Le Commensal

One of the restaurants in this Montreal-based chain offers vegetarian and vegan fare in a modern setting overlooking the city – just mind how much you fill your plate

The small placard simply states "Gateau au soya" and "couvert confiture de fruit," with the English translation, "Soy cake covered with jam," printed in significantly smaller type below the bolded heading. Pooling delectably on an azure plate, the dark plum-colored jam drips slowly off the sides of the half-eaten cake; a serving knife, flecked with vanilla crumbs and jam, lies in the middle of the platter. The cake sits in a row with similar desserts, all nestled in an ice-filled buffet, with a label located above each cake. "Gateau Allemand," "Croustade aux pommes," "Gateau mousse au chocolat," three of over 10 sugary confections, lie on porcelain dishes with a serving knife at the ready, the desserts appearing to glow under the white overhead lights.

There is simply one thing missing: the price.

With six restaurants in the greater Montreal area and one in Toronto, Le Commensal offers over 100 vegetarian and vegan meals. Featuring both a hot and a cold buffet, they serve a unique twist: each dish is weighed on a scale, and you pay based on the density, or weight, of the food on your individual plates. Upon entering the Le Commensal branch located on McGill College Street – which involved climbing a winding staircase to reach its second floor perch - our party of three was greeted with an intimate L-shaped buffet featuring warm dishes placed prominently in the middle. Among the displayed vegetarian delights were cherry red tomatoes, shredded seaweed, crisp tofu, assorted cheeses, chickpeas, steaming lasagna, and wild rice.

Mindful of the weighing requirement – and also mindful of my scant cash – I eschewed the large-sized plate for a medium and chose the lightest meal I could find: lettuce. Unsure as to what the resulting fee would be, I filled my plate with assorted mixed greens; to this I added bean sprouts, sesame seeds, and olive oil. In the interest of avoiding starvation, I added some chunks of mozzarella and a side of brown rice with slices of almond. And to complete the meal – and appease my stomach - I grabbed a slice of "Gateau Allemand," or almond cake.

My five years of French class proved no help at the cash register: After staring at the cashier with a look of complete mystification, she quickly changed her torrent of French to a heavily-accented English. My entree plate and dessert bowl were promptly weighed, and my light fare cost a highly affordable $4.05 Canadian – which translated into roughly $3.50 U.S.

The décor of Commensal's cafeteria could best be described as modern minimalism. Thin pendant lights illuminate framed pieces of Picasso-esque artwork, while the tables, arranged in orderly rows and outfitted with starched-white tablecloths, are covered with simple glass tops. A wall of pumpkin orange provides a splash of color, while the half-wall next to our table was an electric cobalt blue. Pots of green plants are placed sporadically throughout the dark grey marble-flecked floor, and the music, while audible, is a soothing selection that is not distractingly loud. The main attraction, however, is the city. The entire right side of the cafeteria is outfitted in floor-to-ceiling plates of glass, offering a rare view of downtown Montreal that bathed the cafeteria with natural light. I not only ate like a bird, but I had a bird's eye view, as well.

While the outlook earned raves from our party, the actual meal garnered mixed results. The lettuce on my salad tasted fresh, and the bean sprouts were crisp while the sesame seeds added a pleasing gritty texture. The olive oil was rich, but not overpowering, and the almonds gave the brown rice a nice crunch. The mozzarella, however, had an unpleasant – and unexpected - sour aftertaste. One of my party members, a vegetarian for seven years, could not take more than one bite of the "awful" fried tofu. She also complained that her meal – which consisted of cheddar cheese, taboule, chickpeas, a salad, sprouts, lasagna, and soy milk – was too light to be filling. Her biggest complaint was the restaurant's practice of weighing the food: Her meal, plus our other companion's large plate - which she also paid for - was $28 Canadian. She thought the meals were too expensive for a lunch, and not knowing the price of the food before approaching the cash register created some anxiousness. (Our wallets did appreciate, though, that no tips were expected.)

The "Gateau Allemand," my dessert, earned the restaurant four stars. The sponge-like cake literally tasted as though it were saturated in almond extract; it rode the fine balance of being neither overwhelming nor, by any means, subtle, and was an almond aficionado's dream. The cranberries, which were nestled in the middle of the generously thick slice, added an unexpected sweet tanginess and tartness. Indeed, our third companion, a vegetarian for five years who studied at Concordia, deemed his "Gateau soya" "unbelievable." His meal of seaweed, seitan, tofu, and mushrooms earned a rave at nearly every bite, and he called Le Commensal his "favorite" vegetarian restaurant.

While I wouldn't put Le Commensal on my list of favorite restaurants, it offers a wide array of vegetarian and vegan meals for those looking for a meat-free oasis. Although I am not a vegetarian, I appreciated the artful culinary displays, the ambiance of the light-saturated cafeteria and – of course – the dessert. Mind how high you fill your plates with heavy fare, though, or you could be in for a surprise when you make your way to the cashier.

What's your favorite vegetarian meal?

Le Commensal

1204 McGill College Street, Montreal

Monday through Sunday: 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Telephone: 514-871-1480