
- Serves: Breakfast, lunch, smoothies, coffee and afternoon snacks
- Atmosphere: Colourful, relaxed and family-friendly
- Children: Welcome
- Takeaway: Available
- Delivery: Availability depends on location and the delivery platform
- Private gatherings: Approximately 20 guests; confirm capacity and arrangements directly
- Opening hours: Check the restaurant’s Instagram page for the current schedule
- Instagram: @theveganshack
Questions About The Vegan Shack
Absolutely not. The menu is entirely plant-based, but the restaurant is designed for anyone who enjoys thoughtfully prepared food with plenty of flavour and texture. It is a particularly useful choice when only one person in a couple or group follows a vegan diet.
Yes. Breakfast choices include banana pancakes, tofu scramble and other plant-based dishes, along with coffee and smoothies. Check the current opening hours before visiting, as the restaurant’s schedule may change.
The banana pancakes and tofu scramble are strong breakfast choices. For lunch, consider the sliders with roasted potatoes, pineapple ceviche or the Abundance Bowl. Mia and her team can also explain the ingredients and help you choose according to your preferences.
Yes. Children are welcome, and the colourful, relaxed setting makes the restaurant comfortable for families. The familiar presentation of many dishes can also make plant-based food more approachable for younger diners.
The restaurant has a back room that Mia told me can accommodate approximately twenty people. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm the current capacity, available menus and arrangements before planning an event.
Takeaway is available, and delivery may be offered through third-party platforms depending on your location and the restaurant’s operating hours. Check the restaurant’s current information or contact the team directly before ordering.
The Vegan Shack is on Calle 4a Oeste in Casco Viejo, Panama City. Its location makes it easy to include as part of a morning or afternoon visit to the historic district.
My Closing Thoughts on Mia and Her Vegan Restaurant in Casco Viejo
When I asked Mia where she saw herself in the future, I expected her to mention another location in Panama City or perhaps a slightly larger version of The Vegan Shack. Instead, she told me that she wanted to open a restaurant in Japan. I must admit, the ambition knocked me sideways for a moment.
From Fourth Street to Japan
Japan has one of the most precise and demanding culinary cultures in the world. Standards are exceptionally high, attention to detail matters and consistency is expected. It would be a considerable challenge for any chef, particularly someone coming from the other side of the world. Mia is also only twenty-three, so it would have been easy to dismiss the idea as the oversized dream of a very young woman.
But then I thought about everything I had seen: the notebook, the professional training that began when she was twelve, the systems her family established before opening and the spotless kitchen behind the dining room. I thought about her discipline, the languages she speaks and the fact that she is already learning Japanese. By then, opening a restaurant in Japan no longer sounded impossible. It sounded like the next chapter of a plan she had already begun.
When The Vegan Shack opened on Fourth Street, I honestly did not know whether a specialist vegan restaurant in Casco Viejo would still be standing several years later. The neighbourhood can be a difficult place to operate any restaurant, never mind one serving a style of food many people still misunderstand. Mia and her family proved me wrong. I remember walking out after that first meal, turning to Leanne and saying, “That was a great meal.” I am only sorry it took me this long to write about it.
Thank you for taking the time to read Mia’s story. I really appreciate it. These articles are personal to me, and it means a lot when you take a few minutes to get to know the people behind the places I write about. I hope it will mean just as much to Mia to know that her work, her ambition and The Vegan Shack are reaching people who might otherwise have walked past her door.
Sharing stories like hers is one of the reasons I created Casco Viejo 360. There is much more to this neighbourhood than beautiful buildings and places to eat. There are people putting their ideas, their families and years of effort into something they believe in. Taking the time to meet them changes how you see the place.
If Mia’s story has encouraged you to explore a little further, you may enjoy these:
- 📍 Things to Do in Casco Viejo Panama: Discover more places and experiences to enjoy before or after a meal at The Vegan Shack.
- 🚶 Casco Peatonal Panama: See how the neighbourhood comes alive when its streets open up for people to walk, gather and explore.
- 🏨 Meetings in Casco Viejo Panama: Explore the possibilities for bringing people together in this compact and characterful district.
And if you find yourself on Fourth Street, stop in at The Vegan Shack and try something from Mia’s menu. You do not have to be vegan to enjoy a good meal. If you get a chance to speak with her, tell her you read her story here. I would love for this article to be the beginning of your own connection with the place.
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James P. Rice
James P. Rice purchased a home in Casco Viejo in 2008 and brings more than 40 years of hospitality, restaurant, tourism, and convention industry experience to CascoViejo360.com.
His background includes leadership positions with Ritz-Carlton and Hyatt Hotels, executive roles with major convention centers, and ownership of restaurants and pubs in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Every article, hotel, restaurant, rooftop venue, attraction, and experience featured on CascoViejo360.com is selected through local knowledge, personal experience, and professional review, with careful consideration given to visitor experience, service standards, authenticity, and its contribution to the overall Casco Viejo and Panama City visitor experience.
