Epicerie Pumpui delivers an uncompromising exploration of authentic Thai flavors through a menu defined by intense heat and precise aromatic balance. The kitchen specializes in traditional street food staples that highlight the pungent profile of bird eye chilies and pungent shrimp paste. Signature offerings include complex curries prepared with freshly pounded pastes and stir-fries that maintain crisp textures through high-heat wok cooking. Every dish emphasizes bold combinations of sour, sweet, salty, and spicy elements designed to challenge the palate. The space functions as an informal culinary outpost focused strictly on the integrity of its regional recipes. Diners encounter a direct, no-frills approach to Southeast Asian cooking where the quality of fresh herbs and pungent seasonings dictates the output of every single plate served from the kitchen.
Epicerie Pumpui is widely celebrated for its authentic, flavorful Thai cuisine, with many diners highlighting the Pad Thai, curries, and chicken wings as standout dishes. While the atmosphere is frequently described as cozy, trendy, and reminiscent of a charming corner shop, the space is undeniably cramped, often leading to long wait times and limited seating for groups. Most patrons praise the staff for being friendly and efficient, though a minority of experiences report inconsistent service and concerns regarding portion sizes relative to the price. Despite mixed opinions on the level of spice and occasional crowding, it remains a highly recommended destination for a casual, memorable meal in Montreal.
Not much to complain about other than that there is no option to adjust the level of spicyness. Some of the best thai dishes I've tried outside of thailand.
Excellente cuisine, très goûteuse. Mon nouveau restaurant préféré. Arrivez un peu avant d'avoir très faim, car il y a parfois de l'attente. Par contre, l'attente (5 minutes dans notre cas) en vaut vraiment la peine. Être seulement deux ça aide à passer plus vite. Le repas était excellent & copieux. Nous avons pris une salade au chou en entrée & j'ai mangé un curry vert aux boulettes de poisson. Malheureusement, nous n'avions plus faim pour le dessert, soit un riz collant à la poire. Nous y retournerons assurément.
Amazing. The food is so good, very affordable, & consistent. Every dish is fantastic, whether a staple menu item or one of their specials. Nice wine/cider choices as well, & very cool vibe. All around one of my favourite spots in the city
This is one of my favorite chill places to grab an amazing bowl of curry. The hits every single time & the service is super fast. I thought I didn't like Thai food until I went to Pumpui!
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.
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.
