Vegan Pop-Up Midnight Noodle Returns, With Plans for a Restaurant on the Horizon

Popular vegan Taiwanese-Chinese pop-up Midnight Noodle is returning and expanding this month, with chef Melvin Stovall telling Eater he is also looking to secure his own restaurant in New Orleans in the next year.

On July 19 and 20, Stovall will serve a six-course vegan Chinese dinner at currently-closed cafe Pax Treme on Claiborne Avenue. Stovall says the meal will include “old favorites” like the cumin seitan hand-pulled noodles and newer items like vegan chicken and chive XO dumplings.

Midnight Noodle started popping up in 2016, and most recently had a six-month stint inside the Catahoula Hotel in the CBD from July to December 2018. After that, Stovall says he took time to travel, learn more about regional Chinese cuisines, and experiment with recreating certain dishes as vegan. He launched another vegan pop-up this month, 88Burger (double eight burger) with sister Melanie. The American diner-style food focuses on vegan burgers, Detroit-style pizza, and seasonal dishes.

Following this month’s pop-ups, Stovall has plans in the works to take up another six-month restaurant residency downtown. At the same time, he says he will be looking to secure space for a new restaurant sometime in the next year.

Check out the menus and RSVP for the $35 Midnight Noodle dinners on July 19 and 20 here, and catch the next 88Burger pop-up at Pax on the evenings of July 26, 27, and 28.

Do you have a hot restaurant tip? Noticed a spot in your neighborhood opening or closing? Send an email.

Looking for restaurant recs or a place to chat about favorite restaurants? Join Eater NOLA’s Facebook group.

• Vegan Chinese Pop-Up Midnight Noodle Gets a Permanent Home [ENOLA]