If there's one dish oft associated with Canada, it's poutine. The cheesy, decadent dish traces its roots to Quebec in the 1950s, however, today's Canadian culinary wizards have put their own spin on the savory staple with winning results. "Poutine has become a cultural icon, often associated with Canadian identity and pride," shares Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen Chef de Cuisine Dadrian Coke. "It embodies many elements of Canadian culture and history." For Coke and others, poutine is an opportunity to imprint their culture within Canada. "Its regional popularity and evolution across different provinces make it a symbol of Canadian cuisine, representing the country's diverse immigrant influences." With this in mind, we asked four Toronto-based spots how they created their unique spins on the classic and what makes it so darn good.
Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen
Chef de Cuisine Dadrian Coke
"The concept for Chubby's Oxtail poutine is a modern culinary fusion, a Jamaican favorite, and Canadian comfort food originated in Quebec, Canada. Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen combines the Canadian dish poutine (fries, cheese curds, and gravy) with the deeply flavorful, rich Jamaican favorite oxtail stew to satisfy the palates of all customers coming through the door at Chubby's both local Canadian and Jamaican.
Replacing the traditional brown gravy with the intensely spiced, oxtail-based gravy from the slow-braised oxtail stew makes this a modern and flavorful dish. Chubby's oxtail poutine topping the scotch bonnet dusted fries and cheese curds with the tender, fall-off-the-bone oxtail meat from the stew make this the same as the original but very different and more Jamaican."
Dil Se
Chef Mani Panwar
"Our butter chicken poutine, a fusion of Indian and Canadian comfort food, gained popularity in Canada due to its novel combination of flavors and the way it bridges cultural divides. It offers a familiar dish, poutine, with an exotic twist, making it a conversation starter mostly for kids and a symbol of cultural exchange. The richness of the butter chicken sauce contrasts nicely with the crispy fries, creating a satisfying culinary experience."
Northern Smokes
Owner Imran Ali
"My wife is West Indian and her mom makes the best Jerk Chicken I've ever eaten. Combining the two, smoked jerk chicken with poutine for the first time, I remember it feeling unique, satisfying, and tasty. It felt like paying homage to my family.
The Bacon Poutine is something that everyone can enjoy. As Muslims we cannot consume pork. We made something we couldn't eat (pork bacon) into something we could (beef bacon). When we first experimented with the dish, I knew it was something we needed to put on the menu. The crispy beef bacon, mixed with our house-cut fries and gravy and that cheese pull was a combination we needed to get out there.
The Brisket Poutine was our first idea. Serving mostly fatty side of the brisket on plates we needed to come up with ideas on how to utilize the lean side. When we added the brisket to the poutine, we got an enriched smoky flavour that was extremely filling. It is our best seller to this day.
The jerk poutine will give you the taste of Caribbean Canada. The beef bacon will have that homey Canadian taste. The brisket poutine will give you some of that traditional southern Texas style brisket smoky profile."
SumiLicious Smoked Meat & Deli
Chef Sumith Fernando
"The Smoked Meat Poutine idea came while living and working in Montreal. It's a comfort food as much as the smoked meat sandwich. It's filling dish that could serve as a full meal. The concept came to my mind when experimenting with what to do with the chopped meat, which was creating an idea to use the smoked meat as a topping. Most delis in Montreal serve this as a dish. It got popular after adding it to our simple menu."
Hero image: Sumilicious Smoked Meat & Deli poutine
