Paris: poutine is dead, long live poutine!
The Maisons de la Poutine, in Paris and Toulouse (which had received aggressive calls during the outbreak of the war in Ukraine), have unfortunately closed. But the flame of cheese fries will not go out in the City of Lights, which is still home to La Poutinerie, which uses local ingredients. The potatoes used come from Picardy, the cheese curds are produced in Savoie, while the sauce is homemade. Afterwards, everything revolves around Morteau sausage, falafels, pastrami, etc.
49, rue d’Enghien, Paris
Visit the La Poutinerie website
Plymouth: winks and a little foam
London is full of restaurants where poutine has been added to the menu. But let’s head instead to lesser-known Plymouth, where The Kickin’ Caribou plays on the theme by constantly renewing the concept. In the latest menu, the most popular variation was the “Bryan Adams” poutine, with fries, cheese curds, beef gravy, fried chicken, candied bacon and maple mayonnaise. Another nod, the “Marie-Joseph-Angélique”, in reference to the Portuguese slave accused of having burned Montreal in 1734, composed of the same classic base, with Portuguese barbecue chicken, chorizo, dried tomato aioli . To be enjoyed with a beer, of course.
13, Mutley Plain, Mutley, Plymouth
Check out The Kickin’ Caribou Instagram account
Cuba: all-inclusive, poutine included
A dream beach in Cuba, white sand, cocktails galore, a well-kept 5-star “all-inclusive” hotel… it’s not really the kind of place you would expect to be served as a poutine, but the Melia Las Dunas hotel, on the island of Cayo Santa Maria, did not hesitate to add it to its buffet, so as not to disorient its Quebec clientele too much. The dish is meant to be classic, but has a funny twist with, judging by traveler photos, grated cheese on top of everything.
Cayo Santa Maria, Jardines del Rey
Visit the Melia Las Dunas website
New York: welcome to the Big Fried Apple
Passing through the Big Apple? Several brands have put poutine on their menu, one of the most famous being Pommes Frites, on the island of Manhattan. Here, it’s a Quebec-European encounter, since the fries are prepared Belgian style, with a typically North American topping. There is therefore the classic recipe, a vegetarian option, but also a special formula, with wild mushrooms, garlic roasted in olive oil, Turkish cherry tomatoes and parmesan.
128 Macdougal Street, New York
Visit the Pommes Frites website (in English)
Bangkok: poutine gets “Thai” a place
Founded by globetrotter Bruno Blanchet and his partner more than 10 years ago, this restaurant formerly called Snack Bar BKK is one of the best known to serve Quebecois dishes internationally. With Onicha at the helm, it is always in a setting reminiscent of La Belle Province (we are talking about Quebec, not the chain of restaurants!) that we serve poutines with several sauces including, inevitably, a Thai version with chicken , chili and basil. It’s a meeting in Bangkok Poutine.
35, Samsen Road, Bangkok
Check out the Bangkok Poutine Facebook page
Tokyo: shrimp and chopsticks
It is in the western suburbs of Tokyo that you will have to explore to get your hands on Japanese poutines, with intriguing choices. At Robson Fries, where you are served in a sort of large hut, in addition to the classic, you can taste a version with pulled pork and “souce” (sic) BBQ, another pizza style with pepperoni, basil, and “souce” (sic) souce” (re-sic) tomato or even… with shrimp and basil. Eat with a fork… or chopsticks?
4015-1, Yanokuchi, Inagishi, Tokyo
Visit the Robson Fries website (in English and Japanese)
Sydney: chubby beaver
The place is called The Stuffed Beaver and it’s not for nothing. In this Sydney establishment, they send hamburgers and chicken wings in large batches, but also two versions of the famous Quebecois dish. The first with fries and traditional sauces, topped with mozzarella, the second (“lumberjack poutine”) covered with grilled bacon. All with a large choice of extras, just to add a little extra fat.
271, Bondi Road, Bondi, Sydney
Check out The Stuffed Beaver’s Instagram account