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Veggie heaven
La Faim du Monde celebrates two years of tasty, healthy eats
by SPANKY HOROWITZ
It's been well over two years since I reviewed a hole in the wall called La Faim du Monde that was actually in the hallway of a loft building on St-Laurent. Montreal, or any city for that matter, is not particularly kind to new restaurants: two out of three will not survive their first year. This one is a fairy tale come true, except that fairies don't work as hard as these guys.
La Faim du Monde has since moved to Duluth and can now seat 10 times their previous capacity. The menu has changed too--a one-page, handwritten sheet of paper has been replaced by a plastic-covered folder that covers six full pages of food, from breakfast to dinner to alcohol.
Speaking of alcohol, the once "dry" resto has rebooted their license situation and now offers six beers and a Quebec-made apple cider on tap, and some bio-wine, which is made from grapes that are grown organically.
The prices have gone up, but the servings are large and the place is a lot nicer to look at than it used to be. You can choose to sit in the brightly coloured dining room, in the glass-enclosed solarium (which can get a little hot under the collar on a sunny afternoon) or grab a table out back, a relaxing respite far from the maddening crowd.
After sitting down and sipping some water, the first thing I noticed was, well, the water. Two years ago, Yannick, the owner and cook, was tainting his table-water with star-anise and has, to this day, continued to do so. One thing I would recommend though, would be to serve the water from glass pitchers rather than white plastic. This way the customers could enjoy the look and the taste of the enchanting star-anise.
The cactus quesadillas ($7) were right on the money. Whole wheat tortillas are stuffed with refried black beans, real cactus leaves and cheddar cheese. The whole thing is served with a side of salsa and yogurt (in lieu of sour cream) and a small bowl of Yannick's trademark red cabbage, sesame oil and sunflower seed slaw.
I skipped the predictable tofu burger and instead chose the Inca burger. This burger is made from quinoa (pronounced "keenwah"), an ancient grain that the Incas used to chew on and then spit out, along with their enzymatic saliva, into a bottle. The fermented result would be used in religious rituals, or to get hammered. This dish was a unique and satisfying treat.
La Faim du Monde also offers sandwiches, all on whole wheat pita and garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, mixed sprouts, shredded carrots, Dijon and home-made tofu mayo. A whole sandwich can be a daunting task, but luckily you can get a soup and half a sandwich for the same price as a large, or you can order a small sandwich. My fave is the Greek feta mix ($7-9). Feta cheese is mixed with kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes to create a rich tapestry of Mediterranean flavours. Very rich.
Before I wish Yannick and his crew luck on their next two years, I'd like to mention a small detail that until now I have neglected to reveal: La Faim du Monde is a vegetarian resto, but the food is so good and healthy, and the portions so substantial, that even dedicated meat eaters won't notice. :
Comments? foodspanky@hotmail.com
La Faim du Monde
Address: 300 Duluth E.
Phone: 281-9825
Hours: Mon-Wed 12-10pm, Thur-Fri 12-11pm, Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-10pm
Best features: cheap vegetarian food in a relaxing atmosphere
Vegetarian friendly: yes
Wheelchair access: yes
Alcohol: yes
Credit cards: no
Price: $6-15 per person, before drinks, taxes and tip
Rating: HHH out of HHHH
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