Poutine is a simple dish made up of gravy, cheese curds and gravy. One of the best things about this dish is that there are so many combinations with other foods that go with poutine! Because of this unique trait, poutine can easily be customized and the possibilities are endless.
In this article, I’ll be highlighting different poutines with different cultural twists in Vancouver, which is located within the shared, unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. These poutines are quite untraditional, so let’s first pay respects to the dish’s origins.
History
Poutine originated from Quebec, Canada in the 1950’s. Who invented the poutine exactly is not known for sure, as there are a few different stories. The most popular called Le Lutin qui rit in Warwick. In 1957 a customer named Eddy asked the owner, Fernand Lachance to mix cheese curds and fries. However in 1964, Jean-Paul Roy, the owner of Le Roy Jucep, registered a trademark to be the inventor of Poutine as we know it today, fries, cheese curds and gravy.
More about poutine: https://www.labanquise.com/en/poutine-history.php
Teppan Kitchen - "TK Poutine"
Teppan Kitchen is located in the food court at Aberdeen Center in Richmond. There’s also a second location inside Harbour Center in Vancouver. “Teppan” means iron plate in Japanese and teppanyaki is a Japanese cuisine in which food is cooked on an iron plate. Although the style of cooking is Japanese, Teppan Kitchen is better described as Asian inspired food.
The TK Poutine – crispy fries, gravy, tomato meat sauce, shredded cheese, green onions.
TAKO
TAKO is a Korean taco shop in the Chinatown Area. Conveniently located right next to the Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain station. They have several poutine options.
Koreano poutine – Pan fried kimchi & bulgogi
Tako poutine – Choice of bulgogi, spicy pork, BBQ short rib, vegetable
Osmow's
Osmow’s is a quick-service restaurant chain serving Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. There are over 140 locations in North America, with 2 in Richmond, BC, one in Ironwood and one in Bridgeport.
More about Osmow’s: https://osmows.com/
Chicken Shawarma Poutine – “Finely carved Chicken Shawarma from a rotisserie, grilled to perfection, served on a poutine and topped with Osmow’s famous sauce.”
*You can also ask for a different meat instead
Cafe de l'Orangerie
Cafe de l’Orangerie is a Japanese Italian fusion restaurant in the Marpole area of Vancouver. Japanese Italian fusion or itameshi became popular in Japan after a financial crisis hit upscale restaurants and chefs turned to Italian food to save money.
More about Cafe de l’Orangerie: https://cafedelorangerie.ca/
Poutine with Hayashi Sauce – “Orangerie style beef stew sauce with mozzarella cheese over fries.”
Poutine with Curry Sauce – “Japanese style curry sauce with mozzarella cheese over fries”
Belgian Fries
“Belgian Fries is a casual spot on Commercial Drive offering Belgian-style fries and Canadian comfort food since 1998.” They have 15 different poutines variations, some not seen anywhere else.
More about Belgian Fries: https://belgianfries.ca/
Butter Chicken poutine – “Home-made creamy butter chicken served on a dish of hot fries with squeaky cheese curds (without gravy).”
Merguez Poutine – “Home-made famous Tunisian spicy lamb sausages served on a hot and steamy classic poutine.”
Galvaude Chicken Poutine – “Chicken thighs and sweet green peas cooked to perfection and served on a classic poutine.”
Chorizo Poutine – “Tasty spicy chorizo grilled and served with fried onion on a dish of steamy fries with cheese curds and gravy.”
More of their poutines: https://belgianfries.ca/poutines/
