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Munchies Vegan Diner Part of DTSA Renaissance

Downtown Santa Ana has become a mecca for international cuisines, and Chef Skyler Tanksley is a big part of that.

Skyler is the founder of Munchies Vegan Diner, along with partners Chloe Ruiz, Leo Orange and Garrett Nibarger.

Skyler’s father was from Texas and his mother from Cambodia, so he grew up far from vegan, but Skylar’s friend Garrett was a longtime vegan.

After experimenting with the non-vegan foods that Skylar consumed and making a vegan version, eventually the concept of Munchie’s Vegan Diner was born. The restaurant opened in 2018.

I had lunch at Munchie’s recently and tried the cheeseburger with melted American cheese, mayo, special G sauce (thousand island-style), organic lettuce and tomatoes, and pickles sandwiched between a sesame bun, and human style fries with American cheese, special G sauce, and caramelized onions on top of a bed of fresh fries (think In-N-Out animal fries but with no animal ingredients). Good stuff!

4th Street Expansion

Skyler is also the co-founder of Naughty Panda in Santa Ana. He started My Vegan Panda in 2019, where he began serving vegan craft burgers and Asian-inspired bowls. At the same time, Chef Adrian Garcia was creating craft sushi at Naughty Boy Sushi.

Eventually, the two chefs joined forces to create Naughty Panda, a plant-based, Asian fusion concept at Santa Ana’s popular food hall, 4th Street Market.

Tanksley’s message for other people of color looking to change their communities: Make sure “you follow your dreams so intensely enough, (even while working for someone) you earn extra capital that allows you to invest into positive reform and have a hand in developments within your inner communities,” he told his Instagram followers in September.

“I say this because it’s all possible. I’m doing it right now.”

Munchies Vegan Diner: 313 N. Bush St., Santa Ana, (657) 699-3076, munchiesvegandiner.com

Naughty Panda: 4th Street Market, 201 E. 4th St., Santa Ana, (714)-287-9093, myveganpanda.com

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