It’s not Bangkok’s first dedicated poutine spot, but it’s still pretty rare to see this dish on the street—even more so in Songwat. Co-owned by Kasemparn “Fame” Jujindalert and Suparkorn “Pixie” Tipsumonta, Bad Poutine in Songwat is generating some buzz for its homemade poutine, buttermilk chicken, and in-house pastrami.
 

Photo: Bad Poutine / Facebook
 

First order of business is the name. The tongue-in-cheek Bad Poutine title refers to the execution of the poutine which takes a departure from its Quebecoise roots: french fries topped with cheese curds and rich gravy. 

 

Cheese curds are slowly being introduced at this spot, but mozzarella is far more popular. Some Canadians take umbrage if the cheese curds don’t come from a bilingual cow singing Celine Dion or whatever. Settle down, a little culinary sacrilege can be good for you. 

 

“We want people to react like ‘this is delicious’ and not 'wait, what did I just eat?’” Pixie says, explaining that their modus operandi is to satisfy customers’ taste buds instead of staying true to the roots and confusing them. “Bad isn’t always a negative thing, obviously there’s the connotation of too much of a good thing can be bad, but in certain contexts bad is actually slang for good.”

 

 

Having previously opened a bar in Thailand, Pixie decided to pursue poutine full-time after discovering that customers came back for the signature dish, and not the drinks. The obsession grew and prompted Pixie to taste world-famous poutine shops in NYC—only to realize that it wasn’t to his liking.  

 

“I mean no disrespect to the traditional poutine restaurants. If anything we’re paying homage to them by introducing it to Thai customers. But the complexity of Thai people’s palette is quite different. We are so used to having a variety of flavors in our dishes—sweet, sour, spicy, salty. Western-style poutines may not capture that all.” 

 

That said, the trip was not a waste. “One thing I picked up from in New York City was using pastrami as a topping for poutine,” Pixie says. “When I came back to Thailand, I began experimenting with homemade pastrami, and it cost a lot of money. So I strongly recommend people to try it out as it took some time fine tuning the ingredients. It’s also rare to find quality pastrami at this price point.”

 

Having spent a brief time living in the Big Apple inspired Pixie and Fame to capture the urban grocery, open-air storefronts, and outdoor seating at Bad Poutine. 

 

Thanks to their eye as directors and photographers, the aesthetic paid off and is worth taking a couple of quick snaps while you’re grabbing some Bad Poutine bites with friends. 

 

Broadly, poutine has a reputation as a drinking snack or hangover cure. “It’s a great meal to have for casual dining or walking around with a snack in your hand,” Pixie says of the trendy Songwat area, offering one last pro-tip. “Weed is legal in Thailand, and these are perfect for the munchies.”

 

At Bad Poutine, it’s the Thai take on classic poutine—so don’t go sending oddly polite hate mail, Canadians.