Poutine Please

For the uninitiated, poutine is a Canadian dish consisting of fries with hearty toppings — just imagine a bed of fries smothered with cheese curds and gravy. To spice it up, poutine might be served with many other things mixed in — the gravy might have chunks of meat, for instance, or there might be many flavors in the gravy itself.
Sounds good, right? Given how popular fries are in the states, it’s always surprising to me how many people have never heard of poutine — I mean, what’s not to like? — but in recent years, it has slowly but surely seemed to grow in popularity… (or maybe that’s just my wishful thinking?) Given how much I like fries, I was especially excited to check out the options in NYC.
Keep in mind — Poutine Please is not a brick and mortar store; it’s a food stand, so its operations aren’t tied to one place (you won’t be able to find it in Astoria every weekend, for instance).
The Food:
+ There were three options: The Original (pork/​beef gravy & cheese curds, option to add bacon for extra), a Mushroom version (seemed like the Original but with mushrooms and corn as a topping), and a Thai Green Curry one (supposedly very spicy). It was an easy choice for me, since I’m not a fan of mushrooms and I can’t handle spice. I got the original, and I LOVED it. Holy fries, was it good! Of course, that’s not necessarily hard, since I’m something of a fries addict — but this dish had perfect consistency to the fries, and the gravy was very flavorful (and a little on the salty side — which made it perfect for me). Cheese curds could have been melted a little bit more, but in the grand scheme of things, that didn’t matter too much.
+ My friends who can handle spice said that the Green Curry was their favorite. but since I was too chicken to even try it, I really can’t comment on it beyond that :(
+ The portions weren’t the largest I’ve had, especially if you’re going to compare this with restaurant portions (or maybe it’s because I finished it still wanting more), but since it was a food stand, I’d say it was reasonably sized. If you’re thinking of dinner, though, you might need something else to supplement this.
The Service:
+ When I went, it was only their second week after opening, so I think they hadn’t quite worked out all their kinks. In particular, there was a bit of a delay as they had to stop taking orders to tinker with their fry machine. As a result, some of us had to wait quite a bit before we got our order — and that’s where Poutine Please loses a star (based on the food alone, I might have given it a 5).
+ With that said, the service otherwise was great. The girl at the front taking & calling orders was very friendly and lively, and even when we were waiting for our orders to be fulfilled, they offered free drinks or free samples to make up for the wait. When I did get my food, it was freshly made & hot, so all ended well.
Overall: Poutine Please seems to have good potential — they serve some excellent fries! — so I’m hoping they’ll only improve with more experience.

Was in NYC for the weekend — 48 short hours, and dropped in by this stand to try it out. dang.
The Thai Green Curry was the truth, but the unexpected highlight was the fries. The texture was very well-​suited for their purpose — crispy on the outside, with just the right texture to hold sauce, and fluffy as hell on the inside. It carried and complemented the flavor perfectly. Flavor wasn’t too bad, either — lotta moving parts all moving in sync. The pickled onions in the standard cuts through the richness really well.
If poutine’s your thing (seriously, who doesn’t love poutine? There was a veggie option that I didn’t get to try, but it sure looked good) this is definitely worth stopping by to try out if you’re around!

I remember sitting with Lillian as she charted out her ambitious plans for a poutine stand and collaborating with her in the test kitchen, and it is absolutely crazy to see where it is now — from the first taste batch of overly salted, thin fries to the currently perfectly crunchy but pillowy fries. Lillian and Ten have really taken off with their laborious efforts and have succeeded in producing the perfect fry (rivaling Pommes Frites, one of my favorite places in the city — dare I say better?). The gravy and cheese curds are similarly amazing.
I had the honor of checking out Poutine Please at their first Manhattan stand this past Sunday, and I was delighted by their newest fall flavor — pumpkin spice (+ bacon), a dessert poutine. Prices are super reasonable — $ 6 (+ $ 1 for bacon) for the portion of poutine. It’s small but filling (for me, at least). I actually don’t have a favorite because they’re all so good, though I would definitely recommend the pumpkin spice one while it lasts because it’s one of those unusual, creative combinations that actually taste better than it sounds. Service is awesome — the fries are made fresh and the gravies are kept warm, so you basically get your poutine within a few minutes. Yay Poutine Please! I can’t wait til it expands and offers even more fun flavors.

Very unique concept and place in NYC, as I haven’t seen a shop/​stand completely dedicated to poutine.
After their extensive research and attempts, they have perfected the art of poutine, from the texture of the frites to the tasty sauce and melted consistency of the cheese curds. The Green curry thai is spicy and flavorful, shrooms on shrooms on shrooms a perfect mix of savory/​umami taste and finally the original is my favorite (who can deny the power of bacon).
They are available every saturday at Astoria Night Market and be sure to give them feedback on what you like and what flavors you would be willing to try. I know for sure they are still in the development phase and I really look forward to their other flavors in the pipeline. If you can get to talk to them, the owners are really cool/​awesome and super super friendly.
You can support them by checking in often on Unilocal and following them on instagram. thanks to this stand you can have tons of poutine parties in the future. yay poutine!!!

what a unique shop. Pomee Frittes watch out, you got a strong (Candian) contender!
It’s a good portion for what you pay for and there are sooooooo many goodies on top!!!
We tried both the Mean Green thai and the mushroom flaovrs (too bad orignial was sold out :()
The Thai one is surprisingly refreshing with the right amount of spices. Somehow Pouttine Please made curry and cheese curd go soooo well together!
And there are THREE diff kinds of mushrooms in the ‘shroom flavor too! hmmmm
All the staff there are so friendly too. and they made a point of separting food preperation and money handling. I really like the high standard they adhere to.
so look forward to their new flavors and plz plz have a store somewhere in Manhattan soon!

I had my first bite of poutine in Montréal, and am so happy that there is now an authentic place to satisfy my craving on this side of the continent. Unfortunately, I am stuck on the wrong coast (for once). If I were in NY, I would be a regular at Poutine Please every time they set up shop.
Definitely worth following them on Facebook to stay up-​to-​date on their pop-​ups:

Amazing combination of fries, cheese curds and gravy. These homemade fries have just enough crunch in them. The cheese curds. how to say this. I went to college in New Jersey so I had disco fries (fries, gravy, shredded cheese) so I thought this would be the same but the cheese curds made it not as heavy and pleasant to eat. Lastly, the gravy. Oh my the gravy is good. Personal recommendation is the Thai green curry (aka the mean green thing). Thick, tasteful and a nice spicy kick in the end.
Had a chance to talk to the cofounder, Lillian and Ten, and their story and hard work can be found in their product. Poutine spots in Manhattan, beware, the mean green thing is here!

I have had the absurd privilege of watching the two owners, Lillian and Ten, start from scratch and build their poutine empire (very soon, it will be). I still remember the initial conversation when after meeting Lillian for the first time, she casually mentioned wanting to start a poutine stand. We all entertained the thought for a couple moments, but she was hard at work making the pipe dream a reality. Many months of labor, experimentation, and persistence later, their brain child Poutine Please was born. Having been to several of their taste tests from the beginning, I can say that their final product is not only delicious but a real feat.
I went on ⁹⁄₁₉ to the Astoria Night Market, where they were opening up to the public for the first time ever. They had some issues with their deep fryer as they set up (oh no!) but managed to have things in order by 7:30PM. Armed with potatoes and a handful of courageous volunteers (aka friends that they recruited), they were ready to open. The minute they announced that they were ready to serve the hungry denizens of Queens, a line of perhaps 50 strong formed before their eyes. Boasting three magnificent flavors at ridiculously low prices, there was no way for anyone to not stop by for a taste.
Their original ($ 4) is a steal. Definitely at the $ 1 bacon, as the crunch factor elevates the dish to a whole new level. The curds are very soft and melt under the heat of the gravy and fries. Their potatoes are thick and crispy on the outside, and juicy and plump on the inside, just the way a perfect poutine fry should be. The Shrooms on Shrooms on Shrooms ($ 6) has… you guessed it, MUSHROOMS, and lots of it. The gravy is mushroom based so fear not ye who are vegetarians! Finally, my favorite, the Thai Green Curry Poutine ($ 6). Less poutine and more of a creative fusion, the flavors are spicy and tangy yet work perfectly in combination with the cheese curds and potatoes. This is by far their best and I would highly recommend ordering this one. Since the first few times I taste tested this in their kitchens, they have added a stronger kick to the gravy-​curry and sprinkled on pickled onions which add the acidity to round out the dish.
Making poutine is both an art and a science with the timing of the deep fryers and the presentation. Give them some time. Be patient, and you will be magnificently rewarded with one of the best foods you can ever find at a food stand.