Ready for a treat? Discover Puerto Rico's first vegan ice cream shop by Boricua Chef Lorivie Alicea!

Born and raised in Bayamón, chef Lorivie Alicea’s journey began in the world of art and design. However, she found her true passion in the kitchen and its connection with people. From selling her tasty creations in the college hallway to becoming self-taught in baking and cooking, Alicea opened, in the Santurce neighborhood, Vía Láctea a plant-based ice cream and dessert shop that celebrates local sweets with a vegan twist. Her innovative approach, infused with the essence of Puerto Rican culture, earned her a James Beard Semifinalist nomination in the Outstanding Bakery category. Get the scoop on her sources of inspiration and favorite local spots to experience our Island delights! 

Discover more about Santurce

Chef Lorivie Alicea.

Chef Lorivie Alicea created Vía Láctea, Puerto Rico's first vegan ice cream shop.

Exploring Culinary Paths: Share your journey of becoming a chef in Puerto Rico.

What sparked your passion for cooking?  

My journey started off when I decided to leave the art and design world. I was so curious and drawn to the idea of becoming a chef from a very young age, but to be honest, the culinary industry didn’t have the best reputation at the time, especially for women in Puerto Rico. As I got closer to graduating from college, I found myself drawn to the kitchen. During those last years, I side-hustled selling some of my food from a table in the college hallway, funding my travels with the money I gathered. Little did I know, that was the moment I felt that my place was in the kitchen. As I connected with my colleagues through food, I gave myself permission to do something I loved while studying something that wasn’t really my passion. After I graduated from Industrial Design, I had the opportunity to work at a coffee shop as the kitchen manager. Keeping in mind that I had zero experience or studies in culinary sciences, I was so driven and curious that I became a self-taught baker, cook, and eventually a chef. Once I entered the culinary scene, I began developing my own business. I founded what is now Vía Láctea, a plant-based ice cream and dessert shop. I started this project in 2016, developing dairy and vegan ice cream recipes and doing pop-ups, festivals, and private events. In 2018, I partnered with Reinaldo Sánchez, and from that year on, we have pioneered the frozen treats business in Puerto Rico. In 2022, we opened the first plant-based scoop shop on the Island, and in 2024, we received a James Beard Semifinalist nomination in the Outstanding Bakery category, making us the first Puerto Rican company to be nominated in this category. 

What sparked my passion for cooking was the ability to create something that became a part of someone’s reason for happiness, even if it melted away in minutes. As I gained more experience, I became passionate about connecting with beautiful local ingredients, the people who make that possible, the opportunity to nurture others with something I created out of pure enjoyment. 

Discover Puerto Rican Pastries

Ice cream Via Lactea.

Vía Láctea is a must-visit spot for vegan treats, offering plant-based ice cream and desserts.

Culinary Style and Philosophy

Can you explain your culinary philosophy? 

My culinary style is based on exploration! I take the best ingredients I find and let them guide my approach. Usually, what grows together goes together, so even if the ingredient combinations may sound strange, the result is always beautiful and surprising. My culinary philosophy is to prioritize nurturing, which includes our connection to and the impact we have on our food system.  I start with what we have available and strive to make our surroundings and our own food system better every day. 

Read how Chef Gabriel Hernández leads Puerto Rico's farm-to-table movement

Ice cream cone from Via Lactea.

In 2024, Vía Láctea was nominated as a James Beard Award semifinalist in the Outstanding Bakery category.

Influence of Puerto Rican Culture

How do you strike a balance between traditional methods and innovative practices in your kitchen?  

Puerto Rican culture has shaped my culinary creations in many ways. I play with traditional ingredients, inspired by local sweets but with a vegan or plant-based approach. Many of our ice cream flavors are coconut milk based, a tropical ingredient that delivers a creamy dense product, making the creative approach accessible and recognizable to the Puerto Rican palate. By doing this, I’m creating an ice cream that is nostalgic, but, at the same time, innovative. For example, we have a flavor called Guava Panetela (inspired by the traditional pastry panetela), Firecracker Peanut (inspired by the traditional dulce de ajonjolí, but with a touch of spicy chili flakes), and Matcha Parcha (inspired by our beach days that never ended without a passionfruit sorbet from ice cream street carts, but with a trendy combination of green tea ice cream). 

Must-Try Dishes

What is one signature dish that every visitor should experience at your restaurant or through your culinary services?  

Our signature dish is the Dark Matter Cone with two ice cream scoops: one of Guava Panetela and another of Coffee Chip. Even a local fruit sorbet like Passion Fruit would be phenomenal. Also, I have always been a waffle cone girl. There’s a beautiful thing that happens when there’s no spoon, no interruption between you and the ice cream. It’s all very intimate, and that interaction is what makes it extra special. 

Explore Vegan and Vegetarian Spots in Puerto Rico

Via Lactea ice cream variety.

Stop by Vía Láctea in Santurce, where traditional ingredients are reimagined with inspiration from local sweets, all with a vegan twist.

Puerto Rican Cuisine Essentials  

From your perspective, which dish quintessentially represents Puerto Rican cuisine and why? 

I would say pasteles are the quintessential Puerto Rican dish. They are composed of ingredients from almost all our cultures. The green banana from Africa is mashed with root vegetables like yuca and achiote from our Taíno natives, and it’s filled with pork stewed meat. There is nothing that tastes more like home than pasteles. 

Visitor's First Bite

What dish would you recommend to someone new to Puerto Rican cuisine? 

I would recommend them to try pasteles and make a reservation at Cocina Al Fondo.  There, you will find the most delicious, authentic Puerto Rican food. 

First-Time Diner Tips

Do you have any advice for individuals dining in Puerto Rico for the first time?  

If this is your first time dining in Puerto Rico, come with an open mind and an empty stomach. You will eat fantastic local food, but you cannot leave without trying our Chinese food; it’s incredible. They make the best tostones and mofongo filled with Chinese meats—killer combos! 

Local Dining Favorites

Could you share a few of your favorite local eateries? 

Cocina Al Fondo, Terrestre Cocina Compasión (vegan sushi), Celeste, Lucía Patisserie, Panoteca San Miguel, Tre Amici, Mugi Pan, Poliniza, Horno Salvaje, Kemuri, Leña Eh and Frescura Vegan Kitchen. I could name so many more, but these are truly special to my heart. 

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