For 15 years, I was completely oblivious to the world of poutine. *Deep breath in, deep breath out* Once I tried it, I could never go back. Poutine in Quebec was my new addiction.
Over Labor Day weekend this year, my family and I took a bit of a road trip to Quebec, Canada. Our main purpose was to visit the ‘Goblin’ (Korean Drama) shooting sites and just eat some good food from this drama. Simple enough.
Having had been on the road for 8 hours, my family and I were really looking forward to a sit-down restaurant and enjoy our first moments after a stressful summer, and the welcoming of fall. Just a couple minutes before entering Quebec, my dad explained that we were going to be stopping at a restaurant called, Poutineville.
Me: Poutineville? What are we going to eat at Poutineville? Is it like, burgers?
Dad: Nope. We’re eating poutine.
Me: WHAT? WE’RE GOING TO EAT PRESIDENT POUTIN?
Dad: You’ll see once we get in there.
With an extreme amount of confusion and lack of knowledge, entering that restaurant was one of the best decisions of my life.
My mother had accidentally called the water waiter (a.k.a the person who comes only to refill glasses) to take our order. Retaining the rules of hospitality, he came back with a pen and pad, ready for us. However, unexperienced and new, he was fumbling to remember the specials through his thick French accent. Feeling both mortified and pitiful for the waiter, I hid behind my brother until he finally managed through.
After a silent wait of about 15 minutes, the steaming plates had arrived: one house special poutine, a cheeseburger, and two sample poutines into one combo.
So How Was the Poutine?
I was delightfully surprised. This was poutine? Fries + gravy + cheese? Such a simple, yet beautiful cooperation of flavors. Unsure of the exact etiquette on how to gorge this dish, we experimented by using forks and knives to stab the fries, in which the gravy that had been soaked up, was oozing out. Pulling away, the cheese did not display the certain stringiness that Americans take upon as ‘quality cheese.’
Instead, this dish incorporates cheese curds, the raw cheese before it becomes processed into the aging stage. It has a slight rubbery texture with mild flavor, adding another dimensional component to the poutine’s flavor.
Of course, my family and I were absolutely stunned by this dish. The warm, nostalgic flavors bringing together multiple parts of classic American dishes such as french fries, gravy, and cheese together into one.
My personal favorite was the sweet potato poutine. With the combination of simple cheese curds, gravy, and sweet potato fries, the sweetness seemed to balance out the savory portion and salt content of the dish.
As tourists, it was only our job to ask for further information on this ‘alien’ food. According to the waiter, Poutine, in Quebec, was originated as a simple tradition when customers began to ask to have cheese curds placed on the side of their dish.
He also claimed that these cheese curds had originated from France and it was supposedly a mistake, but kept because of rising popular culture.
And we’re all glad it did!
The Final Verdict
Although a bit on the heavier side, it definitely true that poutine is filling. Both mentally and physically, everything will feel full. Combine the mouthwatering fries with the warm hospitality in a cozy restaurant, it’s a wonder how we lived this long without it. Next time you’re in Canada, be sure to hit up Poutineville and some other necessary poutine joints.