Oncle Lee is widely praised for inventive modern twists on Asian flavors, with standout dishes like duck with condiments, mushrooms, scallops with XO sauce, spicy salmon, and sesame noodles. The menu favors sharing and portions are often described as generous, though some reviews note that prices can feel high for the portion size and that a few sauces are too salty or spicy. The service is frequently described as attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly, and the ambiance ranges from cozy bar vibes to a vibrant terrace and a chic dining room. The terrace and overall atmosphere are highlighted as perfect for social evenings, while busy nights can bring noise and slower bar service. Desserts such as French toast and certain rice cakes receive high marks, and drinks and cocktails are commonly praised as strong. Some experiences mention occasional uneven balance or pacing, but the overall consensus is that Oncle Lee delivers high quality cooking, engaging presentation, and a memorable dining experience that many would return for.
Montreal always feels to be a lively city. Dining at Oncle Lee Ouest seemed especially vibrant. The service was prompt & attentive not just by our waiter but by other staff waiting in the wings offering support such as offering to bring second cocktail drink.
To start we had the curred salmon, bao & wonton soup to fight of the Mtl chill 😎. Salmon had a sublte tang & with the sharp bite of the ginger. along with bao. The wonton soup did not have your typical chicken broth to accompany the dumplings. The broth was dark containing an explosion of flavours. Notes of star anise & bay leaves along with chili pepper base with strong sesame flavour coming through to warm you up. a great introduction to what was to come.
For the mains we had ( as recommended) the sesame noodles, garlic rice & sweet & sour eggplant. Comfort food taken to the hilt. The noodles had a slightly spicy essence delicate texture but firm to the bite. Eggplant was silky with a great peanut crunch & garlic rice fluffy, full of flavour & comfort with a slight moistness. Will definitely be returning to discover more. Well recommended.
Il faut y aller en groupe pour pouvoir goûter le maximum de plats! Tout était excellent, on a pris le chow mein, le canard aux cinq épices, les pétoncles, les oeufs mimosa & la salade de concombres. Mon seul'meh' était un peu trop de crouch de chili sur les concombres - on s'est régalé!
Mention spéciale pour les cocktails, dont le délicat L'année du Serpent au melon miel. Faut y retourner pour goûter au reste du menu!
La salle était festive, mais notre table était un peu en retrait : parfait pour la conversation sans se sentir à part du fun! Le service était très professionnel & gentil. Une excellente soirée sur Laurier!
Oct 19, 2025
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I have had my own Chinese restaurant for almost 12 years. I heard about this new Chinese restaurant for some time. Look at our names, Aunt Dai & Uncle Lee!
The birthday of one of my best friends is coming up. I invited her & her husband to try this famous restaurant. I checked the reviews before I made the reservation. I totally understand some customers had a high expectation about the flavour given the price tag for the dishes. With my own restaurant having much lower prices & bigger portions I feel I am a tiny little bit responsible for people expecting higher taste/dollar values. So I am thinking about either doubling the prices for all dishes in my own restaurant or giving this beautiful restaurant a visit myself. Three of us ordered the duck plate (ordered additional crepes for ONLY 3 dollars, I should have asked 10 orders of those additional crepes without ordering the duck at all if I want to save money), spicy noodles, tomato salad, salmon dish, two cocktails named'faire ca pour toi' & tea. The three of us are all from mainland China & we all think the food is very tasty. Me, looking from the angle of a Chinese restaurant owner I think their team is very dedicated to Chinese cooking & they are very into the details. I think it's a great contribution to Chinese food in Montreal. Very impressive! They deserve a lot of credit for doing what they are doing.
After this visit, I would assume Uncle Lee & Aunt Dai would follow each other on Tinder!
Delicious modern twist on Chinese cuisine. The duck was perfection, loved all the condiments that came with it. The oysters were fresh, the deviled eggs were surprisingly flavorful. The standout dish was the mushrooms. Wow it's literally a burst of umami on the palate! Bravo to the chef! Service was friendly. Bar was unfortunately slow, it took 20mins to get cocktails each time. It was also very loud at 9pm on a Saturday, I felt like I was screaming at my partner the whole time. Would still highly recommend this restaurant for the food.
Completement overrated !!! Je suis aller Dan's beaucoup de restaurant chinois, japonais, thaï... Les prix sont completement ridicule.... Un plat de nouille sesame a 18$, des cocktails a 16$. Une mini Dorade (on dirait une portion pour enfants) a 30$, un plat de Canard a 50$..... Oui 50$ pour 15 mini tranche de Canard que tu peux faire a la maison. En plus il te charge un extra crepes pour Les wraps. Lorsque tu rentre Dan's UN resto & tu vois juste des Blancs.... Cest la preuve que ca va etre chere & des petites portions. Jamais Les asiatiques vont payer pour ca...
Le restaurant est situé dans l'ancien café La petite Ardoise. Le lieu est magnifique. Voilà un restaurant pour partager d'excellents plats chinois & boire du Saké, de la bière, du vin ou des cocktails. Par contre, attention, les plats sont très copieux & le serveur fort sympathique aurait pu mieux nous conseiller quant à la quantité à commander puisqu'il connaît la grosseur des plats. Nous avons passé une très belle soirée. Enfin prenez note que l'appareil Interac, ne donne pas le choix de laisser un pourboire de 15% à moins de l'entrer manuellement.
May 25, 2025
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La nourriture est super! J'avais envie de manger des nouilles & elles ont comblés mon envie! Les saveurs sont présentes. Délicieux! Cocktails originaux & délicieux. 🤤
Un seul bémol, les tables sont trop proches de nos voisins ce qui nous a causé un petit inconforts lorsqu'on devait se lever.
Le reste, impeccable! J'y retournerai c'est garantie!
Première fois. Excellent chef de renom. Mais est-ce c'était si fameux? Le saumon mariné au gingembre était fameux, les concombres trop épicés, le canard semble cuit sous vide, c'est tendre mais on dirait qu'il a aussi perdu du goût. De plus il faut se dépêcher de le manger avec les accompagnements car les petites crêpes sèchent vite.... les aubergines aux arachides sont OK. Cocktails excellents & très bon service. On va sûrement y retourner, il y a d'autres options sur le menu à essayer.
Cute & cozy spot. Incredible service! We sat at the bar. Loved the spicy salmon bites. The popcorn chicken was pretty good but I would have liked a different sauce maybe. The fried bao buns were super yummy but a bit pricey at 15 dollars for one. The hot pot looked really good! & the drinks were good. I got a Yuzu lemonade & my friend got a cocktail that she liked!
Encore un restaurant à la mode. On comprend très rapidement qu'il s'agit d'une pompe à fric avec : cocktail entre 18 & 35 $, des portions "à partager" de très petite taille & à prix très salé (10-20$ pour chaque petite entrée & 20-55$ pour chaque petit plat). Le goût de la nourriture est bon, mais pas mirobolant. Même si le service est assez bon & que l'endroit n'est pas désagréable, ce restaurant ne m'a pas donné l'envie d'y revenir. Nous avons eu faim en revenant à la maison...
What a gem of a restaurant, great service & cocktails & the food was delicious! Peter-Oliver was so knowledgeable about the menu & a great host! The Peking duck was a highlight & the scallops, the food ordered was for 3 people & the portions were good & not too small. Would highly recommend for a weekday dinner or a nice date spot too
I have been to Cadet a few times & very much enjoyed the food. When I heard of Oncle Lee, a Chinese joint with ties to the aforementioned restaurant & Bouillion Bulk, I couldn't resist. & folks, the experience did not disappoint. TLDR: Get a reservation! This place is excellent & I am a tough critic. Context: Four of us shared 8 plates & a few cocktails. Company was a former colleague & our +1s. Food: Well priced, perfect portion sizes. The menu is tight - every item has its role & there is something for everyone. Special callout for the spicy noodles, ribs & the eggplant dish. All the dishes were great, but those three really stood out. The portion sizes are important here because one could certainly over-indulge in some of these rich flavors. Dishes were portioned just right. Service: prompt, friendly, strong knowledge of the menu. Our server clearly knew his stuff. The menu is more complex than some, & he had no issue explaining ingredients, the specials, dishes or cocktails. Atmosphere: moody, busy but not overwhelming, music choice & volume was just right. A relatively small place; Oncle Lee has an atmospheric dining room which evolved over our dinner. The lights were turned down as the night went on & the mood definitely entices one to stay for one last round. The decor is subtle & suitable. There is a nice balance between recognizable Chinese aesthetics & trendy themes one expects in the Plateau area. Music volume was just right. Enough to maintain the atmosphere but never overbearing. All in all, excellent. Give Oncle Lee a try, it's unlikely to disappoint.
Great food & ambience. Really creative & yummy twists on chinese dishes. We had the sea bream, greens, cocktails & french toast. All very yummy. Left my wallet here & the staff were really kind & waited after closing for me to come get it back. Thank you so much!
Oct 14, 2024
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One of the best fusion Chinese restaurant in town. Everything was very delicious (the special on the menu tuna ceviche was very delicious). & I also highly recommended the duck breast too. Cocktails were good. The atmosphere is perfect to come with friends, family & dates. They have a very good menu (not lots of choices but enough to be satisfied). The restaurant is small (Mabe with 50 place seats). Don't forget to make a reservat cause this restaurant gets crowded very easily.
We really enjoyed our dinner on the back patio. Food, service & atmosphere were great. We tried deviled eggs, salmon on rice cakes, steamed bream, eggplant, spicy noodles & garlic fried rice. The fried rice was my favorite. Also had gin cocktail #2 that was delicious & so refreshing.
Vraiment excellent resto avec un menu à prédominance chinoise avec quelques plats fusions. La présentation de chaque plat était impeccable ainsi que les saveurs. Beau choix de cocktail/mocktail & service impeccable. Je recommande chaudement!
Last minute reservation due to the power failure from the storm & glad that made us try Oncle Lee. Amazing modern take on Asian dishes, great cocktails & chill vibe. Great place to split dishes to try more things. Will definitely be back soon to try the other things on the menu that looked yummy!!
