Through Oorja, we aim to create a restaurant inspired by the flavors of Hakka, primarily Indo Chinese cuisine, where the emphasis is placed on fresh ingredients and great service. We take pride in the food that we create, and it is our ambition to bring this vibrant and culturally rich cuisine to Montreal. As both a restaurant and a cocktail bar, our objective is to shape a fun and dynamic environment centered around a unique culinary experience. Our team will create dishes and cocktails made from quality seasonal ingredients sourced from local producers. Indo Chinese cuisine is surprisingly absent from Montreal, and we believe that its vibrance and imaginativeness will be very well received.
Overall, reviews of Oorja describe a vibrant Indo Chinese fusion spot with inventive cocktails, playful tapas style dishes, and a warm, stylish ambiance that can range from relaxed lunch vibes to lively evenings with live music. The food frequently earns praise for bold flavors and presentation, with favorites including momos, chicken lollipops, chilli chicken, duck wings and other tapas style plates, while some diners note portions can be small for the price and spice levels may be very high. Cocktails are repeatedly highlighted as well balanced and creative, with several guests enjoying standout options and seasonal changes. Service is a common point, with many experiences described as friendly, attentive and professional, though others recount slow or inconsistent service, missed items, or long waits. The setting is often praised as chic and cozy, with attractive presentation and a welcoming atmosphere suited for dates, gatherings, or casual bites. Overall, Oorja comes across as a notable destination for Indo Chinese fusion in the area, delivering memorable drinks and interesting dishes, but with uneven service and portion consistency that may vary by visit.
Oorja is a neighborhood spot, & we love to come here. The cocktails are good, the puns are fine. We like a good goof. They used to have this really beautiful spicy chicken dish, it's still on the menu but recently they toned it down, the dish lost all it's edge & taste. Stick your guns Oorja! We will show up for your og recipes.
I came once & you had me fill out a paper survey at your bar, I wrote « keep your spicey chkn » & you must have lost my paper cause u took out the spice. I even drew u a picture. Damn.
Visiting Montreal & a colleague brought me here . Great cocktails & I had the super spicy fish Apollo & fried rice ...best meal I've had in a while. Highly recommend
Nov 26, 2025
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Terrible service.
We booked a table for 8, arrived but there was no staff?? We had to wait 10mn before someone showed up to show our seats!?
We got the first 2 plates after 45mn, then 10mn later 2 others & so on. So we each had to eat alone while others waited, otherwise it would have turned cold.
No excuse, no explanation, nothing.
Food was nice, but a lot of dishes indicated one out of three for spiciness, when it was really really spicy. Then another plate that was 3 out of 3, was spicy, but not much more. It would be nice to follow the spiciness menu indications.
Also, we had two kids (toddlers), they got their meal after 4 adults at our table. They were starving after more than an hour of wait.
Then, a table of four arrived (1h after us), & got their plate before our last ones. Felt like a joke.
Music was way too loud, we asked to lower it a bit, but it was not enough.
Solid experience! I came twice, once with family & once with friends. For appetizers, we had the duck broth & manchow broth. From the brunch menu, we had the mushroom toast (scrumptious), mango toast (delish), keema pav (flavourful) & both the spicy crispy chicken & braised pork bao bun sandwiches. Had the chicken momos from the lunch menu. Lovely presentation & delicious taste. Would recommend & can't wait to try the other menu items! Not too busy on Sunday morning/noontime. Nice waiter!
Nous n'avons malheureusement pas eu un bon service, on a été vraiment patient car c'était les débuts du serveur. Cependant il avait oublié d'envoyer notre commande, la table derrière nous avait terminé son repas alors qu'ils sont arrivés après nous. Nous n'avons pas eu les plats en même temps donc nous étions 4 & n'avons pas mangés'ensemble'. La nourriture était correct mais spicy! Les cocktails sont délicieux!!!
On a du attendre 20 minutes après pour avoir les factures (20 minutes au comptoir à attendre après la demande).
Ça nous a gâché l'expérience malheureusement + aucun geste de leur part, c'est dommage
So I was hungover & strolling for a comfort spot with spicy chow to soothe the demons.
I stumbled across oorja, it had a refined aesthetic while simultaneously providing an inviting, warm atmosphere. Perfect.
I was immediatley greeted by Naba, the lone bartender on duty, she is a literal walking ray of sunshine.
She made quick apologies for food service having finished after lunch but took the initiative to speak to the kitchen staff to see if they could make an exception & accomodate me, which they did without hesitation. Hospitality at its finest.
Great conversation & perfect recommendations followed with balanced dishes & expert crafted cocktails. I was blown away. Best culinary experience so far in montreal.
Dima is also a total stud, ask him to whip something up & you wont be disappointed.
Dont sleep on oorja its the real deal. Cheers.
Aug 30, 2025
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I hope more people come to this restaurant because I had a fantastic experience! It was fairly empty on a Wednesday evening (6pm). I ordered the chilli momos, fried oyster mushrooms & the pear cocktail drink. The batter on the mushrooms was flavorful, crispy & well spiced while the momos were in the most delicious savoury, tangy, spicy sauce. Both hit it out of the park for me. Cocktails are inventive & well balanced as well.
RUN to this place, delicious food & AMAZING service!!! We got many dishes & the drinks were absolutely phenomenal. 10/10 would recommend. If you cannot handle the spice, please make to let them know cause it was definitely very spicy even for myself as an asian. We will be coming again & trying out other dishes!
Oorja is a perfect place for a date night or catching up with friends. The ambience is warm & pretty. The food is tapas & flavourful. We ordered manchow soup, majestic chicken, schezwan noodles, chilly momos & couple of cocktails & i must say all are highly recommended. This food is a bit spicy palate which we really loved. Looking forward to try other items in the menu as well.
They have 3 variation of Vegan momo (fried, chili, steamed). The Vegan chili momo are wok tossed in a spicy chili sauce (ginger, garlic, bell peppers, onions). The sauce is quite spicy! There's a lot of sauce leftover, so I'm gonna save it to eat with rice. :D
Jan 25, 2025
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I have had many Indo-Chinese dishes in my home town of Delhi, & have never found anything akin to the spicyness & flavour of those meals here in Canada. Until now. Oorja was phenomenal. I was transported back to Asia when I ate here this evening. The food was exceptional. The ambiance was delightful. I highly highly recommend anyone who is searching for a meal brimming with flavour, please come here. 11/10
The menu has unique dishes. Loved the asian salad, steamed momo with the sauce & thr chili paneer. The hakka noddles & fried rice were average. If you can't handle spicy, beware cause level 1 spice was really really spicy (& I have a really good spice tolerance). The prices are reasonable with generous portions.
Underrated restaurant! If you like spicy food, this is the place! They serve great food & all the flavors are great. The szechuan fried rice was very spicy, & I loved it. With all the spicy food, the servers are quick to react to fill your water glass.
Indo-Hakka is actually Indian-style Chinese food. The so-called Indian Hakka cuisine is Indian ingredients & spices + Chinese seasoning cooking techniques. It is a "copycat version of Chinese cuisine" made by Chinese people far away from their hometown. "Manchurian Chicken" is the signature dish of Indian Hakka cuisine. It is similar to General Tso's Chicken. It is a kind of chicken nuggets fried in sweet & sour sauce. I didn't order it! But I ordered fried chicken buns with spicy sauce (chicken chili momo by wok ). Of course, the name doesn't matter. Deliciousness is the king. It's still a good taste. Paired with white rice, it's very delicious! The fried oyster mushrooms are also perfect. The big oyster mushrooms are crispy ,& paired with a special sauce, it's more delicious than meat! Personally, I think this is the first Chinese restaurant in Montreal that doesn't have wonton soup/hot & sour soup. The duck soup has a strong pepper flavor, which is very heartwarming in this cold winter. "Indian Hakka cuisine" is the product of Hakka immigrants. The Chinese who first arrived in India were the same as the Chinese who went to Southeast Asia. They were poor people in coastal areas of China. They crossed the ocean to avoid war or seek better life . From 1772 to 1911, the capital of British India was Kolkata, where the Chinese mainly lived. Food allows people to glimpse the history & culture of different countries & ethnic groups. The food on the plate reveals the secrets of human past & present. I often learn about the world at the table.
Dec 21, 2024
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For a unique dining experience in Montreal, look no further than @oorjamtl! This beautifully decorated, intimate restaurant offers a cozy & comfortable atmosphere that's perfect for enjoying a meal with friends (or dates). This place brings a delightful fusion of flavors to the table. The dishes are genuinely spicy, so be warned! Each bite is a celebration of bold flavors & vibrant spices, & we loved every detail of our meal. We really enjoy the desserts as well, especially the seasonal cannoli which was whimsically adorned with a fortune ribbon. It was a delightful touch that added a playful element to our dining experience. Overall, this is a must-visit for anyone looking to explore the delicious intersection of Indian & Chinese cuisines. With its inviting ambiance & mouthwatering dishes, it's a culinary journey you won't want to miss!
I went there on Friday & i was kind of disappointed. It was my second time, & i only went there again because i really enjoyed the food. On Friday, the restaurant was busy. We waited 20 minutes in order to be seated. Once we were seated, we ordered right away. Our food took very long to arrive. It took around 40 minutes & we were just 2 people. So i could say overall the service was really slow & bad. After our food has arrived we ordered spicy mayo which arrived 10 minutes later. But the food was good. We got the majestic chicken, fried rice, paneer chilli & shrimp. Not sure if we would go again.
Amazing food & great cocktails! We had a great time eating at Oorja, we ordered the chili dumplings, the duck wings, & lamb rolls for the entrees & everything was delicious! The most outstanding being the dumplings with the delicious sauce 🔥 followed very closely by the duck wings. but don't be fooled, both dishes are spicy! We love spicy food & this felt super authentic to the Indochinese flavours so we greatly appreciate the chefs effort to showcase the true spice of the cuisine. We also ordered the fried chicken with hokka noodles as main & it was amazing. For the dessert we had the red bean ice cream & it was 10/10. The cocktails were good. We had the passion fruit & the cashews all around & both were good.
Good place, worth trying. Pros: -Flavourful plates. The lamb spring rolls & the dumplings were delicious. Notes: -There's more cocktails options than main dishes -Most main dishes are spicy, even after asking to reduce the strength at the order.
