An Omnivore And A Vegan Walk Into A Restaurant…

Getting two experiences of Sumac in one night

It’s eye opening to dine with a vegan companion. The disparity of dishes presented to omnivores versus vegetarian versus vegan diners at any restaurant in Reykjavík — hell, anywhere else, too — is noteworthy. Too often the vegan diner is given the subtracted dish, without the kitchen considering what to add instead of animal protein and instead taking the easy path of simply leaving something off the plate.

My vegan dining companion and I have dined at Sumac previously and it’s consistently hit the spot. Delicious food that transforms Icelandic ingredients into sumptuous Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, served in an industrial setting that is “fancy” without being staid. Being familiar with Chefs Þráinn Freyr Vigfússon and Eyþór Freyr Haraldsson’s menu and aware of what the team at Sumac is capable of, we approached our most recent night out as an experiment of sorts. A comparison of the omnivore and vegan experience at Sumac. The vast majority of menu items are labelled as vegan or possible to order vegan, so this should be an evenly matched experience. Right?

It’s on

Rather than ordering a few dishes we could both enjoy, as we’ve done on previous visits to Sumac, my date and I ordered the seven-course Meze menu (13.500 kr per person), asking our server if it was possible to order one vegan and one “standard” version. It was. And we were off.

The meal started off splendidly, with a pan of piping hot, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside flatbreads arriving at the table along with a duo of dips. The toasted exterior of the flatbreads made them the ideal vessels for scooping the creamy hummus and subtly sweet almond pepper dips.
“Whilst I was meditating on the texture of tahini, the vegan at the table was losing their minds over the sumptuous umami punch of the mushrooms.”

While still scooping, spooning and swooning, two more small plates arrived at our table: falafel with tahini and amba; and grilled oyster mushrooms with a hazelnut dukkah.

The falafel were beautifully golden brown, with a soft inside, but the star of this plate was the impossibly smooth tahini juxtaposed with the sweetness of the amba. The nuttiness and mango-y goodness was just divine and made up for the feeling that the falafel itself could have used a boost in herbaceousness. Whilst I was meditating on the texture of tahini, the vegan at the table was losing their minds over the sumptuous umami punch of the mushrooms.

Honestly, they were amazing. The taste and texture was reminiscent of an exquisitely braised lamb, sans the gameyness of the animal protein. A definite hit.

The main problem

At this point in the meal, with everything arriving to the table being 100% vegan, there was no competition, no comparison — just one delightful bite after another, enjoyed in equally delightful company. Then came the mains.

As the main course of this tasting menu arrived at the table, a small pan housing a small head of cauliflower was placed nearest my vegan companion, and two larger platters — containing two ling fillets over a spicy tomato and harissa sauce, and mechoui beef topped with tahini and and bell pepper marmalade were placed in front of me.

The cauliflower was lightly cooked so as to retain its snap, and topped with tahini and pomegranate. It was tasty — a zesty and light main course. Likewise, the ling and beef were both flavourful. The buttery softness of the ling was a nice balance to the thicker texture and flavour profile of the harissa and tomato sauce on which it sat. And the beef, while slightly above medium for my taste, was flavourful — particularly the pepper marmalade, which I wish I could take home and put on everything from here to eternity.
“One head of cauliflower is not equivalent in value or substance to two fillets of ling and a spear of beef that could have easily fed four people.”

But for two diners paying the same amount of money for a tasting menu, something is off here.

One head of cauliflower is not equivalent in value or substance to two fillets of ling and a spear of beef that could have easily fed four people. With so much animal protein presented to a single meat-eating diner, a lot was cleared from the table uneaten. It was simply too much.

Upon asking our server what would have been presented had we both been vegan diners, we were told that we still would have received the cauliflower, and the other two dishes would likely have been carrots and potatoes.

Finding some middle ground when catering to a table of mixed dietary preferences would have been preferred over the lack of balance we experienced — no matter how delicious it was. Had one of the animal proteins been exchanged for another vegetable dish, both of us at the table could have enjoyed two main dishes each. Instead, the vegan was limited to a single main course and the meat-eater was left sending food back uneaten because the serving was too large.

Ending on a sweet note

While still discussing how the main courses could have been more equitably handled, the desserts arrived. And just like that, any shortcomings were swept away.

The vegan’s baked pear ranked as highly as the oyster mushrooms that had impressed him so exquisitely at the outset of the meal. The omnivore’s date cake and coffee ice cream were just right — an airy square of sponge that was caramelly, but not overly sweet. The coffee ice cream was less of a punch in the face of coffee flavour as it was a love letter to coffee in a quenelle of frosty goodness.

So this is what dining at Sumac is like while overthinking the equality and specificities of eating out as a couple with opposing dietary lifestyles. Next time, we’ll just go to enjoy the medley of flavours and textures on offer and leave the thought experiment at the door.