La Banquise
As I was planning my trip to Montreal, my buddy from Canada told me I must eat two things when I get to Montreal: Poutine and Smoked Meat from Schwartz.
"Poutine, WTF is poutine??" I thought to myself....
Thankfully, he gave me this link and I was able to discover the magic dish of Montreal named poutine.
In addition, I caught the video of Bourdain on his trip to Quebec where he discovered poutine, and notably, the poutine selection at La Banquise. (Start at the 7:20 mark)
Basically, to the poutine novice out there, the building blocks of a good poutine are three things: crispy fries, rich gravy, and some good squeaky cheese curds. Sounds simple? Yes, but it's wonderfully delicious, especially for those harsh winters of Montreal.
As our travels went from Rochester to Montreal lasted until 3AM, once we finally arrived and settled in our hotel, the first thing I could think of was poutine at La Banquise. Thus, I persuaded my buddies to join me on a last night snacking run, and I'm glad I did.
Poutine Classique (5.6 CAD)
Poutine Trois viandes (7.8 CAD)
"Poutine, WTF is poutine??" I thought to myself....
Thankfully, he gave me this link and I was able to discover the magic dish of Montreal named poutine.
In addition, I caught the video of Bourdain on his trip to Quebec where he discovered poutine, and notably, the poutine selection at La Banquise. (Start at the 7:20 mark)
Basically, to the poutine novice out there, the building blocks of a good poutine are three things: crispy fries, rich gravy, and some good squeaky cheese curds. Sounds simple? Yes, but it's wonderfully delicious, especially for those harsh winters of Montreal.
As our travels went from Rochester to Montreal lasted until 3AM, once we finally arrived and settled in our hotel, the first thing I could think of was poutine at La Banquise. Thus, I persuaded my buddies to join me on a last night snacking run, and I'm glad I did.
Poutine Classique (5.6 CAD)
Poutine Trois viandes (7.8 CAD)
Since it was late, the three of us decided to share two types of poutine. We first went with the classic poutine, and the other, was a three meat (minced meat, pepperoni, and bacon). The portions were huge, and we only went with the small plates of poutine. The poutine was simple, hearty, but 100% delicious! The fries were crispy, the gravy was rich, and the cheese curds were simply fantastic! The only regret was not being able to try the other interesting poutine choices La Banquise offers. On the menu, there are over 22 different choices of poutine! I can't wait to go back and try a few more.
All in all, it was a wonderful introduction to Montreal's signature dish of poutine. Even though it's more of a fast food poutine restaurant, it's open 24/7, so you'd be able to satisfy your poutine craving anytime. La Banquise is definitely a must visit, and I'll definitely revisit for more poutine action on my return visit to Montreal. Trés Bien~
Final Rating: 8 out of 10
La Banquise Resto
994 Rue Rachel Est
Montreal, QC H2J 2J3, Canada
(514) 525-2415
Official Website
Final Rating: 8 out of 10
La Banquise Resto
994 Rue Rachel Est
Montreal, QC H2J 2J3, Canada
(514) 525-2415
Official Website
Posts
16 comments:
Ooh! Trés chouette! J'adore Canada!
Je voudrais une poutine s'il vous plait!
(I knew all those years of studying French would come in handy one day!)
that's some artery clogging goodness!!
Nice!! I just gained 5 pounds looking at the pics.
I can't believe you didn't know what poutine was before your trip!
Though, in the interests of full disclosure, I only recently discovered what it was prior to a trip to Animal last year. I've heard their version (with oxtail) is aaamazing. But definitely requires multiple mouths to finish off.
Poutine heaven, nice!
I wish we have more poutine variety here in LA - well, I should be happy we at least have one good one :p
It is a lifelong dream of mine to have poutine....
I want, I want, I want.
Poutine is one of my all time favorites. You know what my ultimate topping would be? Fried Chicken.
That is all.
J'ai goute poutine pour le premier fois en janvier a "Soleil de Westwood". Maintennant je sais que mes amis Canadiennes aiment ce repas. Je suis hereuse que je peux faire poutine aussi!
Tell me, are the cheese curds really squeaky?
I might have to post my poutine post too. Although I didn't get a good picture. I like to think the California equivalent is carne asada fries
LD: Uh oh....Bonjour!
RC: I know, and it was worth every single calorie!
Pinoy Panda: I think you need to start your blog soon!
Diana: Sadly, I wasn't really into looking up food from other countries. Now I know better....
The poutine at Animal was quite good, though some people may differ on that opinion...
Vincent: I don't have any receipes on my site, but I'll look into your link. Thanks.
GP: Tell me if you find one here in LA! (Other than Animal)
Anna: Try some at Animal, it's not too shabby!
Ms. Monkey: Actually, I now WANT too! I also want to go back to Montreal!
Bonnie: How about Ludo's Fried Chicken on top of the poutine?? :)
Bianca: Uh oh again :( Hi!~
Cathy: These cheese curds were great! Nice texture, though the one served at Au Pied de Cochon was even better!
Aaron: I can't wait to see your poutine post. I agree with the carne asada comparison, though I personally think poutine is better! However, chilli cheese fries with pastrami is damn good too!
the first time i heard about poutine, i thought whaat? too. but surprisingly there are a few places in taipei that serve poutine (either the places were opened by canadians or have a lot of canadian customers?).
ah... finally posting up the montreal reviews after almost a year haha
joan: Really? In Taipei? What did you think of the poutine there?
Morgan: Yup, I'm lazy!
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