In this feature, Apt613 asks blog contributors and local food lovers about their recent Ottawa area restaurant highlights to help you find new tasty treats to discover or revisit when someone inevitably asks, “Where do you want to eat?” We want to hear about something that you ate and loved! Leave comments below, and if you’d like to contribute to a future edition of Best Bites, email <editors@apt613.ca>.
Best Bites this week:
- Paper Tiger Noodle Bar (1091 Bank St.)
- Smash Daddy (298 Preston St., 2235 Robertson Rd., 84 O’Connor St.)
- La Pataterie Hulloise (311 Boulevard Saint-Joseph, Gatineau)
Recently, two of Apt613’s foodies treated themselves to a night on the town, and tried Paper Tiger Noodle Bar in Old Ottawa South for the first time. The noodle bar was established in 2022 after a series of wildly successful popups around town made a permanent location a must. The hop and cozy spot was comfortable and packed, even on an average Thursday night. Get reservations!
Paper Tiger’s “Beast” ramen ($24) lives up to its meaty moniker, with strips of thick-cut, smoky bacon-style pork belly, and a rich, creamy broth made from pork bones and aromatics. The noodles were properly chewy and a soy-marinated egg had a delightfully jammy yolk, but the surprise element was a handful of lightly pickled but still crunchy Lebanese cucumber, which cut through the richness of the other ingredients beautifully. I slurped up every bite. I also commend the kitchen on the reasonable portion size; this is without a doubt a rich bowl of soup, and any more would have been too much.
-Alison Larabie Chase
The Vietnamese Garlic Noodles ($17) were a saucy, savoury delight, with perfectly chewy noods and a creamy, salty sauce that was both comforting and exciting. I added the pulled brisket because of course, but honestly, the dish was superb without it, so you can definitely enjoy the vegetarian version. The sauce of fermented anchovy, butter, and smoked cheddar, was rich and coated the noodles beautifully. The scallions and pickled onion gave the dish a bit of bite, and some freshness. We started the meal with the Karaage Chicken, which was exactly the right thing to do, and it was the perfect size to share. Service was friendly and the cocktails were perfection.
-Kiersten Vuorimaki
If you’ve been following the local food scene online this summer, you’ve heard of Smash Daddy, and the smash burgers that have been taking the city by storm from a food truck on Preston.
The burgers went mega viral with help from influencers, so I had to see if the hype was real.
I finally got my hands on one, after a few failed attempts on lovely summer days when they would sell out hours before closing time. The menu is simple, with three meal options and fries. I opted for the original Smash Daddy, which is two patties smashed with grilled onions, cheese, house dill pickles, and secret sauce on a brioche bun for $13. You can add a third patty for $4 if you’re feeling hungrier, since the burgers are not enormous (that is not a judgment, just fact. Some burgers are huge and some are not. All burgers are beautiful).
The burger is crispy and juicy, and the toppings made it a creamy, tangy masterpiece. The sauce is just right, and not too sweet, while the pickles are crunchy and fresh.
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I was surprised, however, at how great the fries are. They come naked, with just salt and seasoning and they were incredible. Not only are they the perfect size and crispiness, the seasoning on them is savoury and a little bit spicy, we just could not get enough. I’m not picky when it comes to fries, but the flavour of these stood out in a major way. They come in one size, for $6 perfect to share. Although next time I’m definitely not sharing my fries.
Speaking of fries, it’s about time I shared about a very worthwhile trip over the river to Hull for some of the best poutine in the area. A friend of mine has been going to La Pataterie Hulloise for decades and makes a point to convert everyone she knows to their fandom.
The pataterie is a bright blue and yellow building on a busy corner of St. Joseph Blvd in Gatineau, with some indoor seating, and picnic tables outside to hunch over your poutine. It runs like an old school chip stand, but the menu is pretty extensive with burgers, sandwiches, and the option to build your own poutine with toppings and sauces.
I’ve only every had the Classic Poutine, because what else could I possibly need? The fries are hand cut and dark, and the cheese is plentiful. They layer the cheese and gravy throughout the box, so you never run out of the good stuff. We went recently and split a Family size for $20, which was alot of poutine. I do recommend eating it on site, because I’m not sure you’d be able to close the lid of the container!
It’s more than worth the short drive over the bridge, and now that Uber goes into Gatineau, there are no excuses.
La Pataterie Hulloise, Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki
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