Overall, Kalapow earns praise for flavorful, comforting Filipino dishes and generous portions, with crowd favorites such as adobo, sisig, lechon kawali, kare kare, and sinigang, and desserts like halo halo and kalamansi leche flan noted as standout options. Service quality appears mixed, ranging from warm, welcoming staff to slower pacing and longer waits for mains and desserts, plus some confusion at checkout about payment methods. Some interactions were described as tense or unclear, though apologies and attempts to resolve issues were noted. Ambiance is described as warm and homey with modern touches, parking is usually easy, and the menu offers generous portions at affordable prices. Taken together, despite occasional hiccups, Kalapow remains a popular choice for authentic Filipino comfort food and is a place many diners plan to revisit.
We recently dined at Kalapaw & had a confusing & frustrating experience at checkout.
After receiving our printed receipt, we said we wanted to pay cash. The first waitress told us we could not pay cash because it was'already in the system,' which confused us. Another waitress stepped in & mentioned something about tax & that it couldn't be changed, but she was mumbling & not talking clearly. When we explained that staff usually ask customers whether they are paying cash or card before printing the receipt, she responded in a clearly defensive, confrontational, & argumentative manner. She insisted that it was entirely the customer's responsibility to inform them & repeatedly said they'work differently here' & have their'own rules.' Her tone felt aggressive & dismissive, as if she was talking back to the customer rather than trying to resolve the issue professionally.
As people who have worked cashier jobs ourselves, this explanation did not make sense to us. We asked to see the policy she was referring to & were told to speak to the owner instead.
When the owner came, she explained that once the transaction is entered into the system, it cannot be changed because they would be charged a penalty. From the conversation, it sounded like some cash payments may not be entered into the system & that taxes might not be charged when customers pay cash. This raised a serious concern for us. Is it legal for a restaurant to accept cash, not input the transaction into the system, & not charge GST & QST? Taxes should be applied equally to all customers regardless of any payment method.
That said, the food itself was good, & we enjoyed what we ordered. The waiter did apologize in the end, which we appreciated. But those don't cancel out the fact that the situation escalated because of poor communication & tone from staff. A simple, calm explanation at the start would have avoided the entire conflict. Clear communication, consistent procedures, & better customer service would go a long way.
Kalapaw offered such a good variety of classic Filipino dishes. We had masarap na gulay, sizzling pork sisig, pork bbq & turon. The food was amazing & comforting, we ended up taking a palabok to go! Shoutout to Monnet for making the best pork bbq & turon! Will definitely be back when I visit Montreal again :) Service was great
Jan 16, 2026
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Food are really good. I love everything but specially try the kalamansi letche flan for dessert, its superb!!! The servings are big too, so be careful if you don't want to end up having a lot of bags to go! This is why whenever people would ask me to recommend a filipino restaurant, i always recommend Kalapaw. Truly a taste of home.
We went to Kalapaw for lunch. We were one of the first ones there so we didn't have to wait. The food was absolutely delicious, a true taste of Filipino cuisine. The spaghetti is a must-have, to get a taste of sweet-style Filipino spaghetti. We ordered the kamayan for 2 but it was enough to satisfy 3 adults. We ordered leche flan for dessert & it did not disappoint. Definitely recommend Kalapaw for authentic Filipino cuisine!
Kalapaw is a great spot for delicious Filipino comfort food. The sinigang is perfectly sour, the crispy pata is crunchy & flavorful, & the kare-kare is rich & satisfying. Their halo-halo is a must-try for dessert - sweet, colorful, & refreshing.
The staff is friendly & the place feels warm & homey, with a touch of Filipino decor & music. Perfect for family meals or catching up with friends.
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Kalapaw Filipino Cuisine in the West Island of Montreal, & I have to say, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish.
I ordered the Chicken Adobo with rice, & it was absolutely delicious. The flavors were rich & authentic, with the perfect balance of savory, tangy, & slightly sweet - just how adobo should be. The chicken was tender & well-marinated, & the portion size was generous.
For dessert, I tried one of their Filipino sweets (I won't spoil it for you!), & it was simply amazing - the perfect way to end the meal. Sweet, comforting, & full of nostalgic flavor.
The service was another highlight: fast, professional, & very courteous. I felt welcomed the moment I walked in. The staff clearly takes pride in what they do.
The ambiance is warm, friendly, & relaxed. Whether you're new to Filipino cuisine or looking for a taste of home, Kalapaw provides a comfortable space to enjoy a great meal.
Highly recommend for anyone craving quality Filipino food in the West Island. I'll definitely be back!
The best place to eat & they serve good foods with the best quality of taste & the atmosphere was nice & relaxing not to much noise & we are so happy the way they served us.Kalapaw is a highly recommended for any person who likes Filipino Dishes.thumbs up for Kalapaw👍
May 7, 2025
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1ere fois dans ce Resto de cuisine philipien. Ayant déjà déguster d'excellents plats dans d'autres du même genre j'avoue que leurs plats son excellent & savoureux . Le goût, les épices, les petites sauces qui accompagnent les plats est authentique Avec un accent amélioré de leurs plats. La présentation des plats est plus soigner au Kalapaw ce qui leurs donne un plus pour aimer ce que vous voyez. & d'éveiller l'envie de goûter ces plats qui vous font de l'oeil. L'ambiance chaleureux & familial qui s'y dégage fait plaisir à voir afin que vous vous sentiez les bien venus par signe de respect. Pour ce qui est de service c'est pareil comme dans les autres resto du même genre soit un peu lent, mais bien servi Votre plat va être bien frais & chaud. De plus au Kalapaw il y a un band qui vient y jouer de la musique histoire d'agrémenter vôtre soirée , mais je ne puis dire combien de soirée il y a de band qui y joue par semaine.
Decided to try Kalapaw & it was 40% salty. We got several dishes as it's our first time to visit! We ordered the chicken inasal but it was disappointing. It was hard & salty, good thing it came with a vegetable salad to help with the saltiness. We also ordered sisig but it turned out salty, too! The kare kare, lechon kawali, calamares, sinigang, garlic rice were good tho! Overall, I recommend you to visit & try! :)
My family & I stayed at Marriot Bonvoy Residence Inn where we met Angel. She recommended Kalapaw Filipino Cuisine. We almost did not go there because of an impending snow storm. But we still went. We did not regret it. They were very friendly people. Great food. Great service. We got take out. Got back to our hotel, had dinner. Then the snow storm fell. Tried their kamayan platter, kare kare, palabok & lechon. Fantastic!
Mar 11, 2024
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