Canadian restaurant changes the name of the famous potato dish from "Putin" to "Zelinsky"

A Canadian chain of restaurants has changed its menu for a popular dish made of French fries covered with cheese and sauce, due to its similarity to the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin, against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the chain announced Thursday.

The restaurant “Frit Allure” called its version of this popular dish in Canada “Vladimir”, but after complaints from customers, the chain changed the name of the dish to “The Volodymyr” in relation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the owner of the chain Yannick de Grote. France Press agency.

De Grote confirmed that the owners of the "Free Allure" chain, which operates more than ten branches in Quebec and a few branches in France, are not politicized and use humor as a way of naming dishes.

The "Vladimir" dish was added to the restaurant's menu when Putin was re-elected president of Russia in 2012.

"When people found out that Putin was dropping bombs (on Ukraine), we decided to make changes to the list," de Gruete said.

In France, another restaurant called "La Maison de la Putine" (Putin's House) said in a statement that it had received "calls involving insults and even threats" from people who mistakenly linked the restaurant's main dish to the Russian president.

The Roy Gossip restaurant in Drummondville, Quebec, which says it invented the 1956 poutine, has also changed its description on social media, noting that he is the "inventor of french fries and cheese."

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