iQ Food Co.
100 Wellington West, Concourse & new location at Brookfield Place (street level, south east corner of Bay and Wellington) | iqfoodco.com
I have been a fan of iQ Food Co. for over a year now — lean protein and whole grains, friendly staff, all right at the bottom of the escalator in my building. What’s not to like? Well, actually — the line-ups. Turns out I’m not the only one who likes eating healthy, quality food — office towers for miles around empty out, their denizens heading to iQ Food Co. The line-ups snake through the entire food court and easily have 200 people in them, clamouring for quinoa and beans. To their credit, the staff at iQ Food Co. are a precision team, and the line moves quickly. The woman on cash, the one with the amazing tattoos, has fingers that dance across the register so nimbly, Glenn Gould himself would be awestruck.
Paying attention to the simple law of supply and demand, the owners of iQ Food Co. have sensibly opened a second location. While the original location is in the subterranean PATH system, their new location is a bold adventure onto the surface. The basics of the menu are the same — hot boxes or wraps featuring whole grains and lean proteins, all at around $10. This seems like a lot to some (“Ten dollars? For rice?? In a cardboard box??”). Others are more than happy to pay (“Yeah, I could make it myself for a third of the price, but then there’s all that chopping and cooking and cleaning up. Besides, I feel virtuous when I have it.”).
I try my usual grilled Adobo Wrap, which is a whole wheat tortilla embracing grilled chicken, avocado, white cheddar, corn, black beans, romaine and “smoky adobo sauce” (fat-free sour cream, chipotle pepper, adobo, and lime). I swap out the chicken for tofu — substitutions are welcome and, in my experience, handled effortlessly and that holds true at this new location. The wrap is tasty, filling and comparable with the one at the older location, but the wrap team still needs some practice — mine fell apart about three-quarters of the way through. To be fair, this was the new location’s “soft opening,” so the staff still has some time to perfect its technique. There are also inconsistencies in portion size at both locations.
The Adobo Wrap is typical of the food selection, which iQ Food Co. cheekily describes as “[t]he kind that makes you feel like climbing Kilimanjaro. Only whole grains. Only lean proteins. Only good fats. No refined carbs. No bad fats. No fried anything.” However, the issue of “healthy” foods is a hotly disputed one in current food marketing circles, so I will leave it to you to check the nutritional information, which iQ Food Co. helpfully posts on its site (roll over individual menu items). Note that the Toronto Star recently took issue with iQ Food Co.’s numbers. So much for feeling virtuous.
The new location fills some gaps in the previous business model — there is dedicated seating, both indoor and outdoor, and the space inside is light, spacious and, well, lean. Potted herbs line the large windows, and a “green wall” is along one side. The new location will serve breakfast (a selection of tartines, Greek yogourt and granola, and coffees) from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., something the older location doesn’t offer. There’s also a selection of muffins and cookies. And, bonus for those who stay late and want to avoid the fried late-night offerings of the food courts — they stay open ‘til 8:30 p.m.
The food is good. Service is slower than at the other location but I imagine that will change. The new location will face some challenges — if it becomes as popular at the original location, there really is no place for the line-up and patrons will be forced outside. In the dead of winter, a wait in -30 degrees will certainly dampen my enthusiasm for whole grains. The owners tell me they are planning to have covered canopies and possibly heaters so no one gets frostbite.
Judge Foodie’s verdict
Highs: wholesome lean protein and whole grain foods, vegetarian (and other diets)-friendly, different from the usual food court fare
Lows: line-ups (at the old location….we’ll see if the new location packs them in as well)
Kirsten Thompson is a Toronto-based research lawyer and commercial litigator. Since her call to the bar in 2000, she estimates that her restaurant to courtroom ratio has been approximately 14:1. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas for a review? Email her.
Follow Judge Foodie on Twitter: @Judge_Foodie