The week-long celebration of one of Canada's most beloved - and iconic - dishes returns next month to restaurants across the country, including right here in B.C.
La Poutine Week is set to return February 1-7, 2021, with its cavalcade of cheese, gravy and fries creations from coast to coast - including right here in Metro Vancouver.
The premise is pretty simple: Eat poutine during La Poutine Week and go online and vote for your favourites.
For 2021, the fest's ninth consecutive year, La Poutine Week is all about getting that decadent dish in your hot little hands via take-out or delivery (or, where permitted, for dine-in).
While the event is wildly popular in its native Quebec, the fest has steadily expanded nationwide over the years with a few Metro Vancouver and B.C. restaurants signing up to take part in the friendly - and flavourful - competition. So far this year there are 17 different poutines available from nearly 30 participating restaurant locations in the following cities: Vancouver; New Westminster; North Vancouver; Surrey, Coquitlam; Port Coquitlam; and Abbotsford.
Tuck into poutine made with tots, or topped with things like butter chicken or dry-aged duck. Prawns, bacon, done up like donairs...there are plenty of indulgent and creative takes on the classic Canadian comfort dish.
What's hot for La Poutine Week in and around Vancouver this year? Check out this first round of participating restaurants and what they'll be making:
- Lonsdale BridgeDeck: Bridge Poutine (House fries tossed in umami spice layered in Two Rivers beef broth gravy with cheese curds and chives for garnish. Add 8 hour slow roasted pulled pork for an additional charge)
- Tap & Barrel - Vancouver & North Vancouver: Short Rib Poutine (Braised short rib, waffle fries, cheese curds, rich gravy, and fried rosemary)
- The Storm Crow Alehouse: Bibimbap-ity-boo Brisket Poutine (Hand punched house fries, cheese curds, smothered in house made beef gochujang gravy, topped with a slow roasted brisket, crispy portobello mushrooms, pickled onions, and delicious soft poached egg)
- Lucky Taco: Sexi Fries (Crispy tater tots, spicy chorizo, Pico de Gallo, lots of cheese, cilantro)
- OEB Breakfast Co: The Soul In A Bowl (Poached eggs, duck fat fried herb potatoes, Saint Cyrille curds, slow-cooked bacon lardons & brown butter hollandaise. The Soul in A Bowl was the first and is the most iconic OEB Signature Breakfast Poutine)
- Dublin Calling: Dublin Poutine (Rich gravy, Quebec cheese curds, green onions)
- Yale Saloon: Yale Poutine (Smoked gravy, 16 Hour red oak smoked cache creek brisket, cheese curds, pickled jalapeños, green onions)
- Bells & Whistles - Dunbar and Fraser: Dry-Aged Duck Poutine (Fraser valley dry-aged duck breast, house duck gravy, fontina cheese, Two Rivers garlic & rosemary bacon, pickled red onions, green onions, micro-arugula)
- Moti Raja Holi Masala: Butter Chicken Poutine (Masala fries with butter chicken)
- Bawk Bawk Chicken & Poutines - Abbotsford, New West, Surrey: Buffalo Chicken Poutine (Quebec cheese curds, gravy, fried chicken tossed in buffalo sauce, a drizzle of creamy ranch dressing, and green onions)
- Colony - Vancouver and North Vancouver: Colony Poutine (Hand chipped Kennebec potatoes, cheese curds, beef gravy)
- Wok Box - Abbotsford, New West, Surrey: Tokyo Beef Poutine (Take your taste buds to the busy streets of Tokyo with this sweet teriyaki beef served over golden fries and drizzled with lime aioli)
- Patina Brewing Co. Brewhouse and BBQ - Port Coquitlam: Stout Braised Brisket Poutine (Patina fries, topped with stout braised brisket, cheese curds and gravy)
- Donair Dude - Lonsdale: Beef or Chicken Donair Poutine (large poutine with Donair Beef or Chicken Meat on top with your choice of Hot Creamy Sriracha Sauce, Sweet Sauce and Donair Sauce on top)
- Hashtag Donair: Frizzle Fries Donair Poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy topped with thin sliced beef, lamb and chicken with a topping of Tzatziki, Garlic and hot/sweet sauce. Finally a touch of gravy on the top. Donair poutine also comes in Vegetarian option in which Falafel is used instead of meat.
- Coast - by Glowbal Restaurant Group: Maple Buffalo Prawn & Bacon Poutine (House cut fries layered with cheese curds, bacon, and Pacific rock cheese sauce, topped with buttermilk fried prawns tossed in house made maple-buffalo hot sauce, finished with buttermilk-chive aioli and green onions)
- Taphouse Pubs - Coquitlam and Surrey: Taphouse Poutine (Quebec Cheese Curds, fresh herbs infused gravy, Cavendish fries)
La Poutine Week B.C.
When: Feb. 1-7, 2021
Where: Participating Metro Vancouver restaurants