Intro:
Poutine literally means "mess" in the slang of Quebec, where it originated. And thanks to an explosion in Canadian restaurants serving the dish in the UAE, there are more ways than ever to try it out. Here is our unofficial list of 12 outlets serving this potato, gravy and cheese mashup, several with some very interesting twists. Additions to The National's list are welcome: just catch us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. You can also email artslife@thenational.ae
Dubai
Eggspectation
The dish: French fries and Eggspectation gravy
Cheese type: Halloumi
Price: Dh38
Inspiration: This is a Canadian chain, headquartered in Montreal
• Eggspectation is located at The Beach, JBR, and open seven days a week from 7am to midnight, with a second location soon to be open in CityWalk 2. Call 04 430 7252
Weslodge
The dish: French fries topped with lobster and a gravy made from lobster bisque.
Cheese Type: In lieu of cheese curds, the chef uses bernaise sauce.
Price: Dh85
Inspiration: The Dubai offshoot of a Toronto-based restaurant, the dish is Weslodge's exclusive revamp on the traditional dish.
• Weslodge Dubai is located in the JW Marriot Marquis Dubai, Tower B, 68th Floor. For reservations call 04 560 1700 or email reservations@weslodge.ae.
House of Pizza
The dish: House of Pizza has an entire poutine menu, featuring eight different styles mixing fries, gravy, sauces, vegetables, ground meat and a variety of herbs including za'atar. which are made up of different types of fries, cheese, gravy or sauces, vegetables, ground meat and herbs. A highlight is The Palm Poutine, which is made up of spicy spiral fries, special house gravy, green bell peppers, mixed jalapeño peppers and cheese.
Cheese type: The chefs won't reveal what two cheeses they mix together, but we know they aren't cheese curds.
Price: From Dh23 to Dh29.
Inspiration: House of Pizza originated in Ottawa, Canada in 1965 and has been voted one of the best pizzerias in Ottawa.
• House of Pizza is at Golden Mile 1, Building 2, Golden Mile Galleria, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. 04 514 9670
The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill
The dish: It’s not on the menu, due to an unstable supply of the real cheese curds founder and managing partner Joey Ghazal insists on using, but this eatery is building a following by regularly offering three types of the dish as specials: classic with veal jus gravy, with 48-hour braised pulled short rib and green onion, or half-lobster, lobster bisque and bearnaise sauce.
Cheese type: It’s real cheese curds or nothing
Price: Dh55 for classic, Dh70 for short rib and Dh115 for the lobster dish
48 hour braised short rib and green onion
• The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill is located in the DoubleTree by Hilton Jumeirah Beach, JBR, Dubai - UAE. 04 457 6719
Big Smoke Burger
The dish: The (authentic) basics.
Cheese type: One of the few outlets to offer real cheese curds, straight from Quebec.
Price: Dh25
Inspiration: Big Smoke Burger is a Canadian franchise based out of Toronto.
• Big Smoke Burger is located in Boxpark, Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah. Call 04 343 6533
South St Burger
The dish: Thin crispy french fries, skin still on; vegetarian, a slightly conservative portion of transfat-free gravy; real Canadian cheese curd, again in quite a conservative serving.
Price: Dh17/21
Inspiration: South St Burger was founded in Ontario, Canada, in 2015 by brothers Jay and Hal Gould. The company was originally a subsidiary of their (also Canadian) New York Fries outlet, and both offer a similar menu featuring hot dogs, fries and poutine (and burgers in South Street's case). Since the 2015 sale of New York Fries to Canadian fast food giant Cara Operations, South Street has become a standalone operation, still under the Gould's control. The company operates around 30 restaurants in Canada, mostly in Ontario, as well as the Dubai branch.
• South St Burger is located in Bldg 7, Dubai Media City. Call 04 423 8018
Little Black Door
The dish: Crispy fries topped with oxtail shavings, tangy and beefy gravy, finished with the slightly unexpected addition of spring onion.
Cheese type: Bocconcini Fior de Latte
Price: Dh45
Inspiration: Little Black Door's founder Yasin Saleh is Canadian and he considers the dish to be the perfect compliment to a social evening. • The Little Black Door, Conrad hotel, Dubai will reopen after Ramadan. Booking through website is required.
The Shack
The dish: The Shack offers two kinds: La Poutine, featuring skin-on French Fries covered in a healthy smattering of tender lobster chunks, lobster stock and Volcano Poutine, which is topped with jalepenos, chili and beef gravy.
Cheese type: The menu says "melted cheese curds" but we are suspicious. The thing about cheese curds is they don't melt like regular cheese, and this seemed a lot like regular cheese.
Price: These are among the priciest poutine dishes in the country, with lobster going for an understandable Dh99 and the Volcano a less-justifiable Dh79.
Inspiration: This is a seafood restaurant inspired by the Eastern US. We're not quite sure.
• The Shack is in Technip Building, Embassies district, Muroor Road, Abu Dhabi. Call 02 449 1114
Beavertails
The dish: Tasty thin fries, skin on; thick, meaty gravy; big chunks of Quebecois (we're told) cheese curd that start out solid and melt nicely as you eat.
Price: Dh22
Inspiration: Beavertails, known for its flat, signature fried and then dressed-up dough, was founded by the husband and wife team Grant and Pam Hooker in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1978. The chain now has almost 100 stores globally, mostly in Canada but also in the US, Japan and South Korea, as well as Dubai's two locations.
• Beavertails is located at Kite Beach and Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. Call 04 3959535
Abu Dhabi
The Sportsman’s Arms
The dish: On the new menu launching July 4, fries, bourbon-glazed short ribs and gravy. However every Tuesday, the pub has poutine and grape night (Dh99-Dh115, 7-11pm), featuring: the signature bourbon-glazed short rib poutine, confit duck poutine, butter chicken poutine and sweet potato poutine.
Cheese type: Home-made cheddar curds
Price: Dh90
• The Sportsman's Arms gastropub, First floor, International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. 02 403 4235
Bshawarma
The dish: Poutine Shawarma, with fries, gravy, cheese, your choice of chicken, lamb or a combination of the two and one totally unexpected addition - maple syrup.
Cheese type: chunks of mozzarella
Price: Dh30
The inspiration: Bshawarma have put a distinctly local spin on the dish here, but by adding the option of maple syrup, he result is a no-holds-barred Arabian Gulf-Rocky Mountain mashup with a taste that's reminiscent of machboos.
• Bshawarma is located at the Paragon Bay Mall, Reem Island's Marina Square on Reem Island. 02 666 7227
NYF - Various emirates
The dish: NYF signature poutine featuring french fries and vegetarian gravy. The mozzarella begins as a crumble, before hot gravy is poured over the fries. The serving is surprisingly light for a typically heavy dish.
Cheese type: mozzarella
Price: Dh17 small/Dh21 regular
Inspiration: An international french fry chain, founded by two brothers from Ontario, Canada
• New York Fries has 15 branches across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah Ajman, and Fujairah. Call 04 286 9900
