Review of poutine offerings in Melbourne

It’s been a decade since Macquarie Dictionary named “halal snack pack” the People’s Choice Word of the Year. The Australian invention layers kebab meat, shredded cheese and a user’s choice worth of sauces atop a foundation of hot chips. A similar idea had struck Canadian visionaries some years earlier. They layered squeaky cheese curds onto hot chips, slathered the dish with gravy, and poutine was born.

The Quebecois dish was near-impossible to find in Melbourne during the peak HSP era, mainly due to the difficult logistics of sourcing cheese curds that retained the freshness and squeak essential to a good poutine. That deadlock, however, seems to have broken as snap-freezing methods have improved.

Here’s a rundown of every place in town Good Food could find serving up this ugly-delicious creation.

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A frontrunner in Good Food’s taste test of Melbourne’s best hot chipsand a specialist in all things meat (and related products), Butcher’s Diner was always going to post a strong poutine performance. Its twice-fried chips are a solid base, but the gravy is the star – spiked with black pepper and green peppercorns for a sharp bite and slight acidity. It’s finished with curds imported from Canada – impressive given the $16 price tag, the lowest of any poutine on our list.

10 Bourke Street, Melbourne, butchersdiner.com

This Belgian-inspired shop is totally devoted to the humble fry. Get frites loaded with pulled beef, drizzled with curried ketchup and mayo or, for the full Canadian experience, doused in gravy and cheese curds. At $25, it’s the priciest poutine of the bunch, but organic ingredients and house-made chips, twice-fried in beef tallow, justify the splurge. The atmosphere is typical Chapel Street takeaway shop meets charming European old town shoppe. Grab a window stool for prime people-watching or head to the back room to devour your bounty in private.

167 Chapel Street, Windsor, friterie.com.au

Oh, Juanita. Despite our initial misgivings about your crinkle-cut fries, you’ve delivered a poutine worth travelling for. The chips are crisp and well-salted, the gravy is near-perfect – thick and rich with meaty jus – and the curds are generously dispersed. Shared among friends, it was a race to the bottom of the bowl. Our tip? Pimp your poutine with hot sauce from the self-serve condiment station.

12 Edward Street, Brunswick, juanitapeaches.com

If you’re feeling virtuous, you may take the stairs up to the seventh-floor Rooftop Bar at Curtin House – and then completely undo your metabolic efforts by ordering a poutine. Burger Shack makes the unique move of deep-frying the curds, which imparts a blistered golden crunch. It’s a nice textural counterpoint to shoestring fries, a copious pour of lip-smackingly salted gravy, and chopped spring onion garnish. If visiting during weekday lunchtime, an extra $4 unlocks the $22 lunch special of a cheeseburger (beef or plant protein) with plain fries and a drink. Either way, you get to have fries in the sky.

Curtin House, Level 7, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne, rooftopbar.co

Beer and fries, fries and beer: it’s a combo nearly as old as our discovery of carbs and hot oil. But the loaded fries at this Preston craft brewery are a cut-above your standard hot chips. Its poutine starts with a generous layer of potato, topped with gravy and some of the best curds we’ve found: salty, squeaky and served piping hot. Level things up with maple bacon for $2 more. Dining in means settling at one of a few communal tables, but locals know you can also take away your poutine, along with a few brews from the grab-and-go fridge for the road.

270 Raglan Street, Preston, tallboyandmoose.com

Gravy is the hero at this family-friendly hangout. Made specifically for the Sunday roast, some of the intensely savoury elixir is siphoned off to be drizzled over steak-cut chips and cubes of squeaky cheese curds. You’d be forgiven for picking up the bowl and upending it while your dining companions scope out the multiple beer taps or peruse the menu’s mains. Tip: if another distraction’s needed, there’s always the pinball machine. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, let the friendly team know.

15 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds, holmeshall.com

What’s not to love at Leonards? The staff are chirpy, there’s an open fire in winter, and the cheeseburger has a well-earned reputation among Melbourne’s best. As for the poutine? Chips are crunchy and generously seasoned. Gravy is smooth, flavourful and uncomplicated. The scattering of cheese curds is generous, with a glorious gentle melt. The trinity combines in a comforting harmony that we rate as one of the best in town. If indoors dive bar Americana is not your thing, take a seat on the front deck to mull this over with some (also excellent) macaroni and cheese.

3 Wilson Street, South Yarra, leonardshouseoflove.com.au

If we’re being technical, several of the “poutines” around town are actually disco fries, a US cousin made with shredded cheese rather than curds. If that’s not a deal-breaker for you, here are a few more to try.

Tramway Hotel, tucked in the backstreets of Fitzroy North, for a vegan-friendly riff made with plant-based gravy and cheese ($16).

Chop does a hearty take on poutine that swaps fries for potato gems, served from a converted shipping container in Port Melbourne ($11).

Yellow Bird makes generously cheesed fries with chopped spring onions. Go vegan or add chicken in your sliding-doors menu moment ($17).

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