We are on our way to look for the best poutine in Quebec.
Nuance: the best poutine in Mauricie, because Quebec is big.
So we will stay in my area, but my region is so big that there is a road trip to be done.
- There is plenty to do. - Yeah.
I wanna eat the very best poutine, like none ever did
Sick!
To catch poutines is my real test, to taste them is my cause
I will travel across Quebec, searching far and wide
poutine and their mysteries, the secret of their recipes.
Poutines, I want to eat them all, I want to eat them all.
Poutines!
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Only one destination: fun!
The first restaurant is quite unusual.
I was told about it but I did not want to see photos to keep the surprise.
Fab, we have arrived!
Is it the place with the cow?
Yum, yum! The good poutine!
Poutine! Poutine!
We got front row parking!
With a decoration like this, I am just tempted to say, "Holy Cow!"
There are cows everywhere: there are cows' heads that move, there are...
...cows' paws on the ceiling.
Holy Cow!
The strategy is to take mini poutines
because if we have four restaurants to try, I think that taking small ones is risky
and I wouldn't want to waste them.
Even the mini is already huge.
When we talk about poutine, there are two different sauces: the brown sauce which is salty sauce
and the barbecue sauce which is sweet sauce.
The poutines are ready.
Eric got me used to the barbecue sauce that is sweet and that's the kind of poutine I like.
This is the poutine I chose.
Let's start with this first poutine from La Caillette
with cheese made by artificial cows on the walls obviously.
Let's taste. It's barbecue sauce.
It's very good.
Yep!
It's a vanilla ice cream dipped in a mixture of peanut butter and chocolate.
Wow!
- Cool! Thank you very much. - My pleasure.
As you can see, the mixture has melted and hardened on the vanilla ice cream.
It looks good!
It's soft and smooth. It's delicious!
It's been a long time since I've eaten such a good ice cream. It is delicious.
Here in this restaurant La Caillette, even more than the poutine,
it's this vanilla ice cream dipped in a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter that I will remember.
It was really fabulous.
The adventure continues.
We visited the first "poutinerie". Is it called a "poutinerie", the place where poutine is sold?
No. I call it a restaurant where they sell poutine.
Simply a restaurant.
The Caillette is
for some people we know and who advised us, the best place to eat poutine.
- Hi Sam. - Hello Sam!
I thought it was good but I have already eaten some better elsewhere
like for example the one I tasted when I arrived here at the restaurant Le Grand Constant.
Again, it's a matter of taste
because the fries of Le Grand Constant are a little bit like the fries at McDonald's.
- It's a bit like Julienne Fries, commercial ones. - What makes the difference in taste of a poutine?
The cheese is always the same.
- The sauce. - It's the sauce or the fries.
Whether it's thick-cut or long thin strips fries, julienne cut as you say.
There are many elements that come into play in the taste of poutine.
There are also different sauces: brown or barbecue.
You got me used to the barbecue sauce which is a slightly sweeter sauce.
What is the most popular in Quebec? The brown sauce or barbecue?
Honestly, I think it's the barbecue sauce.
I think so.
I also saw that there is a spaghetti sauce.
You can also have poutine in a spaghetti Bolognese sauce way. How is it ?
- It's the Italian poutine. - Italian?
- Is it good ? - It's very good. I would say that it is a "must".
I have not tasted it yet.
Poutine with barbecue or brown sauce or the Italian poutine is really a "must".
I'll have to taste that Italian poutine. Maybe this evening, we'll see.
We are getting closer to the second poutine destination.
Eric, tell us a little bit more about it.
We are on our way to La Fromagerie Lemaire.
I've never been there. But people say it's good.
Good cheese curds that make a sound like "skouitch skouitch".
It is important that the cheese curds make that weird squeaking sound.
Apparently the cheese curds are cheddar cheese?
But not the strong, extra mature cheddar cheese, right?
But when it hasn't been aged for a long time and it's mild like mozzarella.
A bit like curd.
It tastes more like a mozzarella, it's not a very strong taste.
I think it's Théo who gave you this reference: La Fromagerie Lemaire.
For him it was the best poutine, is that it?
Exactly.
He told me that in Drummondville there was a restaurant where -apparently- poutine had been created.
And it was very popular for that, because it was the best poutine in Quebec. So we will taste that.
At the same time, you know, Fab
that there is something mysterious about poutine in the sense that
who created the poutine?
There are many restaurants that try to have rights to the invention of poutine.
Who claims they created poutine when it's not them?
Yeah, but I don't think it's La Fromagerie Lemaire.
Not with what I read on the internet.
In any case we will taste that poutine.
What you need to know, and it's the same for everything, is that
everyone has different tastes.
One will say to you "for me the best is this one", another says "it is this one".
We will tell you what is the best for us.
In fact, our plan is to cover all the best-ranked restaurants
in the Mauricie, Trois-Rivières and Drummondville
to evaluate
to our taste, our palate
which one is the best.
We will also go to a really cool restaurant
called... what's its name? The king...
King Yucep. In any case, he claims...
Jucep, Le Roy Jucep
Yes, Le Roy Jucep. He claims that he invented poutine.
He even patented it. There must be a certificate somewhere in the restaurant.
And apparently you have to taste his famous orange juice. It should be cool.
Orange juice & poutine, it must be a weird mix.
Yeah, because when I eat poutine I'd rather drink Coca-Cola.
To make the fat go down.
Yeah, like for all fast food.
This is the fifth time I come to Quebec
and it's the first time it's been raining so much.
In the past I always had sunny weather so we did great outdoor activities.
And this time we are a little dependent upon the weather, but we will have fun anyway.
- We are approaching. - La Fromagerie Lemaire.
- That's it, La Fromagerie Lemaire, right? - Yes!
So for Théo - Hi Théo ! - it's one of the best or even the best poutine restaurant.
Thank you Théo for the reference, we will try this.
We will see if we have the same taste as you. In any case we are hungry, so we go.
Can you believe it? A day full of poutine.
It's like a dream, isn't it?
Come, come!
There is a dairy on one side
and a restaurant on the other side.
It's funny, the milking pots are used as stools.
- Enjoy your meal! - Thank you!
I'm sure you are thinking "they have changed, they are not like before, they eat so little"
Today we will have visited four poutine restaurants.
So that's why we take mini poutines in each restaurant.
Otherwise we would not be able to do this, it's not humanly possible.
Right?
- So every time we take a mini for two. - Have you seen the size of the mini?
The mini is actually like maxi. Have you ever eaten a big poutine?
A big one? Yes.
- Alone? - Yes, all alone.
It doesn't surprise me!
Honestly, I've never seen a mini this big.
Normally a mini is half of this.
This is a mini.
- But at La Fromagerie Lemaire they are huge. - Taste this and tell me what you think.
Take a little bit of everything.
It smells like poutine and poutine always smells good.
French fries, cheese curds. Oops, I dropped a lot.
It's really good. It's very very good.
It will be hard to choose. But this one is very good, that's for sure.
You're full or what?
You must take your time to savour.
To be honest,
it's good but
if I compared it with La Caillette where we were earlier today,
this sauce here,
the sauce of La Fromagerie Lemaire,
it's hard to say: it's between a barbecue sauce (sweet) and a brown sauce (salty)
it's an in-between.
The cheese is very good, but the potatoes
- are a little bit soft like... - like fries that have been reheated.
- Yep. - It's maybe the case.
I prefer when it's more crispy.
If I had to choose with Le Grand Constant, it would be Le Grand Constant.
For me it's the same.
Le Grand Constant has crispy fries, a sweet barbecue sauce and a cheese - I don't know where it comes from -
but it's excellent.
Like here, the cheese is good here.
The last bite.
Say "aaah", come on!
It's true that it's very difficult to choose.
But for me too it I will remain the poutine of Le Grand Constant,
- the first one I ate during this new trip in Quebec -
because it was just simply better.
We still have two poutine restaurants on our program.
And we will decide which one is our favourite poutine restaurant; if it's Le Grand Constant, near where you live
or a poutine restaurant we visited this evening.
We haven't been very convinced so far.
It's just that it's good, but it's not exceptional. Isn't it?
Exactly, there are no other words.
My main issue is with the fries.
Because they are too soft, right?
I don't want to be too critical, but I'm not happy with those fries.
We are on our way to the next destination: poutine!
And now you are thinking:
"They told us there are lots of different kinds of poutines with different sauces,
so why do they take only classic poutines?"
Because that's how a tasting happens.
I saw a tasting video once about finding the best pizza
and it was only with Margherita pizzas, so the simplest pizza.
It's the same for us. We taste only the basic poutine.
If the basic poutine is good and they add more stuff, it will certainly be good. Don't you think?
I would like to taste the poutine with spaghetti sauce, I've never tried it before.
Or a poutine a little bit more "loaded" with meat. But it will be for later.
For the moment
we make a "gastronomic critic" video.
Is poutine gastronomy for you?
No.
- It's important to be sincere. - It's fast food.
It came from the bottom of your heart: "no!"
[Music] "I know it's hell, but you deserved it"
This is the kind of music we listen in the Rico-mobile.
Good country music.
Look how he likes it.
I think the GPS was wrong.
It looks like we're going to eat a poutine at someone's house
- because I don't see any restaurant in the area. - I should have updated it, I didn't do it.
There were some big updates to make when I bought it just recently.
- Should have done it. - Yeah, because this is the result.
Here it is, we found it! Le Roy Jucep!
Le Roy Jucep poutine.
- Have you seen this old-fashioned parking? - It looks like a parking lot for buses.
This is a crucial moment because we arrive in the restaurant Le Roy Jucep
It's rumours,
It's the internets, you know,
You know what is "internets"?
It's like when you say "The Europes", it's old fashioned. Anyway,
it appears that there is a certificate where he claims... in fact...
...that he created poutine. - Yeah.
And they make very good orange juice. They say you should try their famous orange juice.
A good meal starts always with hunger.
It's a very good orange juice.
But the best is here.
Eric is happy because the fries are crispy.
And the rest doesn't seem bad either. Let's taste.
I have everything: cheese curds, sauce, french fries.
Let's taste it.
The cheese makes "skouik skouik", it's a good start.
And the taste is different.
The taste is different.
You have to taste it because I feel that we've found something special. Taste it!
- It's true that it really does "skouitch skouitch". - The other ones didn't do "skouitch skouitch".
The poutine cheese must do "skouitch skouitch".
The sauce is a super sweet barbecue sauce. And there are secret spices.
We feel that there is a secret recipe.
There are secret spices.
And the potatoes, seriously.
Good?
Really good.
But is this poutine better than the one of Le Grand Constant?
I don't know, it's difficult.
Here we feel that there is something more in the sauce
like a secret recipe. There is something different, don't you think?
And here they have homemade fries, not frozen ones.
In any case we found a special one, a very good one.
Could you maybe share the meal before eating everything?
- Could you give me some? - Excuse me Fab.
We can taste this mystery ingredient.
There is a little taste that is not like the usual poutine, isn't there?
There is something more and we like it.
We will finish it and we will go directly to the next destination.
- Is there still one or two? - There is one left.
So the last destination. But I think this restaurant - Le Roy Jucep - starts on pole position.
Sincerely, strangely,
orange juice, at least this one... There must be a recipe too.
Fore sure there is a recipe.
Orange juice and poutine: if you come here, try it, it's a good combination.
As strange as it sounds, it's a good mix.
Jucep: the inventor of poutine.
The inventor of poutine. It's too sick!
We can say that we have reached the pinnacle of poutine.
Seriously, it was "wow". Really good.
Now we are going to a small "repairman". What is a "repairman", Eric?
People are going to think that it is the place where cars are repaired, but no. What is it?
A "repairman" is like a mini grocery store
that often have also petrol stations on the premises.
So we can "tinker our tank", as we say here,
buy for example bread or milk and then go back home.
To summarize, a "repairman"
is the one who sells you the products you need when the big supermarkets are closed.
- I think you've understood. - It's the convenience store in your area.
Well well well. Finally
the last place to eat poutine was supposed to be the small "repairman" Heriot.
Unfortunately this last place, this small convenience store that serves poutine, is closed.
It's time to give our verdict for these poutines.
What is your favourite poutine?
My favourite poutine was Le Grand Constant.
I say "it was" because it was dethroned by Le Roy Jucep.
I think that
Le Roy Jucep is more complex, more sophisticated, more sought after.
The sauce is a barbecue sauce but there is also a spicy taste at the same time.
The fries are -as we say here- "homemade potatoes".
The cheese was also really good.
She told us the name of the cheese factory but I don't remember it.
But it's not Lemaire cheese, it's another place.
- And the poutine of La Fromagerie Lemaire? - No no.
For me it's the same.
The poutine of La Fromagerie Lemaire had nothing special for me.
But many people and even Le Roy Jucep's waitress
asked us "you really didn't like it?"
Le Grand Constant is very good, but it's a bit like any poutine that you can find everywhere.
But Le Roy Jucep has something more. It has the little trick that makes the difference.
So we can say that in this search for the best poutine...
What must also be added is the atmosphere.
In addition to having a good poutine, you can have a good orange juice.
We had an impression of being in an American '50s-style drive-in with stools and an old jukebox.
There was a great atmosphere and decor.
So in our search for the best poutine of Mauricie, our favourite poutine
is Le Roy Jucep's.
We can change the destination. It is no longer "only one destination: poutine".
It's again "only one destination: fun!" Next adventures in Quebec soon.
Wait, I must correct you.
- We still have a destination. - Where? At your house?
- Are you going to make a homemade poutine? - Yes!
We continue the adventure! Only destination: fun!
After touring for the best poutines in Mauricie
we decided to conclude this video by making our own poutine.
We'll gather the ingredients from A to Z. Here we are in Eric's garden.
We dig.
We pick our own potatoes.
We're going to make our poutine sauce. However we won't make the cheese, we will buy it.
We're almost going to make poutine from A to Z.
Go, dig, dig!
Is there something?
I dig too.
Look at this!
It was on the edge.
Sometimes they are on the edge.
It's like searching for Easter eggs.
I like this! I am not very used to this because
I'm a guy from a city, so picking potatoes excites me so much!
Did you find another one?
The harvest is good!
Only one destination: potato!
- Do you take the poutine cheese? - Yes.
This one!
When you buy poutine cheese, it's important that it says "skouik skouik" when you chew it.
It seems that this one does "skouik skouik".
Look how focused he is.
The first step in making our poutine
is the preparation of potatoes that have just been picked in the garden.
Do you have a tool to cut all fries at once or do you cut them one by one?
No, I don't have that, so we're going to do it the old-fashioned way.
Greek spices? For what are they normally used?
- No idea. You told me to put spices. - And you put anything?
It was you who wanted to have spices, I would have left them without spices.
While the fries are being cooked
we have to make the poutine sauce.
What do you use?
I buy the poutine sauce mix powder. You just have to add water, heat it up and then it's ready.
OK, let's go.
Smell.
It smells good.
It's liquid first but the more you whisk the more it thickens
and that's when it becomes poutine sauce. Does it smell good?
What oil is it?
It's like at Five Guys, the fries are fried in peanut oil.
- The best oil in the market. - Really?
Oh yes !
Homemade fries made with potatoes from Eric's garden,
homemade barbecue poutine sauce stirred by Eric's muscular arms
and poutine cheese that says "skouik skouik"... we hope.
- First, cheese curds? - Yes, like this.
Then a generous portion of homemade fries.
With the little spices that I demanded.
- Your little whim. - Voilà!
- And... - Wait, don't you put more cheese on top?
Oh yes, I forgot.
Who is cooking? You or me?
Listen, I am under pressure. You've been putting pressure on me since the beginning of the day.
A layer of cheese.
And you just have to add the poutine sauce.
You put the whole package of cheese curds?
It's thick just like it should be, yeah!
Will it be better than Le Roy Jucep's?
Look at this!
This is Eric's famous homemade poutine.
Is it as good as at the restaurant?
I dip it in the sauce. That's it, I have everything.
Will it be better than the one I made in my Canadian tasting video?
Yes!
It has a taste of Quebec, the taste
of a poutine I eat in Quebec. It's better than what I made with mozzarella.
And compared to Le Roy Jucep? Honestly?
Le Roy Jucep has something extra.
Your poutine is as good as the good poutines, but it's also a fresh poutine
because the potatoes are fresh.
There is a little smell... no the smell comes from your bushes.
It's very good.
It's close to the one of Le Grand Constant which serves a very good poutine
- in appearance and in taste. - And the sauce?
I hadn't tried the sauce mix powder before, so this is the first time.
It is really good.
- That's great. - Mission accomplished!
This evening we were supposed to go a paranormal Halloween experience
but it's the evening that has turned to the paranormal
because the event where we went didn't happen.
So we decided to come to a good restaurant
to eat poutine. We're back at Le Roy Jucep.
But before eating a good poutine we will taste crispy critters.
Everyone is eager to taste this.
What is that? Wings?
Dunno.
Come on! 1, 2, 3!
Eric doesn't seem to like. He is uncertain.
It didn't scare me before but now that I have it in my hands...
Don't look at its head.
- Fab, look it in the eyes. - No, the last time I did it, I couldn't.
A little kiss on the head.
Thanks for being eaten.
I hope it won't come to life inside me.
It's psychological really...
Don't think about it too much. But we can't say that it's good either.
I don't even like salt & vinegar crisps.
- There is an aftertaste! - Oh yes!
It has a taste of old, worn.
The aftertaste is not good. Now we will eat a good poutine to pass the taste.
They may be adding milk or I don't know what and they even sell this juice in jugs.
A fry is trying to escape there, look.
So this is a little poutine and that is a big poutine.
- There is a little more in that one. - Yeah.
With Eric, we toured the poutine restaurants in Mauricie
in search of the best poutine.
And for us the best poutine is the one from here. And for you, will it be this one?
I don't know. Apparently here it's... what did you say?
The creators of poutine.
I took a pizza poutine, so there are cheese curds, mozzarella, pepperoni...
I show you, it's quite original. It looks like a some kind of gratin.
- It looks so good! - You can taste it.
Compared to all the poutines that you have tasted in your life, how is it?
It is true that the sauce is a little bit sweeter.
It's not a mix of barbecue sauce and brown sauce?
- What were you saying, Eric? Sweet... ? - Sweet with a spicy end.
That's right, that's it.
It's good but I won't say it's my favourite.
I prefer a sauce that is less sweet: the brown sauce which is salty.
But I still like this one.
I don't know where to start. Eric, do you want to taste?
Look at this! What can I do?
There is a mushroom here, a pepperoni there...
Take a little bit of everything.
In fact Fab, it's like pizza: it must be eaten with hands.
Take a little bit of everything.
Look at this dose of cheese with the spaghetti sauce underneath it. But it's fabulous!
I try to take everything: mushroom,
spaghetti sauce, mozzarella,
- pepperoni, - The fries are missing.
a fry is trying to escape.
Do I have everything?
It's intense!
This time I have tasted something different.
Perhaps it's a little bit far from the poutine taste, but it's good.
I found the poutine cheese. It's hidden under the poutine.
So what about you?
- Too good! - Is it still your favourite?
We are on our way to the airport because my holiday in Quebec is already over.
Sadly.
- It's a little bit sad. - It's sad. It always goes too fast.
With Eric we are the best friends in the world but we see each other once every two or three years.
For you it seems close because the videos are posted at regular intervals.
But I come to Quebec for a vacation only once every three years.
That's why it's always exceptional. Do you have something to say?
- You wanted to go to Tim? - Oh yes!
I just found Tim and we will get petrol too.
My favourite fellow traveller in Quebec is the iced cappuccino from Tim Hortons.
I wanted to have one before going back to London.
Iced cappuccino has arrived! Thank you!
So good! It was not mine? I drank from your straw?
- Yeah, I won't drink from the same straw. - Change it.
- I changed the straw. - Of course!
What a traitor!
We went to meet one of you at her workplace here in Quebec because
she recognized you when you were shopping in her store and you told her that I am here?
Yeah, I went grocery shopping and she said
"Are you Eric who makes videos with Fab DS, because I'm really a fan of Fab DS"
- Did she recognize your beard? - Yeah, but I was a little bit disappointed because...
...it was not you?
Fab DS and not Eric the bearded Quebecker!
You have to make customized shoes with a little beard.
You should make shoes where it's written "Eric the Bearded Quebecker" with hairs on it, it would be cool.
All in all, she was really pleased with our little surprise visit.
And why not to come to meet you in Quebec the next time.
Maybe not at your workplace. But during our road trips in Quebec.
We will get petrol and we continue our journey to the airport.
Cheers to all the Quebeckers and especially to the girls!
I will take my flight and we will meet again in three years. How strange!
We will meet again in three years for new adventures in Quebec.
Or you can come to London.
It was a pleasure. I will make videos soon, I promise.
Yeah! He announced it, he said it!
Now you are obliged...
No, I don't promise. They are false promises.
Eric, are you going to eat a lot of poutines without me?
No, I take a break of three days at least.
Three days? It's true that this time we ate too much poutines.
Voilà!
See you soon! Only one destination: airport. - Poutine!
Only one destination: London.
We'll meet again soon for a new video.
In the meantime, the adventure continues also on Instagram.
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