Meet the Poutine Brothers
LA's best poutinerie on wheels
Siblings Matt and Chris Urakami have been serving up a taste of the quintessential dish of Canada—poutine—to the streets of Los Angeles from their aptly-named food truck, Poutine Brothers, since 2018.
For those who are unfamiliar, poutine is an iconic comfort food for many Canadians. Originating in the province of Quebec, it’s a mixture of crispy golden French fries, rich brown gravy and squecky cheese curds. Decadent and indulgent, poutine is the role model every cheat meal aspires to be.
Inspired by a childhood of visits to Canada with their hockey teams and encouraged by their friends’ support, Chris and Matt took a leap of faith and entered into the culinary world. They left behind their corporate jobs and opened up Poutine Brothers, a mobile poutinerie dedicated to bringing a taste of Canada to America.
Despite a lack of formal culinary training, the Urakami's have been able to develop a successful poutine recipe by drawing upon their own passion for cooking, inspiration from their mother’s kitchen and a lot of trial and error.
Compared to their corporate backgrounds, working on the food truck has given Chris and Matt new freedoms and the ability to explore different ideas.
“We jumped ship and tried to start something on our own. It’s been the best move we’ve done because it allows for a lot more flexibility and do what I like to do,” Chris said.
Through working on Poutine Brothers, the sibling duo has learned to adapt and innovate. They’ve cited customer feedback and support as a vital part of their poutine development process—especially from the Canadians who visit their truck for a taste of home. Branching out beyond the Classic dish (which is recommended for every single poutine newbie out there to order), Poutine Brothers has created new ones like the Beef Short Rib, as well as vegan options like Cauliflower Poutine.
Getting Poutine Brothers up and running was no easy feat. The brothers have faced their share of challenges and a steep learning curve. However, working within a shared kitchen space in Los Angeles has afforded them the ability to gain new wisdom from their fellow chefs and build a network within the culinary world.
Adaptability and growth have always been a part of how the duo have defined their success. In response to COVID-19 regulations and closures, Poutine Brothers has developed new ways of sharing their food with the community, despite the challenges of working through ever-changing rules and restrictions.
“When COVID first started, we started do-it-yourself kits as a fun way for people to do at home or with their families to create their own poutine,” Matt explained. They’ve also expanded selling kits from their truck to shipping their food nationwide through Goldbelly, working with food delivery apps (they’re on Postmates, UberEats, GrubHub and DoorDash!) and doing curbside pickup from their shared kitchen so people can continue to satisfy their poutine cravings and enjoy a good meal from home.
A longtime partner with
City Flavor
, Poutine Brothers can be found serving food to the regular lunch and dinner rushes, as well as at offices and other events.
If you’ve come to the end of this article and find yourself wanting to try Poutine Brothers, get for the original. For something even richer, try the Beef Short Rib poutine, but for something super unique, go for the Tikka Masala Chicken poutine. Or, just order all of them. Poutine Brothers’ options are endless.
For more information on ordering from Poutine Brothers and their hours, follow them on Instagram at @poutinebrothers and check out their website
here
.
Weitteb by Catherine Hu