Poutine praised by Olivier Primeau: the Zeitoun attracts crowds in Quebec

Praised as one of the best in Quebec by Olivier Primeau on Sunday, the poutine from the Lebanese restaurant Zeitoun has already attracted crowds at the Grand Marché de Québec since it received the prestigious rating of 9.8.

After trying to approach the influencer twice on social networks in recent months, owner Marie-Chrystelle Cheikha had quite a surprise when she learned that he was about to visit her to taste to its famous poutine.

He then gave it a score of 9.8 out of 10, calling it “almost perfection” in a video that quickly ignited social networks.

“He came back to the counter nodding from side to side so I was really scared, but in the end he completely loved it.”

“When I found out the grade, I started crying. Not like a madeleine, but the emotion and stress have subsided. Zeitoun is my baby so it’s a great reward for the hard work over the past four years,” admitted the one who is still on cloud nine.

An immediate effect

The owner also confided to Journal that the impact of the criticism did not take long to be felt, to the point that it made four times the equivalent of its turnover the day before on Sunday.

“I knew it was going to have an impact, but maybe not as quickly. Literally 15 minutes after the video came out, two guys showed up to ask Olivier Primeau for poutine and it hasn’t stopped since.”

“Knowing the impact that the note had at Chez Mag, I didn’t waste time. I even reacted immediately by having a second fryer installed so we are ready to receive people,” she explains.

Remember that in the summer of 2023, Olivier Primeau also gave a rating of 9.8 to the poutine at the Fine Cantine Chez Mag, which had the effect of creating quite a stir on the Île d’Orléans. People came from the four corners of Quebec and could wait up to two hours to taste it.

Ideas of grandeur

The one who received quite a gift at the start of 2025 does not hide the fact that she is quietly interested in the franchising process, although it requires a lot of work.

“I really think we have a great product to franchise. It’s another area and another challenge, but it interests me. I don’t have the knowledge yet, but I have already spoken about it to other entrepreneurs and I am starting to look for information,” she concluded.