La Belle Patate

A while back, I had mad cravings for a poutine and decided to try La Belle Patate after a run on the seawall. The idea of having a poutine afterwards actually motivated me and I finished about ten minutes earlier too! Le Belle Patate is known for their poutines and offers 26 choices, which is great for the adventurous along with the indecisive. As for myself, my hair stylist calls me "vanilla" along with Plain Jane so of course I stuck with a traditional poutine.

Other than poutines, the restaurant offers "authentic Quebecois cuisine" which includes smoked meat sandwiches and steamies. So obviously I had to order the smoked meat sandwich! As for the seating arrangements, there are half booth seats along the wall, stools by the window for those who like to people watch, and around five tables in the whole restaurant.

The poutines are served in an aluminum container however, so eating on the go is fairly comfortable and not bad because the food stays warm.

MONTREAL SMOKED MEAT SANDWICH ($9.00).

Rating: 1/5.

Before ordering the smoked meat sandwich, I acted pretty much like one of those typical annoying customers. I asked if the brisket is prepared at the shop, if the meat tastes juicy, and further mentioned that I have had horrible ones in Vancouver before. The cashier was friendly, understanding, and mentioned the brisket is shipped from Montreal but sliced in-house. Moreover, she confirmed the brisket tastes juicy and not dry one bit.

The sandwich on the other hand, is different that the conversation I had with the cashier. The brisket is sliced paper thin so of course tastes tender, but is very dry. Furthermore, there is no flavour whatsoever except for a light natural saltiness. I totally forgot to ask if medium meat is available too and by the time I remembered, the sandwich was already prepared. As for the bread, the slices taste soft but there could have been more mustard. The sandwich overall consists of paper thin shavings of brisket and tastes bland. For a restaurant to state they serve "authentic Quebecoise cuisine", this is a disappointment.

TRADITIONAL POUTINE, SMALL ($6.50).

Rating: 3/5.

But to be fair, Le Belle Patate is known for their poutines and not smoked meat. The poutine only costed $4.50 too because I purchased the Smoked Meat Combo. As for the taste, the fries are pillowy and exhibit a crisp exterior. In addition, there is a good amount of fresh squeaky cheese curds which are rich in flavour. The curds were still fridge cold however and did not even soften nor slightly melt, despite the hot gravy. As for the gravy, the flavour is light and tasty but lacks that rich beefy taste. Moreover, the gravy does not taste too salty one bit  nor is the consistency watery. What I dislike however is the pool of gravy at the bottom of the container.

TOTAL: $14.20.

Le Belle Patate is a disappointment overall. The curds may be fresh and squeaky, but their poutine is not one of the best I have had in Vancouver. The gravy could taste more rich and there was way too much. Furthermore, the smoked meat sandwich is horrible. Estrella's in Langley still offers the best smoked meat sandwiches and I would love to take recommendations from those who know of better places!

POSITIVES

- Fresh and squeaky curds

- Food is not aggressively seasoned

- Great aluminum take out containers

NEGATIVES

- Gravy tastes too light

- Poor Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

Food: 2.5/5

Service: N/A