I don’t usually get any free stuff unless we’re talking about samples from Costco. So when I was asked by my lovely parents if I wanted to join them in their business trip to Montreal, all expenses paid, it was hard for me to say no. I mean who would say no to a free vacation? Immediately after finding out from my job that I got the green light go on vacation, I started to research on what to do, what to see, and of course where to eat in the city. After perusing food blogs and other review sites, I’ve shortlisted the restaurants that I wanted to check out. Let’s be honest: you ask me to plan the group’s itinerary, I put in the restos I want to dine in. Simple as pie. I know that sounds selfish but if we’re going to experience a new city, we have to see and absorb as much of it as possible.

When we were finally walking around town, I made sure to keep my list handy. We decided to hit up Old Montreal first because as much as it is a tourist trap, it’s a must see. Walking along Rue St Paul E, I spotted my first restaurant:

Signage - Montreal Poutine

Of course we had to have poutine while we were here. But to me, poutine is almost too indulgent. I decided a long time ago that I would only have poutine when there’s a special occasion. Being in a new city definitely counts as a special occasion.

Interior 1 - Montreal PoutineInterior 2- Montreal Poutine

Cozy but well lit, the empty diner had a friendly vibe. As we sat ourselves, I already half knew what I wanted to get. As I waited for everyone’s picks, I started with a jus de pêche, their Peach Juice.

Peach Juice - Montreal Poutine

Slightly sweet with a bit of a tang, I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshing drink. I should’ve ordered this towards the end of our meal because of the sweetness, but I found that the sweet didn’t offset my palate to the savoury meal we were about to feast on.

Avocado Fries- Montreal Poutine

We started with a round of Avocats Frits, Avocado Fries. Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of avocados and I was delighted to order this off their menu. It was tender and creamy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. I found that it could use a bit more breading; but that’s just my own preference. Other than that, it was good. I also love the huge wedges in each portion. Glad they were generous with that.

I found the marinara sauce to be a bit bland and thin in consistency. I don’t think it added a whole lot to the dish, but I do think it’s a nice little add.

We enjoyed this dish so much, we ordered seconds.

Regular Poutine - Montreal PoutineWhen our poutine finally came, this was the first one I dug into. Poutine Régulière. I had to start with the original and most basic one. Laying the foundation, you know. I was pleasantly surprised with how it’s not as indulgent as I thought it would be. The fries were just the right size, slightly bigger than McDonald’s French fries, but it was not as salty. It had the right amount of crunch which was perfect. The cheese curds tasted light, pillowy, and really fresh. I wish there was more of the cheese curds though. The gravy was dark and thin, coating the dish generously. Compared to the ones I’ve had in my life, I would rank this in my top 2. This was not as heavy as I thought it would be and I really appreciated that.

Smoked Meat Poutine - Montreal Poutine

This one was also a hit that we had to order another one: Poutine au smoked meat. Similar to the regular poutine, this was quite exceptional. Also quite possibly in my top 2 poutines I’ve tried so far. I didn’t think the smoked meat would add much to the dish, but it had a nice saltiness that complimented the dish well. It was moist and the chunks were just right size.

Pulled Pork Poutine - Montreal Poutine

This was probably my least favourite one out of all the ones we tried. Not to say that it was a bad poutine, but compared to the other ones on the table it didn’t quite measure up. It was still good. I found that there wasn’t a lot of pulled pork in dish. I also thought the pork was kind of bland. However, I liked the pork’s texture so that worked well for me.

Fried Onions and Mushrooms - Montreal Poutine

I found the Poutine avec oignons et champignons frits another hit. The slightly sweet and soft fried onions works really well with the french fries. Add to that the meatiness of the mushrooms and the cheese and we have a hearty dish.

Being me, I wanted to try something other than the poutine. We decided to give their Trois fromages et bacon a try and see how they fare in dishes other than what they’re known for.

Three Cheese and Bacon Pizza - Montreal Poutine

I was delighted we went with this. There was a generous amount of crispy bacon on top of a charred thin crust. I didn’t confirm, but I’m pretty certain goat cheese was one of the three cheeses. This made the mix of cheeses interesting, as the texture of the goat cheese worked quite well with the bacon. I did find that it was edging on being quite greasy, but that really just adds a layer of flavour to this dish.

The side salad help cut the fat and grease from the pizza. But with me gorging on the pizza, I hardly paid attention to it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. If ever you’re in the area, make sure to check it out.

BONUS: Here’s a Vine vid I made of Round 2 of our order. One round of food wasn’t enough for us.

When we eat, we go all out:

Visit their website.

Food: mini5forks

Value: mini4forks

Service: mini4forks

Ambiance: mini4forks

Overall:mini4andahalfforks
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