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.
L'ambiance est bonne mais les plats principaux étaient beaucoup trop épicés & même si nous adorons la cuisine épicée, aucune des 5 personnes n'a réussi à manger son plat avec plaisir. Nous avions pourtant dit au serveur de faire attention aux épices mais le cuisinier ne semble pas avoir reçu le message. je ne pense pas que nous y retournerons
Amazing food. The starters (Lamb spring rolls, Fried Momos, Manchow Soup) were really well made, especially the dips & the chutneys. Plating was superb. Tried the Chicken Manchurian with fried rice. The gravy was so close to indo chinese but the chicken was not as succulent & tender. Waiting staff were quick & delight to interact with. Everything was served really fast. Restaurant was a bit smaller & seating was not very comfortable as the tables are laid out very close to each other. Lighting was a little dim so could not read the menu. But overall a very nice ambience & is on the rustic side & the place was packed with people.
La nourriture est bonne. Par contre, le service est très lent, le serveur ne parlait qu’anglais alors que nous sommes à Montréal… Local très bruyant. Pas certaine d’y retourner.
Sauces très sucrées. Le plat de porc étaient bon mais trempait dans le gras.
& surtout très surpris que sur les 2 terminaux de paiement, on nous présente un pourboire de 18, 20 & 22% & que sur les 2 terminaux si on voulait changer cela le bouton ne fonctionnait pas. Le service était bien mais valait 15%.
Belle découverte! Besu restaurant, grandeur parfaite avec une décoration que j'ai adorée! Les grosses lampes suspendues, les murs en ciment, le mélange de matériau, tout y est!! Bonne ambiance & service discret & attentionné!! Les rouleaux à l'agneau étaient très bons, meilleurs que les dumplings au poulet dont la texture était un peu trop pâteuse! Portion généreuse pour le plat principal, porc braisé correct, sans plus! J'aurais aimé plus d'explications au niveau des vins puisqu'il n'y a pas de carte des vins! Bonne idée le concept de dégustation avant de choisir le vin! Belle surprise pour ce quartier!
The food is really very close to the Indo-Chinese Hakka cuisine. But I can imagine it might be a little too spicy for some people. So just ask before you order. Ordered one cocktail & it was well made. Would love to see cauliflower lollipop for vegetarians.
The restaurant staff & food were all excellent. My only comment is that the place is quite noisy due to the high ceilings & proximity of the tabels. We will definately go back for more!
Service was perfection. Food was..... the most exciting meal of my year! Was an circus of flavours in my mouth. Amazing!
My only negative comment is that they brought my dumplings & manchurian chicken at the same time. Would have preferred one at a time. Otherwise it was the perfect evening! Bravo guys!
Oct 1, 2023
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Brenan was an amazing server, & their bar-chefs clearly know how to craft an excellent cocktail, for drinks or for food this place is a must! Best new bar in montreal for sure
We really enjoyed out evening!
Only remark, if cocktail prices were a bit less steep, we would've ordered a second round. Also, some dishes portions were on the tiny side. Ex: mussels/rice, pork. Overall excellent!
I truly enjoyed my experience at the restaurant, the service was exceptional, the cocktails were amazing & the food was delicious. If I had to be picky my only "complaint would be the chicken meatballs in the chicken Manchurian were a bit more chewy than I would had preferred. When I think meatball I expect something softer in texture. But they were still delicious
Sep 25, 2023
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Good luck to the second Hakka restaurant to open in Montreal, the bar couldn’t be higher. Top service, amazing drinks, & authentic Hakka. Already looking forward to our next visit.
Saw a few posts about how this is the first Indo-Chinese restaurant in Montreal. As someone who grew up eating hakka chinese every other week, Oorja was immediately added to my list of places to try. It did not disappoint. The service, ambience, drinks, food, literally every single thing was absolutely phenomenal & so authentic. Will be going back often.
I was rather excited about eating here. But I have to be honest, the overall experience was rather underwhelming ans I don't plan on coming back. At 6:45pm, the kitchen was already out of 1 dish, the meal was tasty but not anything beyond, couple of the dishes tasted generically similar, the cocktails were ok at best, & the service, though quite polite was rather slow & unremarkable. The location itself is cute.
The food is amazing! It had the right amount of spice. The paneer in the paneer chilli was crispy, I felt the paneer was not fresh but the sauce was sooo good. I also liked that there were vegetarian options. The atmosphere is very loud as it’s a small restaurant & the tables are quite close to each other. I would have given it 5 stars if the service was good. Our server messed up our order & we didn’t receive our food at the same time. My partner had ordered an appetiser for themself & I had ordered a main dish; we had clearly told our server while placing the order. She brought the appetiser first & the main took almost 40-50 mins. We were also not checked upon during this time, I had to personally call someone & ask where my food was. She was checking on other bigger tables frequently, we were only checked in at the beginning. She did apologize to us, however it was supposed to be a celebratory dinner & it ruined the experience.
