OVER THE TOP
The famous veggie-centric entrée is high in fat, but the source should be considered
What is the calorie count in Fat Pasha’s famous roast cauliflower?
Roast Cauliflower, market price ($25 at time of purchase). Fat Pasha, 414 Dupont St.
The ask Until he dined at Fat Pasha, David Silverberg took cauliflower for granted.
But once he tasted the restaurant’s wildly famous roast cauliflower, Silverberg realized the vegetable could be turned into something special.
“I’ve had cauliflower in a stir-fry or with veggie dips at a party, but this dish definitely stands out in its character,” says Silverberg, who lives in Toronto’s Annex area, also home to Fat Pasha. “It’s very flavourful. The pomegranate seeds add a burst of juiciness that I don’t associate with a lot of vegetable dishes.”
Known for its Middle Eastern fare, Fat Pasha serves its roast cauliflower whole, stuffed with halloumi, topped with pine nuts and pomegranate seeds and drizzled with tahini sauce and skhug, a garlicky herb sauce. A steak knife thrust into the cauliflower’s middle signals the dish is meant for sharing.
Silverberg, a meat-eater, is curious to know the nutrition profile for a decadent vegetarian entrée. He hopes it will be favourable. “I do like the idea of having a veggie dish to balance out all the meatier dishes.” The guess “For the whole entree, because of the sauce and the cheese, I’m going to say 900 calories. For the fat, I’ll guess 20 grams.” The exclusive results Calories: 679 Fat: 45 grams Sodium: 910 milligrams Carbohydrates: 45 grams Protein: 24 grams The breakdown
á This entire entree weighs 700 grams, or about 1- 1⁄2 pounds.
á Its 910 milligrams of sodium is less than half the maximum daily recommended limit (2,300 milligrams).
á This meal is meant for sharing, so direct comparisons are tricky. But here are three reference points to consider: A typical large head of raw cauliflower has 210 calories, 2 grams of fat and 250 milligrams of sodium; At The Keg, the cauliflower “steak,” made with grilled cauliflower, chickpea and sun-dried tomato relish and asparagus, has 249 calories, 8 grams of fat and 762 milligrams of sodium; A 133-gram serving of Korean fried cauliflower at Moxie’s Grill & Bar has 250 calories, 16 grams of fat and 640 milligrams of sodium. The expert response “I just have positive things to say about this dish,” says registered dietitian Carol Harrison.
“Roasted veggies are always a great choice and I’d love to see more veggiecentric meals like this featured on menus.”
Though some people may raise their eyebrows at the meal’s 45 grams of fat, Harrison says the source of fat is important to consider.
“Unlike French fries, where the fat and extra calories comes from oil, these fat calories come from nutritious add-ins, like the tahini sauce (tahini paste is made from sesame seeds) and pine nuts,” she says, noting that a two-tablespoon serving of pine nuts contains 230 calories and 23 grams of fat.
“While nuts and seeds are nutritious, the calories do add up; you don’t need a lot to get the health benefits.”
Harrison, who likes sharing meals with friends, says several other Fat Pasha menu items caught her dietitian’s eye.
“I might pair this with an appetizer, maybe the grilled squid or some salatim, including the chopped eggplant and tahini, the red lentil spread and the garlic labneh with za’atar.” The restaurant response Anthony Rose, co-owner of Fat Pasha and five other Annex restaurants, always intended his famous roast cauliflower to be over-the-top. “I love that about it,” he says. “I love that it’s vegetable-based and extremely filling. It eats like meat, it’s gorgeous on the plate and it’s quite delicious.”
Diners seem to agree with Rose’s assessment. The roast cauliflower has a devoted following — even with it’s sometimes shocking price tag.
In recent years, the roast cauliflower is listed as “market price” on the menu. Rose says that’s because the vegetable itself can get pricey, as can the pine nuts, pomegranate and halloumi.
“The prices can get crazy, they really fluctuate,” Rose says. “Last year (2017), we had to charge $42 per roast cauliflower.”
While some diners did question the $42-price tag (Rose says it wasn’t many), no one has ever asked for nutrition numbers for Fat Pasha meals.
Still, he was curious to know the calorie count for this much-loved meal — and he was happy after hearing the result.
“That’s pretty good; that’s not over-thetop at all,” he says. “The sodium is mostly from the cheese, that’s what brings the dish to a whole other level. My mum will be very happy about this.”
So, too, will fans of Fat Pasha. Rose says nothing will change the way he serves his roast cauliflower.
“It’s definitely one of those dishes that will never, ever come off the menu.” The reader reaction “Ah, OK, I overestimated it,” says Silverberg, who seems both delighted at the calorie count and taken aback at the meal’s fat content.
“It’s a bit surprising because it’s never felt like a greasy meal. But I know fat can hide in sauces and ingredients. Since this is the kind of thing you split — I’m never going to eat this dish by itself — cutting all the (nutrition numbers) in half does make it less of an intimidating meal.”