Restaurant Pichai centers its culinary focus on the vibrant and bold traditions of Thai cuisine, prioritizing the integration of intense aromatics and precise heat levels. The kitchen specializes in authentic grill preparations that highlight the natural qualities of fresh seafood and premium fish cuts. Patrons encounter a direct approach to flavor where fermented seasonings and fresh herbs define each prepared dish. This establishment emphasizes a straightforward engagement with regional Thai cooking methods to deliver complex profiles in every bite. The environment remains dedicated to the delivery of these high-impact ingredients through traditional wood-fired grilling techniques. By maintaining strict standards for ingredient sourcing, the menu ensures that the specific textures and pungent profiles essential to this culinary style remain consistently represented in every portion served.
Pichai offers a creative and bold approach to Thai cuisine, frequently praised for its inventive, flavorful dishes and an impressive selection of natural wines. Many diners find the experience to be a culinary highlight, particularly noting the scallops, grilled pork, and signature Thai tea tiramisu as standout items. While the atmosphere is generally described as vibrant, cool, and cozy, the environment can be noisy and dim, with some guests finding the seating uncomfortable or the service inconsistent depending on the evening. Opinions on the pricing and portion sizes are divided, as some appreciate the quality of the shared plates, while others feel the value is lacking or the food is overly salty. Despite mixed reports regarding hospitality and pacing, many patrons consider it one of the top dining destinations in Montreal and look forward to returning.
One the best restaurants & hospitality experiences I've had this decade.
Did the chef's tasting menu. Utterly stunning meal, from pacing to techs to total satisfaction. Having lived in Hang Dong, CM, this grabbed the soul with gusto.
BIG shoutout to the homie Frank for the care & curation of our experience from start to finish, sparing no time or energy tending to our every remark & question. You're a gem, guy.
The dishes were loaded with playful spicy & subtle flavours & textures, light & fresh but also satisfying like comfort food. I was so full & happy after the corn salad & eggplant salad (which came with a nice portion of sticky rice to soak up the sauce) off the temporary specials menu. I'll be back to try more dishes soon :)
2026: I came back & had the special Galam Plee Pad Gapi (cabbage with oyster mushrooms) & a half portion of the pork collar which comes with sticky rice. Both were very good. The pork is salty but in a good way when you mix it with the rice & & eat the leaf in between bites. Also, maybe I'm just socially compatible with the staff but I think they give the best service in Montreal, maybe a tie or step up from mikado. They make you feel at home !
I came back a week later to have the Tom Som Pla soup (rockfish from Gaspesie, pineapple, tamarind). It was really wholesome but the red chilies are super spicy & they don't serve it with rice so this one I'd recommend ordering a rice to go with it. I think they should just include one tbh but I was lucky enough to be sitting next to someone who let me have some of her's ;)
A few weeks later I returned & treated myself to a mushroom night : 1/2 portion of Hed Nem Tok (grilled Montreal mushroom salad) that came with sticky rice, khanom jeeb tod (fried dumplings with stuffed pork, shrimp, Woodear mushrooms, Jimmy nardello sriracha), & 1/2 portion of the gaeng panang jaay (red curry, maitake mushrooms, celeriac, seasonal greens) that came with jasmine rice. Everything was exquisite & the service amazing as usual 🫠
Came back & had the nam Tok gai tod (lemongrass herb fried chicken that comes with dill & coriander & sticky rice). It was nice. There's a strong spicy salty kick. Similar flavour profile as their other dishes but not one of my favorites honestly. I sat on the terrace for a moment in the sun & it was chill.
Returned to have the pad normai farang & asked to get more of the rest instead of egg. The asparagus was sooo high quality & perfectly cooked. Nice fermented bean & garlic chive flavours
Always a pleasure talking to the staff, especially the manager Paras. She's such a sweetie!!! 🥺
All dishes flavorful & delicious, panang curry & fried chickpea with cauli salad were standouts. I'll be back to try the whole menu & whatever's in rotation. Highly recommend. Good service, cute place. chairs are firm, not cushioned.
May 18, 2026
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Dined at Pichai on the last night of our weekend trip to Montreal - it was the highlight of our trip.
The Atmosphere: warm, full our colors, life, & small hidden details wherever you look. Great music & vibe overall.
The Service: we didn't have a reservation & were able to get a seat at the bar for 2. Our primary server (a brunette man wearing a shirt saying'piano') was welcoming, knowledgeable, & gave us great recommendations. He guided us through the menu & continued to make sure everything was perfect throughout our meal. There was ~6 other front of house staff in the restaurant at the time, everyone of which interacted with us at some point in our meal, from water service, refreshing out cutlery & plates, & small quality checks throughout the service made for an amazing dining experience. Big applause to the service staff for their attention to detail.
The Food: no notes whatsoever. We ordered 5 dishes, plus dessert to share amongst 2 people & that was the perfect amount of food. Each dish was perfectly created with a variety of elements that all complemented each other perfectly. We had the scallop crudo, tapioca dumplings, soft boiled egg, pork belly, red curry, & Thai tiramisu.
Thank you to everyone at Pichai, I will be telling everyone I know about this restaurant.
Great vibes, serves & food. Totally worth the money. Our food was excellent - including tofu that melts in your mouth & curry that is sweet, spicy & savory. Amazing.
10/10 every single time. Favourite restaurant in Montreal & best Thai in the country! so. much. flavour.
Dishes are to share! You won't find your typical pad Thai, pad see eew or green curry on the menu. If you want to try a bunch of things I recommend doing the chef's choice which includes appetizers, mains & dessert. They send out a variety of items from their regular menu & specials, & can also accommodate dietary restrictions. It's plenty of food - you can expect to be walking out with leftovers & a veryyyyy happy tummy. Favourites are the mushroom salad (omg), chickpea tofu, panang curry, massaman curry & Thai tea tiramisu.
I would rather say that this's a hit n miss restaurant. First of all, get the raw scallops please ppl ! It is so good ! Well balanced limey flavor with the right texture of the cold fresh scallops , very tasty! However it went downhill form the very fabulous scallops, because of the'way too salty seasonal menu item -- fried chicken'. It comes with a nice bowl of sticky rice & bitter greens ( which are pretty nice) , but the fried chicken itself was super salty & relatively dry , it almost feels like it was forgotten by the chef & left in the super salty fish sauce for more than 3 days ! Even with the sticky rice & bitter greens, it was way too salty! Sadly, when we mentioned this to the waiter at the end, we didn't get any answers from the kitchen. The curry dishes are fine, it just the fact that they don't have any green curry dish at the moment let me down a bit since me personally finds the most attractive curry is hand down green ! Hunger steak is pretty good in curry sauce, the mushroom curry is a bit too sweet for my taste, but it all fine. Just the fried chicken, avoid it at all cost ! By the way, the atmosphere was nice though, chill & filled with fish sauce scent 😀
The food tasted like the one I had in Thailand, terrific. We had the beef tartare, the curry of the day & the papaya salad. Incredible 😱 I will return for sure.
I love this restaurant!! Easily one of my favorites in the city. The food was delicious & the staff is friendly. I enjoy the cozy vibe of the restaurant. Everything we had was tasty & the standouts we had were the scallops & steak with curry.
