Restaurant GIWA serves a curated selection of authentic Korean dishes that bridge traditional preparation with a modern, contemporary aesthetic. Diners encounter plates centered on balanced flavor profiles, featuring essential staples like seasoned banchan, flame-grilled meats, and hearty fermented stews. The kitchen prioritizes precise heat application and high-quality ingredients to maintain the integrity of classic recipes within a streamlined, polished environment. Every composition on the menu reflects a commitment to cultural authenticity while presenting the food through a cleaner, more minimalist lens. The space focuses on efficiency and clarity, allowing the vibrant colors and bold textures of the primary proteins and pickled vegetables to define the sensory experience. This approach provides a focused exploration of Korean culinary fundamentals for those seeking consistent quality and standard-setting techniques in their meal.
Restaurant GIWA stands out as a culinary gem in Montreal, celebrated for its elevated, authentic, and thoughtfully crafted Korean cuisine. Patrons frequently praise the menu for being intentionally concise, allowing for a high level of precision and freshness in every dish, especially the unique sotbap and the highly recommended fried chicken. The overall dining experience is characterized by elegant presentation, complex flavor profiles, and creative desserts that surprise and delight guests. Many reviewers highlight the warm and knowledgeable service, noting that the staff takes great pride in explaining the traditional techniques and ingredients behind each meal. Whether visiting for a cozy dinner or a special celebration, guests consistently find the experience memorable, delicious, and well worth the visit.
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 !
We will definitely come back.
Mar 19, 2026
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Première visite & j'ai vraiment aimé l'expérience. Ce fut mon introduction à la nourriture coréenne & j'ai été rapidement conquise. Nous avons débuté par le tartare de boeuf en entrée, suivi du SOT-BAQ au poisson & des nouilles au boeuf. J'anticipais un peu que ce soit trop piquant pour moi, qui trouve la sriracha presque too much, mais finalement le niveau de piquant était très tolérable.
Pour terminer, nous avons pris le Hodomaru, un délicieux dessert chocolaté présenté avec beaucoup d'élégance & énormément de saveur. Le tout accompagné d'une tisane à l'orge très réconfortante.
Le service était sympathique & convivial. On pouvait vraiment sentir que le serveur était fier de présenter les plats de son pays d'origine, avec toutes leurs saveurs & leur complexité.
Le seul point à améliorer serait, selon moi, la carte des vins, qui ne comporte que deux ou trois choix au verre, pas très intéressants. Autrement, tout était parfait ! Merci!
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. 🤤
This was such a lovely dining experience. The staff here are really nice & the food is so flavourful & fresh. This is a set menu restaurant & I love how they perfected everything on it.
Impeccable ! Je me suis sentie transportée en Corée 🥰 C'est ma deuxième fois dans ce restaurant & je ne regrette pas d'avoir fait 50 minutes de voiture pour venir.
Took my partner here to celebrate for a birthday dinner. The food was delicious & exactly what they wanted as they love little dishes & such.
The atmosphere is almost there. My best suggestion is that they match the light bulbs that are in the lanterns & only keep a couple screwed in or get rid of the brighter lights altogether.
The'bar' area can also use some thoughtfulness. There's stacks of boxes or something that make it an eye-sore & the lighting in the kitchen disrupts the lighting in the dining area. I'd put a wall up, separator & match the lighting altogether.
Beyond the lighting, the I'm really here to comment on the service that Hailey provided, which was sweet & thoughtful.
With the customer service bar so low these days, a smile goes a long way! She did that & so much more by not only being patient in our decision making process, but also, treating my partner to a little birthday ice cream.
Will be back to try other dishes, but hopefully the lighting is adjusted by then.
