Meet Urvashi Mishra

Today we’d like to introduce you to Urvashi Mishra.

Urvashi, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Houston has been my home for last ten years. As I was preparing for transition into my new life in Houston from India, I was often told that maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle would be a challenge in US. Even in Houston, colleagues and friends are often surprised to learn that I’m a vegetarian.

What usually follows is a list of meat or seafood options that I am missing out on. My Instagram account @MissPoquito is my way to show that Houston could also be a top destination for vegetarians.

During these last ten years, I’ve also traveled extensively to over 30 states in US and more than 25 countries across the globe. My travels and interactions with multitude of people in those trips have helped shape my outlook towards life. Trying out local food has always been my favorite part of travel. Before start of any trip, I research extensively about the local cuisine as well as authentic and unique restaurants in the area. In fact, in past I have even decided on a destination based on restaurants that my husband and I wanted to visit.

That passion for unique vegetarian food options also influences my restaurant picks in Houston. One of the great things about living in Houston is the diversity of people that call it home. Because of its diversity and size, we have been spoiled by the number of good restaurants in town. However, this also makes it difficult to pick one for a weekend outing, especially for a vegetarian like me. Most online reviews are not intended for vegetarians, and those that do, tend to highlight only the restaurants that are exclusively vegetarian/vegan-friendly. Most foodies will also agree that food is not only about taste, but also about presentation. This aspect is missing in most prevalent restaurant review websites, which are filled with numerous pictures posted by users rather than a select good ones. Instagram for me is the perfect platform to highlight what I like most about a restaurant. It also combines my interest in photography with highlighting unique or visually appealing aspects of a restaurant or its food. The name @MissPoquito also highlights one of the secrets I stumbled upon as a vegetarian: many a times several small plates or sides are more rewarding than a single bigger entree.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My engineering background and my day-to-day life as an analyst in a tech firm is completely different from that of an instagrammer. During early years of my life in US, I had a hard time trying to find a creative outlet to channel my passion in arts and photography. Even when I started posting pictures on Instagram, I lacked a clear objective. @MissPoquito in its current form is a result of thoughts that have evolved over time. Once I was clear on what I wanted my posts to reflect, the efforts have been mostly focused on staying updated about restaurant scene in Houston. It goes without saying I have to be open to trying out all different types to cuisine if I want to post about it.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
@MissPoquito aims to inspire/educate people to move towards a vegetarian lifestyle and have fun while doing so. The posts are exclusively dedicated to restaurants and food options in Houston area. My posts aim to highlight unique or a few strong focal points of a restaurant or its food. They also highlight one of the unique features of Houston: it’s diversity that has fostered growth of restaurants offering varieties of food, desserts and drinks that are as diverse as its residents.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I consider myself lucky to be able to eat out at so many restaurants and pursue my passion as a food blogger. @MissPoquito still doesn’t has a significant follower count at this point, but I wouldn’t say it is because of bad luck. The trend towards a vegetarian lifestyle is not as strong in Houston as one would see in other parts of the country such as Los Angeles or New York. So thank you for reading this post through the end and giving me a reason to continue to spread the message of a vegetarian lifestyle. I would also encourage readers of VoyageHouston to follow @MissPoquito and help me make Houston a top destination for vegetarian foodies.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @MissPoquito

Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.