Pichai is widely praised for bold, creative Thai flavors and a shareable, neo-Thai concept that shines in dishes like scallops, pork collar, fermented pork belly, tapioca dumplings, and a memorable Thai tea tiramisu. Several reviews highlight standout plates such as papaya salad, tom yum, and the egg dish that became a showstopper, with many diners calling the flavors authentic, lively, and deeply satisfying. Portions are often described as small for the price, though the quality and variety invite tasting across multiple dishes. Service ranges from impeccable and knowledgeable with excellent wine pairings to rushed or inconsistent, with reports of staff miscommunications and, in some cases, a less welcoming atmosphere. The ambiance is noted as vibrant, cozy, and stylish, sometimes loud, occasionally a bit too dark for reading menus. The menu includes weekly specials and a chef tasting option, with vegan and vegetarian choices appreciated by many. Overall, Pichai stands out as a top Montreal Thai option and a memorable dining experience, worth a visit for those seeking bold flavors, while reservations are advised and expectations should account for occasional service inconsistencies.
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.
Dec 4, 2025
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Had an excellent meal at Pichai last night! Everything was fantastic, but the Green Curry was a real standout-creamy, aromatic, & perfectly spiced. The service was friendly & the atmosphere was vibrant. I highly recommend!
Très bonne bouffe, avec beaucoup de variété, on y découvre des pans de la cuisine thaïlandaise qui sorte de l'ordinaire !
Petit bémol sur la salle du restaurant trop bruyante
Le curry rouge était délicieux & avec un bon rapport prix/quantité !
On aimerait plus d'options végés dans la carte temporaire ;)
Every bite was an absolute delight. Ordered the green curry (special menu), pork meatballs, & fish balls. Even the beans in the curry had the most perfect crunch. Staff was great & very helpful :)
We had an amazing experience here, but it was all for the food. Service could have been so much more attentive. Found the items that didn't have the *spicy note on the menu pretty spicy too, but it was still nice & balanced. The Panang curry with Maitake was lovely & the Thai tea tiramisu instantly became my favourite. Be sure to make a reservation because they can get super busy!
Jul 21, 2025
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Jeudi soir. L'endroit est bondé. Nous sommes trois. On nous recommande de prendre 2 plats par personnes. Nous en prenons 7, juste pour être sûrs. Ce fût un régal. & une réelle explosion de saveurs!
Ce que nous avons pris :
- Crudo de pétoncles; incroyablemeng bon. Coup de coeur.
- Salade de papaye; rafraîchissante & savoureuse.
- Pad Krapao avec petits calmars; correct, mais pas fan du calmar là-dedans
- Curry de légumes; extrêmement savoureux & délicieux. Un peu trop sucré.
- Collet de porc grillé épicé; délicieux & piquant!
- Tofu au soya; bien mais pas wow
- Oeufs mollets frits; bien mais passable
Globalement très satisfait des plats qu'on a mangé! Le seul point négatif de l'expérience a été l'attente; On a attendu quand même un bon moment avant que la serveuse revienne pour prendre notre commande.
Came here as a group of 6 & we had anticipated it to be excellent, in which they delivered. We got the tom yum soup which was good but not our favourite of the night. We got three items from the special menu : egg beef noodles,tofu & tom yum soup. all were good but wish the tofu was more (4 pcs) especially for the price of 15$. Thé noodles were definitely good & a big portion. The top favourite was the Kor Moo Yang, which was very yummy! My friend ordered the curry & the chicken dish (forgot the name) the food very throughly enjoyed but be warned all of the dishes were spicy!! haha
my friends & I are all predominantly asian & quite frankly weren't expecting the high spice level but it was very delicious. One thing i will add which i found odd.. was that we brought in a cake for a birthday celebration & we asked them to refrigerate it & they later told us that there was a 5$ cake fee PER PERSON. That was quite a shock to us all… seeing how the dishes are a bit pricey with tax plus tip we thought this was kinda ridiculous… wish they would remove it or mention it somewhere accessible or visible. Besides that the atmosphere was great & our waitress was nice. Food was good but spicy, some dishes are larger than most & some are smaller so best ask your waiter.ess beforehand for descriptions. Overall great but maybe decide wether u wanna bring in a cake or not
We have mixed feelings about Pichai. On the one hand, we enjoyed good personable service (if a tad hurried) though none of the rudeness experienced by some other diners; on the other hand, the quality of the entrees were hit or miss so 100% satisfaction is NOT guaranteed. But perhaps what Pichai may be most faulted for is the poor price-quantity value ratio. It clearly attempts to be an upper-class, fancy, quasi fine tapas eatery but while the prices are premium (other words, expensive), the ambiance, service & overall feeling are not up to expectations & do not warrant these hefty prices. Also, at one point, there was a 25 min wait between the 3rd & 4th dishes which was awkward & broke the rhythm of the evening. The fish ball appetizer ($4/two balls so $12 for three diners, two each) while tasty, was way overpriced & terribly easy to prepare. One could easily purchase an entire 1kilo bag of fish balls for $8 (50-60 pieces) at the supermarket, dunk them in an air fryer, pour over some bottled Thai sweet sauce & sprinkle some fried onion crisps. With this ultra low cost, Pichai could have offered this appetizer as an amuse-bouche & utilized it to elevate the entire Pichai experience instead of it now leaving a bitter after taste. The raw scallops were delicious in every sense. Once again, though, at $28 for a plate of 8 mini scallops, it was way overpriced. The pork collar was absolutely delicious & acceptably priced. The pork belly was so overly salty to the point of being inedible so that was a clear miss. The shrimp with egg was divine & the shrimps were well sized. We were not unanimous on the green curry with bourgot because two of us felt that the curry was overly sweet. The grilled chicken thigh was tasty but not exceptionally so. They also charged us $3 for an extra little bowl of rice. In a nutshell, as much as we would have loved to walk out of Pichau, wanting again to return, we do not collectively believe that we would revisit as there was a serious lack in value. Most dishes, all tapas-sized & single bites, are $25-38 each so the bill piles up very quickly for what are simple snacks. At this price point, the service, ambiance & penny-pinching do not hold water & Pichai fails to entice us to revisit. Pity that.
Oct 17, 2024
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Casual, fun & flavourful! I recommend Pichai to everyone who visits Montreal & everyone raves about it afterwards. Must get the curry & milk tea tiramisu.
Very innovative dishes that we'd not had before at a Thai restaurant. Shrimp with shallots & asparagus with pork were both amazing. Massaman curry was vegan but incredible. Waiter was very helpful both in selecting dishes & how much to order.
We ate outside for our loversary & it was a great night. Great wine choice, the orange wine was extra funky & extra delicious. Unique meals, especially the tapioca dumplings, which I recommend. I also really loved the shitake curry.
Pétoncles: sooo good! Acide & appétissant Curry crevette: délicieux & bonne soupe mixée Curry orange: ordinaire Tiramisu: vraiment spécial & recommande à coup sûre Hors de prix un peu mais bonne choix à essaye
Mar 29, 2024
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It was my first time at Pichai & I hope to go back soon! My favorite dish was the shrimp curry...Lord!! Spicy sweet 🔥 heat 🔥!! The waiter was very helpful as well! Good vibes!! 💖
2024: friendly attentive service, was patient while I sampled different wines. Definitely recommend their Pinot Blanc from Alsace. Scallops were good but spicy. Duck yellow curry was delicious. Beef salad was pretty good. Swordfish was okay but the sauce was nice. Thai tea tiramisu was fantastic. Mango pudding was alright, might be better without the grass jelly. Cute decor. My sister enjoyed the music. 2022: Excellent service. Great food.
Love this place, the food, the people, the atmosphere. Even the wine list, which skews a bit natural for my tastes, always has something I really enjoy. If they have the massaman curry on special don't miss it! Great stuff.
