The Pebble Is A Lie

On Saturday, I stopped by a new vegetarian place near Spadina and College for lunch. Unsurprisingly, Grasshopper offered vegan (v), gluten-free (gf), and many other acronyms. The interior is minimalist wood with vacuum-tube light bulbs. I opted for a "pulled pork" banh mi ($8.50) with kale salad and a walnut brownie ($3). It was probably the waitress' first service job, although the funny-looking iPad ordering app didn't look too helpful. Forcing waitstaff to enter options in a fixed series of steps and selecting items by picture are not good design.

The vegan sub was reasonably tasty with a softer bun. There was a good balance with the tangier daikon and carrots. The kale was also fresh with bits of crunchy cabbage. But I couldn't get over the portion size given the $8.50 price tag. The salad was a mere (literal) fistful. And I can get veggie banh mi of similar quality for less than half. The brownie was dark and rich. But like other flour-less dessert, it was too dense and cakey. I was done after about 2 bites. Hmm, half the size for half the price. That would be a good menu choice. A good enough place, but unless vegetarians can grow money trees, not much of a deal.