Restaurant GIWA propose une sélection minutieuse de plats coréens authentiques qui allient préparations traditionnelles et esthétique contemporaine moderne. Les convives découvrent des assiettes axées sur des profils de saveurs équilibrés, mettant en vedette des incontournables tels que les banchan assaisonnés, les viandes grillées au feu et les ragoûts fermentés copieux. La cuisine privilégie une gestion précise des températures et des ingrédients de haute qualité pour maintenir l'intégrité des recettes classiques dans un environnement épuré et soigné. Chaque composition sur le menu reflète un engagement envers l'authenticité culturelle tout en présentant les plats à travers un prisme minimaliste et moderne. L'espace mise sur l'efficacité et la clarté, permettant aux couleurs vibrantes et aux textures marquées des protéines et légumes marinés de définir l'expérience sensorielle. Cette approche offre une exploration ciblée des fondamentaux culinaires coréens pour ceux qui recherchent une qualité constante.
Restaurant GIWA est largement reconnu comme une destination culinaire exceptionnelle à Montréal, célèbre pour son approche authentique et réfléchie de la cuisine coréenne qui dépasse les attentes habituelles. Les clients louent constamment la grande qualité des plats, soulignant que le menu saisonnier est à la fois créatif et méticuleusement préparé, avec des incontournables comme le sotbap, le poulet frit coréen et des desserts fusion uniques qui suscitent fréquemment l'admiration. Bien que le menu soit volontairement concis, cet accent mis sur la qualité et la technique est très apprécié, et la présentation de chaque repas est régulièrement décrite comme belle et élégante. Le personnel est constamment mis en avant pour sa gentillesse, son attention et ses connaissances, prenant souvent le temps d'expliquer les ingrédients et les méthodes traditionnelles aux convives. Bien que le restaurant soit parfois décrit comme étant un peu plus cher ou disposant d'un espace intime et restreint, la grande majorité des visiteurs trouve que l'expérience en vaut largement le prix, le recommandant comme un incontournable pour quiconque recherche un repas sophistiqué et mémorable.
The dining experience was absolutely phenomenal! The food was incredibly delicious & packed with flavor. To top it off, the staff were amazing, friendly, & wonderfully attentive throughout our entire meal. Highly recommend
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 !
I had such a wonderful dining experience at Giwa! The food was absolutely amazing. The appetizers were delicious; especially the dakgangjeong. The cheese sauce on top perfectly complemented the sweet & spicy chicken, making it so addictive! The beef sot-bap was also incredible, the meat was full of flavor, & the side dishes paired perfectly with the meal.
& the dessert... wow! I loved how it wasn't overly sweet but still so satisfying & delicious. You can truly taste the time, care, & love the owners put into every dish.
Fantastic experience!
We had an amazing time at this new Korean restaurant! Even though it's only been open for a month, everything felt smooth & welcoming. The service was exceptional-Shaun took great care of us, explaining each dish in detail & even guiding us on the best way to enjoy them. It made the experience feel personal & authentic. The food was fresh, flavorful, & beautifully presented. You can tell a lot of care goes into both the cooking & the customer experience. We'll definitely be coming back-& bringing friends!
The only downside was that it was a little hard to have a conversation because of the noise.
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 ❤?
We had a 7:30 PM reservation for two & arrived on time, expecting to be seated shortly. There were two empty four-top tables, so we assumed one might be for us. Instead, we were told there were no tables available & asked if we wanted to sit at the bar-which we declined, since we had made a reservation specifically for a table.
We were told to wait'just a second,' but several minutes passed with no update. Then, a group of four who arrived after us was seated immediately, while we were still left standing awkwardly near the entrance. One of the empty tables remained untouched for at least 10 minutes before we were finally seated there. The staff apologized multiple times, but the whole situation felt disorganized & frustrating-especially since the point of a reservation is to avoid this kind of confusion.
We were given tea, which we assumed was a nice gesture to make up for the wait, but no one came by to refill it or offer water, & we were left quite thirsty by the end of the meal.
As for the food:
- The yukhwe was fresh & tasty, though the portion was smaller than expected given the price.
- The sogogi sotbap looked great but lacked the buttery, rich flavor we were hoping for.
- The side dishes were unique & interesting-definitely a highlight.
- The crème brûlée for dessert was the star of the meal. We'd honestly return just to try more desserts.
We were there from 7:30 to about 9:30 & ordered one appetizer, two mains, & a dessert.
Overall, 3/5. The food has promise & the staff were kind, but the seating experience really soured the evening. Hopefully, as the restaurant settles in, they'll improve table management & service flow to match the level of care they clearly put into their food.
This cute little restaurant has very Instagramy food: the dishes are placed in a very esthetic way, nice presentation. However I find the appetizers portion are too small for the price they charge. For example the scallop salad is 22$ for a very small amount...
The wait for the sotbap took forever. The Bol of rice came lukewarm & lacking flavor. The small dishes of banchan are ok. Out of the 3 kinds, we like the vegetarian the best. Rosemary gives a unique flavor to the rice. The fish & beef were kind of underwhelming/bland.
The star of tonight Show is the dessert!!!
We order perilla oil ice cream, it was perfect! It has a roasted nutty flavor. Who knew this can taste so good.
Also the brownie with dark chocolate mousse with maple ice cream was decadent!! (Although we didn't taste the gochuchang in the chocolate, but who cares?)
So conclusion: we would come back for the desserts.
