Sherman's Food Adventures: The Spud Shack Fry Co.

The Spud Shack Fry Co.

"What is your favourite food?" is a question that I am asked often.  Even before I started blogging, my answer (without hesitation) would be "a good serving of fries".  Huh???  Fried potatoes is your favourite food???  Yes, I would take that over lobster if you can believe it or not.  Now I'm not talking about frozen McCain fries nor any generic versions offered up by Sysco or GFS.  I'm talking about "frites" made preferably from Kennebec potatoes and fried more than once.  Better yet, serve it up with some form of aioli or other mayonnaise concoction.  Most people have heard of Belgian Fries, Fritz and La Belle Patate, but there is a new player in town called The Spud Shack.  Unlike the aforementioned joints, The Spud Shack is somewhat hidden and almost an afterthought, especially for those who don't venture out of Vancouver.

For myself, I decided to make the effort out to the New West Skytrain platform in search of good frites.  My plan of attack included the one piece Cod & Frites with a side of chipotle mayo.  There was an ample amount of crispy frites which were potatoey soft inside.  As for the piece of tempura-battered fish, it was flaky and just barely cooked.  The batter wasn't exactly thin, yet not thick either.  It was crunchy while a touch greasy.  I found the tartar sauce quite mild where I would've liked to see more tang and pickle/onion crunch.

I also added a medium order of the Montreal Smoked Meat Poutine.  Although I would've preferred cubed pieces of meat, the rest of the poutine was fantastic.  Starting with the same great frites, there was a good amount of legit squeaky cheese curds (which were only slightly melted).  The amount of rich gravy was perfect as it caressed all the frites, without drowning them. So how about that...  A hidden gem of sorts in a Skytrain station.  Good frites, surprisingly decent fish and solid poutine.  I hope there will be a location in Burnaby someday...

The Good:
- Solid frites
- Real cheese curds for the poutine
- Surprisingly decent fish

The Bad:
- Not particularly easy to visit or find if you're not on foot or traveling by train
- Mostly take out, not many seats

The Spud Shack Fry Co. on Urbanspoon

3 comments:

mbsunshine said...

Hey Sherman, just a general comment here...

I always appreciate that you include a picture of the outside of the places you visit because some of these places are damn hard to find!

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Sherman, you beat me to this one. It's on my list, but I haven't made it here yet.

Looking forward to trying it.

PS Did you make to the Poutine festival last weekend?



Sherman Chan said...

@mbsunshine Thanks! Sometimes ppl stare at me doing that!

@holly Nope! I wanted to though... I tried going here awhile back but couldn't find it!

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