Reviews paint Pichai as a bold and vibrant Thai dining experience in Montreal, with many dishes described as delicious, flavorful, and creatively prepared, and the Som Tum, tapioca dumplings, pork collar, seafood options, and Thai tea tiramisu singled out as standouts; the wine list is frequently praised and the atmosphere is lively, sometimes noisy, with a chic, cozy vibe. Several guests commend the friendly, knowledgeable service and the overall vibe, while others note moments of inconsistency, including rushed pacing, uneven service, or staff who seemed dismissive, which can affect the experience. Portion sizes are cited as variable, sometimes small for the price, while many diners feel the food justifies the cost due to quality and bold flavors. A number of reviewers consider it among the best Thai or Asian-inspired options in the city and express strong intent to return, despite occasional shortcomings such as delays or miscommunications. Overall the consensus skews positive, with food and atmosphere often praised as exceptional and the wine and cocktails adding to the enjoyment.
I had heard a lot about this place from my friends & finally had to try it so I went this weekend & it was amazing. The food is amazing. The bread & the fish & the chicken is so good. Oh my God the flour is & the spice are perfect. I love this kind of food. They also took my suggestions & made some personalizations & changes so I am very happy about that.
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 😀
Apr 14, 2026
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We met another couple who had been before. We were warmly received. Our waitress Paras was excellent. She definitely knew how to upsell. As they promote'family style' which is popular these days with restaurants as it is effective in getting customers to spend more. We had several plates starting with the fish balls. These were good but a bit chewy for my taste. The sticky rice was way too sticky. Then we had the fermented pork which was tasty. Then the dumplings which were also good. We had some marinated tuna from a secondary menu which was delicious & the arctic char which was whole fish. It was spicy & delicious as well. I found the food flavourful & the service was excellent. The shortcomings were the sticky rice which needs to be worked on. I also found the wine list was super expensive with no budget options. I also didn't like our seating as our booth for 4 was awkward & uncomfortable. A bit of work needed to get to 5 stars but a pleasant & somewhat pricey experience with wine. Would recommend.
I didn't enjoy most of the food they had to offer. fish balls (decent) , pork belly (overly fatty), arctic char (excellent), & pad krapao clams (mix of raw & overcooked basil with inedible parts such as stems & flowers, very little clams), Thai tea tiramisu (in my opinion they don't pair well together). Overall was not blown away like other diners sadly.
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 :)
Overall the food was good, but a bit pricey. We ordered three dishes & a dessert to share. I also ordered one glass of wine. The bill ended up being 90+ after tax & tip.
I liked the duck heart quite a lot. The pork was a bit salty but okay if you eat it with the sticky rice. It was my first time learning that Thai food can be eaten like BBQ, e.g., wrapping the meat & rice with cabbage. Quite interesting. The fish was good, tasted like it was cooked with Tom Yum Goong Soup. I liked it at the beginning but the whole fish was quite big for two people. In the end, it felt a bit greasy.
The restaurant is quite cute with a small patio outside in the neighborhood. It was a bit rainy & cool the day we went, but it was okay sitting outside with heating on.
Jul 11, 2025
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You NEED to go here. Amazing food, good portions. The pork collars were out of this world. The meatballs & fishballs were yumm too. Wine was also great. Must visit!!!
This is my 2nd time to Pichai. Service is impeccable, accommadating. The food is outstanding. The textures, portions, flavours, presentation were as perfect as last year with several different items I had not tried before.
I went with friends & family that love heat.
Luk Shin Plaa Tod fish balls were bursting with flavours. I could have devoured the sweet chillie
Yum Hoi Shen Raw Scallops were like a palate cleanser & was perfectly seasoned.
The Sakoo Sai Moo tapiaco dumplings were fantastic.
Naem Moo Yang had flavour & texture.
Kor Moo Yang was delicious
The sticky rice was perfect with our favourite dish the mushrooms
Then came the insanely delicious Mango: Mango jam, whipped coconut cream, condesnsed milk. Ice shaving of mango burst. Cooling the palate.
We tried two intersting wines, private collection which paired well. Last time we tried cocktails.
Porc is rarely a protein of choice, however they were beautifully prepared.
A never have desserts, however this was worth every bite & light.
Pichai is definately on my top 10 list of favourite Montreal restaurants.
As a Montreal licenced food guide for 33 years, working with visitors I am always looking for special hidden gems. This is definately one.
I will definately back to try more. Highly recommended
RUBY Roy
We went last night & the whole experience was amazing! The food was delicious, reasonably priced & plentiful .We were so stuffed! Got three specials & three mains. I also got the tequila cocktail, We couldn't decide what was out favorite out of everything it was all so yummy! Don't skip the whole fish & shaved ice desserts, they are a vibe!
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.
I tried Pichai for the first time with my friend yesterday & we had a great time as the service was great! My favourite dishes were the fried fish balls & the tapioca pork dumplings! The food is extremely flavourful, but keep in mind that its very garlicky & some of the dishes were a bit too salty for my taste. Bring mints if you're coming for date night!
Small menu, but honestly, they make up for it in taste, authenticity, & service. It was our first time here, & we were blown away by how much care they put into the food. Each ingredients were really fresh, & they integrated well on the plate. I was skeptical by the whole fried fish, growing up in southeast Asia. But it was crispy, not greasy, the way it's meant to be. Two of us shared 4 plates, including dessert, & went home happy & full.
Everything was great. I had fish ball, Kor Moo Yang & Pad sator goong. Kor Moo yang was great, but for the pad sator goong- which is shrimps stir-fried with stink bean, you should consider cause this bean is little bitter. Btw, I love the service here.
Apr 28, 2024
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Amazing food, knowledgeable & enthusiastic staff. Fish balls were best, reordered repeats. Whole fish (arctic char) was amazing. All food is quite spicy, though they tone it down for you by request. Very nice decor & sound system. Very reasonable bill. Will definitely return!
My favourite restaurant in a city full of amazing food. I’ve eaten here so many times & often bring out of town visitors. Everyone is always so impressed. Be sure to try the whole fish & tiramisu.
