Poutine, anyone?

Has anyone every tried Poutine? My friend said it is a Canadian dish that is super yummy. It looks disgusting but I bet its great! Any dare devils tried this yet? I need insight to reassure me to try this when we stop in Victoria.

PIC: http://blog.francis.vachon.net/poutine-Ashton.jpg

Thx

I have a friend from Maine who insists it's fabulous... I can't seem to imagine it though. I like fries. I like cheese. I like gravy. I even like fries with gravy, and fries with cheese. I am not so sure about all three together though. I also am not a fan of cheese curd, which is what it is traditionally made with, but I have been informed that many places use other kinds of cheese, so at some point I will give it a go.

Anyway, even if it's terrible and disgusting- I would try it. I think it's important to try local specialties and foods that are new to you. Sometimes what seems like it should be a disaster is actually fabulous. Sometimes it's not, but if so you usually get a fun story out of it- "this one time in Canada... ;)"

Thank you the input. It truly looks disgusting,but I'm sure its great. I love cheese and fries as well, not sure of cheese curds.

Heck, I don't even know what cheese curds even are! Looks like tofu but perhaps I will try it and see how it is. <Cringing from the looks of the pics>

I love food and trying new food, if I can eat fire ants, grasshoppers, and snails I can surely eat this!

Good poutine starts with good gravy. Having quality cheese curd certainly doesn't hurt. I've tried a lot of poutine from a lot of different places and, quite frankly, poutine made with mozzarella is lacking.

The one warning is that a goodly sized dish of poutine is a meal in and of itself. A local pizza place (local but actually over the border in Quebec) offers some of the best poutine I've ever had. It is such a rich and filling meal that they actually make a plate that is smaller than Small-size.

I wonder if the cheese curd in this is pretty much the same as Paneer in Indian food. :confused:

I think it's similar to paneer. But paneer doesn't melt so it may differ a bit. Curds look like they melt when hot. Who knows! Either way, I am trying it all! Look forward to eating new foods from every stop! :)

Good thing there is a track and gym on the ship, I can still train for my triathlon and eat without feeling too guilty. LOL. Phew!:p

We have a couple of places here in the Vancouver area that make great poutine. The best stuff is made with fresh cut, thick fries, grated cheese - mix of cheddar & mozza and slathered with thick dark gravy.

The grated cheese is not really authentic - but it melts faster and is usually less salty than cheese curd.

If you are around here & looking for poutine check out Vera's Burgers. The other place that had fabulous poutine was a little burger shack on the Maple Ridge side of the Albion ferry - just off Lougheed Highway.

I hate to admit this, but my first taste of poutine was in a McDonald's in Montreal. It was OK.

I've had "real" poutine since then, and it's excellent.

--Michael

I've never had cheese curd but the whole thing sounds delicious. In Jersey we have something similar called "disco fries" which are cheese fries with brown gravy on top. yum! No idea why someone decided to call them disco fries.

Ahhh, I can hear the gentle "tink!" of my arteries happily hardening with the first forkful.

Looks and sounds like you've got several essential food groups in there: salt, starch, grease, cheese, gravy....;)

I don't know if I would consider poutine as a typical "Canadian" food, more like French-Canadian. The only time I have ever had it is in Montreal, with real squeaky cheese curds.

When I think of food and Victoria, BC, poutine definitely is not something that comes to mind. More like salmon, fish and chips, tea at the Empress (think strong English influences), and great vegetarian food at Rebar.

Although there are places here in Southern Ontario where you can order poutine (Harvey's - a burger chain comes to mind), I'm not sure how authentic it is. Not that I'm a poutine connoisseur or anything ...

We have a couple of places here in the Vancouver area that make great poutine. The best stuff is made with fresh cut, thick fries, grated cheese - mix of cheddar & mozza and slathered with thick dark gravy.

 

The grated cheese is not really authentic - but it melts faster and is usually less salty than cheese curd.

 

If you are around here & looking for poutine check out Vera's Burgers. The other place that had fabulous poutine was a little burger shack on the Maple Ridge side of the Albion ferry - just off Lougheed Highway.

Oh man, that sounds so yummy! I will totally try to make it to Vera's! Yum-O! Thanks for the tip!

I hate to admit this, but my first taste of poutine was in a McDonald's in Montreal. It was OK.

 

I've had "real" poutine since then, and it's excellent.

 

--Michael

WHAT! They sell Poutine at McDonalds!? Wow! That's like the one in Hawaii where they sell Spam and Rice for breakfast! Yum and Yum either way! Now I will hunt down a McDonald's if I can't make it to Vera's.

I've never had cheese curd but the whole thing sounds delicious. In Jersey we have something similar called "disco fries" which are cheese fries with brown gravy on top. yum! No idea why someone decided to call them disco fries.

After you take that first bite, you must be hearing the tune "That's the way , ah ha - ah ha, I like it! LOL. IF that's the sensation I get, I will totally burst out into disco diva pose!

Ahhh, I can hear the gentle "tink!" of my arteries happily hardening with the first forkful.

 

Looks and sounds like you've got several essential food groups in there: salt, starch, grease, cheese, gravy....;)

Bring on the fatty foods! I can intake double and somedays trip the calorie intake of an average female. (Triathlete) so anything new I am so willing to try! I'm sure I will be hungry again an hour later. :D

I don't know if I would consider poutine as a typical "Canadian" food, more like French-Canadian. The only time I have ever had it is in Montreal, with real squeaky cheese curds.

When I think of food and Victoria, BC, poutine definitely is not something that comes to mind. More like salmon, fish and chips, tea at the Empress (think strong English influences), and great vegetarian food at Rebar.

Although there are places here in Southern Ontario where you can order poutine (Harvey's - a burger chain comes to mind), I'm not sure how authentic it is. Not that I'm a poutine connoisseur or anything ...

Umm, Harvey's burgers....I'll be hunting that one down as well! Thanks!

I don;t know too much about what is in that region, one of my canadian friends just told me to find poutine and eat it because he could live off of it. LOL. Thanks for the tips guys! Food tips, ALWAYS HELP!

WHAT! They sell Poutine at McDonalds!? Wow! That's like the one in Hawaii where they sell Spam and Rice for breakfast! Yum and Yum either way! Now I will hunt down a McDonald's if I can't make it to Vera's.

Don't count on finding poutine at a McDonald's in Victoria. I think the person who mentioned having poutine at a McDonald's had it in Montreal.

WHAT! They sell Poutine at McDonalds!? Wow! That's like the one in Hawaii where they sell Spam and Rice for breakfast! Yum and Yum either way! Now I will hunt down a McDonald's if I can't make it to Vera's.

Don't count on finding poutine at a McDonald's in Victoria. The person who mentioned having poutine at a McDonald's had it in Montreal.

Don't count on finding poutine at a McDonald's in Victoria. The person who mentioned having poutine at a McDonald's had it in Montreal.

But I have to agree with ruby2sday13. As a native Victorian I can tell you that you WON'T find poutine in any McDonald's in the city. Poutine is a French-Canadian specialty (which is gooey and delicious by the way). You rarely find it on the west coast and when you do it's a pale comparison. If you are going to be in Vancouver as well as Victoria on your cruise then you can try a couple of restaurants in the Maillardville area of Port Coquitlam, there's a French-Canadian population there so you'd probably find the authentic thing there.

Now, what I CAN recommend you try while in Victoria is the fresh, hot fish & chips at the shack at Fisherman's Wharf - yum! Or the soft serve ice cream (and it's ice cream, not ice milk) at the Beacon Drive-In near Beacon Hill Park. Or Roger's Chocolates from their shop on Government Street. Or the really good thick sandwiches (big enough to split) from Sam's Deli on Government Street. If you must have afternoon tea - DON'T go to the Empress Hotel - it's way overpriced. By all means take a stroll through the Empress, it's a beautiful hotel, but there are a number of smaller tea rooms located not too far from the pier that are just as good, and a lot cheaper.

Has anyone every tried Poutine? My friend said it is a Canadian dish that is super yummy. It looks disgusting but I bet its great! Any dare devils tried this yet? I need insight to reassure me to try this when we stop in Victoria.

 

PIC: http://blog.francis.vachon.net/poutine-Ashton.jpg

 

Thx

Just a guess from your name but are you from Thailand? After looking at some of the things considered delicacies in Thailand......

Just a guess from your name but are you from Thailand? After looking at some of the things considered delicacies in Thailand......

I sure am. LOL. You will have a ball in Thailand, in the touristy sides of course.

Thanks for the heads up Ruby, I will note that. And AVCruz, I will definitely be near Beacon so I will be there with bells on to try all the CAN delicacoes! I am ready for new foods and new tastes! I do enjoy tea so I will have to find the small tea rooms you mentioned. Thanks guys!

Most people who have poutine get the Montreal style. Gravy and mozza cheese curds on fries. It really is best with the curds and not the grated stuff. The other style is Acadian style from the eas coast. It is pork inside a ball of mashed potatoes, then fried and sprinkled with sugar??!! Personally I haven't had it, but the locals in the area swear by it. Everyone promises that the next time they make it, they will bring it in for a sample...unfortunately, they like it soooo much, there never is any left.

I tried it on a trip to Montreal a few years ago. It's delicious! So much better than you'd expect...I craved it after I left :) enjoy!

THE place for poutine in montreal : http://www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca/menu.html

poutine with foie gras!!