Epicerie Pumpui earns high marks for flavorful Thai cooking and generous portions in a cozy, intimate setting, making it a go-to casual spot in Montreal. Dishes like pad Thai and various curries are repeatedly praised, with many calling the pad Thai among the best they've had and the yellow curry and fish balls curry standout choices; mango sticky rice, sometimes paired with a tangy tamarin sauce or a seasonal pear variation, is frequently described as divine. The menu feels authentic yet approachable, and service is described as friendly, efficient, and attentive, even when the small space fills up and lines form. Reviews highlight great value for money and quick service, though a few note inconsistent elements such as occasional grittiness in noodles, overly salty pads, or not fully authentic notes for some tastes. Overall, Epicerie Pumpui is seen as a reliable, beloved neighborhood Thai spot with a loyal following, ideal for a casual meal, takeout, or a lively dinner, with the caveat of limited seating and possible waits.
Best pad thai i've had. The food was flavorful. The chicken wings were finger licking good. & to finish on a good note, a mango sticky rice. The mango was ripened to perfection. What can you ask for more?
Pumpui is a gem! The chicken wings were unreal, the shrimp pad thai was easily one of the best I've ever had, & the pork belly on rice (Pad Pak Boong) was just out of this world. We grabbed takeout but ended up eating right in front & honestly, the little mom-&-pop shop atmosphere made it even better. You can really feel the energy of the place. Even their rosé wine was spot on. 100% a 5-star spot in Montreal!
We came all the way from Jean Drapeau to Little Italy for this amazing Thai restaurant & it didn't disappoint us. One of our friends recommended this place & said this is their go-to restaurant every week (they come at least once a week). After trying it out, I totally understood why they were doing that. Amazing place worth going to this regular!
We ordered all three entrées to share. The chicken wings are definitely the best. The tofu pad thai was really tasty as well. Loved the fish balls in the yellow curry - very tender. The mango sticky rice was very fresh. The price was decently cheap, compared to the other famous Thai restaurant in town, Pichai.
We had a great time dining at this little cute Thai restaurant! It's definitely worth coming back again!!
Wow wow wow....! A fantastic meal in a cozy atmosphere on a chilly snowy evening. Unbelievable flavours, every bite a step closer to the sadness of finishing a memorable meal. Had the chicken wings, massaman curry, pad thai & pad paak with pork. The pear sticky rice dessert put it over the top. Umami overload!
The staff is amazing & the food is even better! Very accommodating: we had a baby stroller & they found a spot for us. In the summer they have a terrace in the back. Ordered the wings, the shrimp pad Thai, & the special (the ribs with rice & piping hot sauce 🥵)! We were two & the portions were more than enough!!
We chanced upon this great place when we were wondering around the neighbourhood of Beaubien & Petite Italie. It has that Asian roadside cafe. The place was packed the night before, but luckily they also opened on Labor Day when many other places were closed. (Another Asian mentality!) I'm not a Thai food expert, but having had some amazing local food in Bangkok & Chiangmai, I often find London's Thai food a bit westernised. Pompui on the other hand, is not falling over to appease the typical western taste. Non messieurs dames! We had some very tasty options, which led us to return a couple of days later for our last lunch before having to return home. First lunch, we had their special of the week - a creamy Asian salad, which was like a "thin" coleslaw with a Thai twist of lime & fish sauce. The main courses were a beef laab, which was like sliced & spiced raw beef with an Asian salad that you could wrap with beetle leaves. It came with sticky rice; & a green Thai curry with fish balls & sticky rice. Both dishes were strong in flavour & stood up well to each other even if you were eating together. The laab was a new thing to me. I have watched many YouTube videos with Chef Yia Vang about the Laos food that talk about laab. This one is Thai, so you may regard it as either the big daddy influencer or subsequently being influenced. Who knows? You can taste the different saltiness & spices. Chew slowly & you get all the fragrance of the fresh herbs & vegetables. It's a chirpy tune with all the various notes. 2nd lunch - we decided to try out the other tasty items on the menu that we couldn't fit in last time. The fried chicken wings - oh yeah! Nuff said. You can taste the marinated wings that have a generous sweet chilli sauce dressing. Each wing is the full 3 joints. Not like KFC hot wings where they are only giving you one section as one piece. Crispness is maintained in every bite. So good we had two portions! Then we had the pork belly on morning glory. The waitress advised us to use the garlic vinegar, which is a condiment every table, as it helps to lift the saltiness of the pork belly. Oh boy, yeah, that's a fab dish that will make any pork lover happy for hours! Super friendly staff who can speak English, French & to my stomach! There are clearly a lot of locals who enjoy this joint. So go & check it out.
Sep 4, 2024
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We chanced upon this great place when we were wondering around the neighbourhood of Beaubien & Petite Italie. It has that Asian roadside cafe. The place was packed the night before, but luckily they also opened on Labor Day when many other places were closed. (Another Asian mentality!) I'm not a Thai food expert, but having had some amazing local food in Bangkok & Chiangmai, I often find London's Thai food a bit westernised. Pompui on the other hand, is not falling over to appease the typical western taste. Non messieurs dames! We had some very tasty options, which led us to return a couple of days later for our last lunch before having to return home. First lunch, we had their special of the week - a creamy Asian salad, which was like a "thin" coleslaw with a Thai twist of lime & fish sauce. The main courses were a beef laab, which was like sliced & spiced raw beef with an Asian salad that you could wrap with beetle leaves. It came with sticky rice; & a green Thai curry with fish balls & sticky rice. Both dishes were strong in flavour & stood up well to each other even if you were eating together. The laab was a new thing to me. I have watched many YouTube videos with Chef Yia Vang about the Laos food that talk about laab. This one is Thai, so you may regard it as either the big daddy influencer or subsequently being influenced. Who knows? You can taste the different saltiness & spices. Chew slowly & you get all the fragrance of the fresh herbs & vegetables. It's a chirpy tune with all the various notes. 2nd lunch - we decided to try out the other tasty items on the menu that we couldn't fit in last time. The fried chicken wings - oh yeah! Nuff said. You can taste the marinated wings that have a generous sweet chilli sauce dressing. Each wing is the full 3 joints. Not like KFC hot wings where they are only giving you one section as one piece. Crispness is maintained in every bite. So good we had two portions! Then we had the pork belly on morning glory. The waitress advised us to use the garlic vinegar, which is a condiment every table, as it helps to lift the saltiness of the pork belly. Oh boy, yeah, that's a fab dish that will make any pork lover happy for hours! Super friendly staff who can speak English, French & to my stomach! There are clearly a lot of locals who enjoy this joint. So go & check it out.
Our favourite neighbourhood restaurant in Little Italy. Authentic, vibrant & bags of flavour. Chicken wings, beef laab & pork belly with morning glory + creamy herb salad definitely hits the spot. Visited twice for lunch in 3 days. Enough said...
The chicken wings were so crispy & delicious, & come sitting in a killer sweet chili sauce. Very good pad Thai, flavourful & packed with crunchy peanuts. & we absolutely loved trying the different lime+chili fish sauces sitting on the table. The pear sticky rice did not hit the spot we were looking for with the mango one, mainly due to the star anise/cardamom/cinammon spice blend that the fruit was poached in. Seating was a bit cramped if you are assigned to the window seats, especially with our winter coats on our laps. Whoever sits by the curtains to the left of the entrance is sure to get elbowed a couple of times by patrons walking in.
Went here with great expectations from reviews & unfortunately was a let down. First this place is kid friendly as they don't have high chair or boosters seats & don't have a teaspoons either for kids. Second, we wanted to sit for our comfort. as we have a 3 year old, on the big table for four & was told that we would have to move if there's a big group. We decided to sit on the small table as who honestly wants to move while we are trying to enjoy our meal? Also there was already a group of 3 one of the 3 tables while there was 2 other tables with 3 spots. Not sure why they would tell us that they would have to move us instead of them as I'm sure they were'warned' also. Other than that, service was great. Now I really wanted to like the food however I've eated in many Thai restaurants & I don't know how this place has a high review as our main 2 meals were salty which was the Pad Thai Tofu Shrimp & the Stir Fry Pork. The Stir Fry Pork was suppose to be spicy & there was hardly any hint of spice. I asked the waiter just to check if they made it not spicy because I have a kid & he said no & also said that it's suppose to be spicy. Chicken wings was okay & the only thing I enjoyed is the pumpkin fritter. All in all I was very disappointed on the food & what they said about moving us to the small table which was very tight btw for 2 main meals & 2 appetizers. This is honestly the first restaurant that ever told me that they would tell us to move if there was a group of 4 or more. I honestly should have left after they said that but really wanted to try their cuisine which was also a let down.
Walk in experience.
We waited 20 min for spot, they actually sat others before us despite being first.
Guess what Who cares life is too short to make a deal out of it.
We did get complimentary cabbage salad for the wait :)
We also tried Pad Thai , chicken wings & peach sticky rice dessert.
Everything was spot on amazing with my leaning towards the wings.
Will be back sooner rather than later.
Staff & service is on point
We really enjoyed our dinner here - even though some of the dishes were quite spicy, they were all very flavourful & delicious. Highly recommend the fried chicken wings! Fun atmosphere & the staff were great.
