Welcome to GIWA, where authentic Korean flavors meet modern creativity. Enjoy shareable plates, local wines, and fresh, seasonal dishes in the heart of Verdun. Join us for a unique dining experience!
Giwa stands out in Montreal as an elevated Korean spot with a cozy, intimate vibe and a small, thoughtfully curated menu that rewards attention to detail. The room feels private and homey, while the focus on precise sotbap rice dishes provides a foundation of texture and a crisp, nutty crust at the bottom, and the banchan is handmade to accompany each course. Dishes such as the seafood platter, beef tartare, gimbap, and dakgangjeon, along with a seasonal marinated seafood platter, are praised for freshness, balance, and presentation, with desserts that push Korean ingredients in creative directions. Desserts like perilla oil ice cream, gochujang brownie, and inventive sorbets receive enthusiastic notices. Service is described as friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, though some reviews note occasional timing hiccups, reservation issues, or warmth and lighting that affect comfort. The small menu is a deliberate choice that signals confidence and quality, delivering consistently high flavors that feel traditional yet refined, more like a high end kitchen than a casual spot. Overall Giwa is described as a hidden gem in the city, offering a cohesive, memorable experience, elegant plating, and a sense that every dish is thoughtfully crafted for those seeking thoughtful, elevated Korean cuisine.
We went to Giwa for a birthday & what a beautiful suprise it was.
The fried chicken was excellent & the smoked Gouda foam was definitely one of those things that makes you go WOW.
But the definite great surprise for me was the Doenjang creme brûlée which was a complete surprise & a very unique flavor profile that I haven't really seen anywhere else. A must try !
First off, I have to mention how cozy the place is. Very homey vibe; you're literally walking into an apartment, but it's setup like a resto. It does feel a bit small, but I enjoyed that aspect. Feels a bit more.. private, I suppose.
Next up, food & service. The food was absolutely amazing! We had ordered the seafood platter to share, along with the banchan sides & a few extra appetizers (yuhkwe(beef tartare) & dakgangjeong(fried chicken)). Every bite was incredible & fresh; by the end of the meal, I was soo stuffed, but I still wanted more, hahah.
Service itself was great! Servers were attentive, & explained the menu clearly. We barely had to ask any questions. Although, we did have a slight timing issue with the food.. but that was easily resolved. Everything made it to our table in the end, & satisfaction was achieved!
Thanks again for the food! We'll definitely be coming back. 🤤
Feb 16, 2026
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A Korean gem to have in Montreal! If there's one thing to emphasize it's their showcasing Korean ingredients & flavours not found elsewhere: omija in a cocktail, mugwort in their tiramisu dessert, marinated egg yolks for the rice dishes, perilla oil ice cream! The menu is small & well thought out, every dish showcases strong elements of Korean favourites & has great variety. The sot-bap (rice dishes) are beautifully presented & come with tasty banchan. The gimbap is airy, crunchy & packed with flavour. The fried chicken is a MUST, the smoked Gouda foam sends it through the roof. & do ask what the chef's dessert is because he's always coming up with a creative combo of Korean ingredients. Sharing some pictures from their holiday special set menu, features regular menu items but in a smaller format for this special menu.
Small menu but everything was so tasty, well prepared, authentic flavours & beautifully presented. I was a bit apprehensive coming here after having read the bad reviews, I worried for nothing. From their appetizers to their creative desserts, every dish was so delicious. The fried chicken was the best I had in years, the sauce not drenched with cheap syrup, so perfect. The galbi jjim was flavourful, not oily, so tender, filling as it came with rice & banchan. The beef sotbap was so good too. Beef was tender, rice cooked perfectly, & the sauce seasoned just right. The noodle soups didn't disappoint either. Don't forget to be blown away by their desserts. Loved their chocolate brownie, the chef creation, & sorbet. If any thing to be improved I'd say is their service. Never been to a restaurant where we were not greeted upon entering nor leaving. Also it took awhile before the waitress brought us water & asked us if we had any questions. This is not Korean hospitality. But we will be back for it's the best Korean restaurant in town.
This restaurant is truly a gem, & unlike anything else in the city.
The raw marinated seafood was one of my favorites - so thoughtful & intentional, especially the raw marinated crab, which is usually hard to eat with the shell but here felt effortless. The other seafood dishes were just as memorable.
The korean fried chicken was beautifully elevated, & the cheese foam complemented it perfectly. I also loved the sotbap with mackerel, made with seasonal ingredients that kept it fresh & special each time.
Other standouts were the beef tartare, the refreshing & beautifully presented watermelon salad, & the gimbap, which felt elevated & refined.
A special mention goes to the desserts. I'm usually not a dessert person, but their korean-fusion creations completely won me over.
Ultimately, Giwa is worth a visit if you're in Montréal. It's elevated Korean food with intention behind every dish.
the fried chicken (dakgangjeon) was super good it surprised me!! beef tartare (yukhwe) & beef noodle (yukgaejang) were also rly good. the gimbap too but feels kinda small for the price
but we mainly came for the raw seafood platter (haemul jang) which was $90 at MP & none of us rly liked it. it was either too salty or slimey or just not to our taste
we reserved & service was rly good, they took the time to explain each dish & how to eat it
Jul 29, 2025
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In addition to Korean BBQ & Korean fried chicken, we can now enjoy authentic Korean food in Verdun. Giwa's menu is not large, but every dish is delicious. We went there twice & tried almost everything on the menu. Our favorites were the gimbap, beef gimbap, & chocolate brownie.
I never expected to find such a beautifully prepared Korean meal in Canada.
The stone pot rice was perfectly cooked, down to the last crispy layer at the bottom 🍚
The deep-fried stuffed peppers were crispy with a spicy kick that filled every bite with flavor 🌶?✨
& the yukhoe (Korean-style beef tartare) was incredibly fresh, tender, & nutty-truly irresistible 🥩🥢
Highly recommend this spot to anyone missing the comforting taste of home-cooked Korean food ❤?
This restaurant just opened a few weeks ago & was intrigued by the menu. They serve more elevated Korean dishes with a twist. The menu is small but every dish was executed amazingly. We started off with their rendition on a gimbap & the beef tartare. Both were excellent & the texture of the fried seaweed was great! For mains we got the beef sotbap, fish sotbap & the haemul jang which was an assorted raw soy marinated seafood platter. All dishes were fresh & delicious. My fave being the beef sotbap. I really appreciated the attention to detail here as every side dish was tasty & well presented. To finish off the night we ordered desserts. DO NOT skip on the desserts because they were phenomenal! We got the gochuchang brownie & the pear, perilla & lime ginger sorbet/ice creams. There was so many different textures & flavours for all the desserts. The perilla ice cream was my fave! Never had tasted that flavour before & would recommend. Overall I really enjoyed this restaurant & will definitely be back. It's difficult to find restaurants at reasonable prices with high quality dishes & innovative ideas with almost flawless execution. GIWA definitely delivered!
From the appetizers to the dessert, everything was made with care & were delicious. The gimbap was super crispy & delicate. The beef tartare was fun to eat with the fried nori. The sot-bap came with many side dishes & tasted healthy & comforting. The brownie had a hint of gochujang & was very special. The perilla oil ice cream tasted very unique.
The waiter was super nice & the service is quite fast.
