Poutine: No dog’s dinner

And, as is so frequently the case, a dish popular in a faraway part of the world is now starting to make its way onto the menus of pubs and restaurants in London.

It’s perhaps no surprise the Canadian pub the Maple Leaf, in Covent Garden, was one of the pioneers of poutine in the capital. It offers the dish as a starter for £4.49.

Hawksmoor’s Spitalfields outlet has also had the dish on its menu for some time now. Its pig’s head poutine can be ordered from the bar area for £8.

Pop-up poutine​

More recently, poutine has appeared on a number of pop-up concepts. Dalston bar Birthdays has collaborated with Brick Lane stall the Poutinerie to create Stacks Poutine, which offers a number of variations of the dish.

In addition to Classic Poutine (£5), there is the option of adding pulled pork (£7), or smoked bacon, sour cream and spring onion (£7).

The crispy shallot and mushroom variation, suitable for vegetarians, is also £7. Coq an Vin, meanwhile, retails at £7.50 – as does the Cheeseburger Poutine, which includes grilled beef patty, cheddar cheese and gherkins.

A variety of extra toppings, such as sour cream, kimchee, house slaw and bacon, can be ‘stacked’ onto any of the dishes for an extra £1.

While London is leading the way, poutine has appeared in other cities as well. Glasgow burger joint Bread Meets Bread has three poutine options on its menu. Classic Poutine retails at £4, while both extra cheese and sweet potato fries options are £5.

A number of extra toppings are available.