Savoring Poutine at La Banquise in Montreal [THE DISH… on the road]

Montreal is only about a 90-minute flight from New York City. We had to check out a dish the city is known for: the poutine at La Banquise. Open 24 hours a day, La Banquise has been a staple in its Montreal neighborhood for decades.
Why do many New Yorkers visiting Montreal have to try the poutine at La Banquise?
"That's not a question. La Banquise is the best," said owner Annie Barsalou, whose father, a firefighter, opened the restaurant in 1968 as an ice cream parlor. But when ice cream didn't sell well in winter, he changed it to a snack bar with French fries, hot dogs, and more.
This snack bar is now famous in Montreal and around the world for its poutine. But what exactly is poutine? At its most basic, it is three ingredients: French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy.
It all starts with the potatoes. A lot of potatoes. La Banquise's potato room holds thousands of pounds of potatoes-all for just one day.
The fries are all pre-cooked just enough to be smooth inside, like mashed potatoes. Then they are cooked at a higher temperature to make them brown and crispy before serving the dish.
La Banquise has 30 kinds of poutine. We tried four versions:
The Classic (La Classique) is topped with gravy and cheese curds.
La Fred Caillou is ground beef, smoked meat, spicy sausage, and merguez sausage.
La Taquise adds guacamole, sour cream, and tomatoes.
And finally, La Festival features ground beef, Swiss cheese, hot peppers, and onion rings on top.
Then it was time to dig in. And let's just say, his New Yorker is hooked. And here is a pro tip: don't bother sharing your order.
After all these years, is Annie ever sick of poutine?
"No," she said, laughing. "I cannot stop eating it."
And neither can the regulars, making La Banquise a must on your next visit to Montreal.
- KERRY DREW
La Banquise | 994, rue Rachel Est, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, H2J 2J3 | 514/525-2415 | labanquise.com/

[@FelixSchildmann]

I ate lots of poutines when I went to Canada and the one at La Banquise was by far the best

[@Ese.vato100]

Same here, lucky for me I live in Montreal and before covid la banquise always had a row of people outside waiting to eat…even during -15 weather

[@kayflip2233]

You had poutines all over the entire country of Canada?

[@fleurdelys101]

Poutine is 1.fast-food dish, 2-Quebec dish, 3-Not invented in Montréal, it comes from the Victoriaville area.Québec 's gastronomy is rather lobster, smoked salmon, wapiti,caribou, maple syrup...

[@waitwho3074]

''Labelling it as a Canadian dish when it’s in fact a Québécois dish is cultural appropriation.'' "The first thing I want to emphasize is that when we talk about cultural appropriation of poutine, it's not when people cook, eat, or adapt to poutine outside of Québec's borders," Fabien-Ouellet says. "It's really about how it's labeled. Labeling it as a Canadian dish when it's in fact a Québécois dish is cultural appropriation."

[@leektah354]

Get over it

[@leektah354]

@EJ D LOL

[@patrickwalsh8997]

But Québécois are Canadians ! ? ? Is Alberta oil money appropriated by Quebec ?

[@freakyflow]

Should label it a food grown in stolen land tainted with the blood of native ancestors That even the Acadians had known about Let me know if you want your fries with "Cajun" seasoning Oh i am sorry if you want your french fries with slaughtered seasoning Oh wait White flag potato cuts with a pepsi.....

[@chuck3991]

@@patrickwalsh8997 here's a dude comparing apples to oranges. it *is* cultural appropriation. english canadians didn't come up with it, the french canadians did. point final. no need to go further, it's as basic as that. if the english canadians make it now, good for them, it's delicious, but the roots are from Québec with the Québécois people and will remain so. We *are* culturally different from the rest of Canada. it's a part of what makes our region exciting for tourists ( including english canadians ) ... why not embrace it instead of trying to wrongfully appropriate it ?

[@andreantos5559]

been there once, it was awesome!

[@joshorange3087]

been once, I tried la Elvis and was so tasty, wanna get back soon !

[@Ogilla]

English-speaking people really can't get the name right everytime they pronounce it... ''tine'' is not pronounced like ''teen'' but rather like ''tin'' as in ''tinfoil''.

[@christianoglow8497]

so like the leader of Russia ;)

[@deanromanado5850]

The best way I describe how to say it, is " puts in " said as one word.

[@remuspierre7573]

Mm delicious

[@gabrielamaya2964]

La Banquise is a tourist trap. It's not a bad poutine but it's far from the best and much more expensive than it's worth. Avoid it. IMO Chez Ma Tante is the best poutine in mtl but don't over think it. Go to Lafleur or La Belle Province. Get a combo meal 2 steamies, poutine and a pepsi. Real Montreal shit right there.

[@thelordakira]

not gravy , sauce. sauce are translucid gravy has flour

[@leektah354]

2:27 Only the classic forever. 2:34 "Fred Flintstone". Smoke Meat goes on a sandwich not a Poutine, just go to Schwartz's Deli and have the best smoke meat sandwich ever. Don't put it on Poutine.

[@leektah354]

@Tee Bone Same to you asshole

[@coyoteblue4027]

Utter nonsense...

[@User-vu3mu]

Nenonnn c le ti Québec

[@TheCh23]

I had this before. Absolutely disgusting lol. The kind of place that doesn't rly care about quality because of how many tourists and one timers go there. Highly suggest you forego this place.

[@coyoteblue4027]

Disgusting how?

[@iamanisland]

Contrary to what this video would have us believe, poutine is not a Montreal specialty nor does it have its origins in that city. Poutine originated in the late 50’s in the Centre-du-Quebec region which is situated roughly 60 miles east of Montreal. It was a staple comfort food in that area decades before it came to Montreal. In fact, not before the late 80’s, early 90’s could you find real poutine made with cheddar cheese curds and poutine sauce anywhere in Montreal.

[@donmanolo4875]

The English were eating chips, gravy and cheese before the people of Quebec were...

[@deBASHmode]

oh, but not like La Banquise does it. Was in Montreal for 4 days last week and ate there twice. Classic all the way - nothing else is required.

[@tryviousse]

good for you 🤣

[@georgesgodard6050]

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@TheMaestro116]

Except those are fries, gravy and cheese curds, Don. Not chips, fries.