As it’s well-known, poutine is a savoury dish that hails from Quebec. The signature dish is fries covered in gravy and topped with cheese curds. While the classic poutine will always be beloved, restaurant across the province and country have put their creativity to the test by creating fusions that are just as popular as the original dish. With Poutine Week taking place in early February, an annual competition where local chefs across the city of Montreal will compete in a friendly competition to see who has the best fusion, let’s look at 10 of the best poutine fusions in Montreal.
Kimcheesy Poutine
The winner of La Poutine Week 2021, this poutine hails from La Belle Tonki, a Vietnamese and Cambodian fusion restaurant. Along with fries and cheese curds, other toppings you can find on this winning poutine are a “Spicy Challenge” ramen sauce with cheddar cheese, kimchi, popcorn chicken, sesame, a homemade sweet and sour sauce, onions and cilantro. (Popcorn tofu option is available)
Poutine Dac Biet
The Kimcheesy Poutine is not the only winning poutine option on La Belle Tonki’s menu. Their Poutine Dac Biet is the La Poutine Week 2019 winner. Beef carpaccio, beef meatballs, a gravy infused with pho broth, hoisin sauce, house-made South East Asian sauce, pickled onions, herbs, lime and Thai basil are this poutine’s toppings.
Magic Poutine (Magique Poutine)
After winning the popular vote at La Poutine Week 2016, the Magic Poutine has become a popular menu item at Shawarmaz since then. The poutine comes with the usual ingredients: garlic fries, gravy and cheese curds, along with tahini sauce, fried pita chips, parsley, sesame and nigella seeds with a choice of meat. (Vegetarian friendly without meat)
Spicy General Tao Poutine
You can savour this poutine at Ho Lee Chix, a Chinese cuisine restaurant famed for legendary creations with mainly chicken, extraordinary sauces and Chinese dishes. A pile of waffle cut fries are sautéed with a sauce made of sweet and spicy flavours and topped with cheese curds and fried chicken.
Butter Chicken Poutine
This dish is what you would call one classic meeting another. Poutine, a classic Canadian dish, and butter chicken, a classic Indian dish, becomes the Butter Chicken Poutine when fused together. The Spice Bros’ Butter Chicken Poutine comes with fries, cheese curds and the creamy, yet spicy, butter chicken.
Griot Poutine
Piklìz, a Haitian restaurant owned by the Acacia brothers, is the home of the best griot poutine in the Saint-Henri community in Montreal. Their griot poutine contains a Creole-spicy gravy, griot-marinated, slow-cooked and fried pork shoulder, and topped with a scoop of their signature pink pikliz – a tangy coleslaw mixed with cabbage, carrots and habanero peppers.
Surf and Turf Poutine
Making its debut last year at La Poutine Week 2024, this poutine is a spin on the beloved classic surf and turf meal. Now part of the Maison Saint Paul menu, this high-end poutine is topped with foie gras sauce, lobster and filet mignon.
Lobster and Snow Crab Poutine
Seafood lovers will feel like they’re in paradise when eating Pincette MTL’s Lobster and Seafood Poutine. The fries are covered in a lobster bisque gravy and topped with cheese curds, a lobster tail and snow crab.
Creole Poutine
Enjoy a Caribbean-inspired poutine while catching a game at the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. The Creole Poutine, a menu item at the TI Joe BBQ concession, is your typical classic poutine covered in pikliz and jerk sauce.
Rebel Poutine
Ending this list on a sweet note is a poutine with ingredients that replicate the classic poutine. Their fries are actually pineapple sliced as fries, topped with caramel sauce and sprinkled with chunks of cheesecake that replicate cheese curds. This poutine can be found at Rebel Brasserie Urbane.
