Les saveurs thaïlandaises authentiques occupent le devant de la scène chez Restaurant Pichai où les épices audacieuses rencontrent l'ambiance vibrante de Montréal.
Restaurant Pichai concentre son approche culinaire sur les traditions vibrantes et audacieuses de la cuisine thaïlandaise, en privilégiant l'intégration d'aromates intenses et de niveaux de chaleur précis. La cuisine se spécialise dans des préparations authentiques au grill qui mettent en valeur les qualités naturelles des fruits de mer frais et des coupes de poissons de premier choix. Les clients découvrent une approche directe des saveurs où les assaisonnements fermentés et les herbes fraîches définissent chaque plat préparé. Cet établissement met l'accent sur un engagement rigoureux envers les méthodes de cuisson régionales thaïlandaises pour offrir des profils complexes à chaque bouchée. L'environnement demeure dédié à la prestation de ces ingrédients percutants par le biais de techniques de grillade au feu de bois. En maintenant des normes strictes pour l'approvisionnement, le menu garantit que les textures et les profils typiques essentiels à ce style culinaire restent représentés dans chaque portion servie.
Pichai propose une approche créative et audacieuse de la cuisine thaïlandaise, souvent saluée pour ses plats inventifs et riches en saveurs, accompagnés d'une impressionnante carte de vins naturels. De nombreux convives considèrent l'expérience comme un moment culinaire marquant, soulignant particulièrement la qualité des pétoncles, du porc grillé et du tiramisu au thé thaï. Si l'atmosphère est généralement décrite comme vibrante, branchée et chaleureuse, le cadre peut s'avérer bruyant et sombre, avec certains clients trouvant les assises inconfortables ou le service inconstant selon les soirs. Les avis sur les prix et la taille des portions sont partagés, certains appréciant la qualité des plats à partager tandis que d'autres estiment que le rapport qualité-prix est décevant ou que la nourriture est trop salée. Malgré des retours contrastés sur l'accueil et le rythme du service, une grande majorité de la clientèle considère cet établissement comme l'une des meilleures adresses gastronomiques de Montréal et souhaite y retourner.
Truly an amazing dining experience. I haven't had so much flavor in so long. I sat at the bar & the bartender was LOVELY. What he did right was repeat back my order several times as to make sure my order is right. This is a professional move as I had a terrible dining experience at another restaurant previously where the server accused I didn't order one dish & I obviously did.
Service was impeccable, the kind where it's not too much but just right, a delicate dance. I really appreciated one server bringing me the food & asked if I wanted to hear French or English I thought that was really thoughtful & not assuming even though many English speaking people dine there.
On to the food- the scallops are just divine, so many explosions of flavor. The fermented pork belly also so delicious. Smashed cucumbers were just perfect. I would perhaps skip out on the tapioca balls as they seemed a bit lost especially if you're going to order something that has rice or sticky rice, it'll be too much carbs & make you full. As a solo diner it was great to have the option of having half portions. The amount suggested by my server was just right, allowing me to take home leftover curry for dinner the next day. (The curry is always a good choice to take home for the next day!) A special place not to be missed!
Great service, & above average food. The pork belly was a little salty but the rice & cabbage offset it. However the rice does get dry & hard very quick.
The dumplings were amazing & is a must order. Of course the Thai tiramisu is also worthy of a try.
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!!! 🥺
Overall a fantastic dining experience. I highly recommend the mushroom salad & the raw scallops & pork belly were good as well. What really stood out in our experience was not specifically the service of our waitress but of the support staff. The bussers, the pass, & even hosts were all very kind & I think speaks highly about what kind of operation they are running at Pichai. I can't wait to come back to try more things.
The grilled pork collar was overwhelmingly salty & spicy. I let the server know & asked if the dish could be adjusted to make it less salty & less spicy. She simply said,'Unfortunately, no,' & walked away.
Overall, every dish we had was too salty & heavily over-seasoned. The spices completely overpowered the main ingredients, so it was hard to taste the actual flavor of the food.
Very disappointing experience, especially given the reputation & price point.
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.
Good service , place is nice but sorry to say too salty , my crabe des neige special dish especially, the papaye salad was a bit tasteless & the mango chausson well ....somehow I m sure mango jam at costco taste better nearly 200$ meal including another 2 starters & 3 drinks including tax only one person eating .....I d be tempted to go down to one star for food but as far as I m concerned this is nowhere near Thai food ...the only descent one was the pork sticky rice & cabbage leaves . I don't really understand the food critics in canada as this is now twice I follow their opinions & honesty vin min L.... left me the same bitter impression of money badly spent. But I can understand that if you haven't been to Asia you might think that salty soy sauce is the vinaigrette of Asian food.i would normally not make a bad review but when you have been named in the news by critics should live up to your expectations....it really leaves me wondering on how restaurants critics get to base their critics on ....
Whenever I have anyone in town & want to impress I bring them here! This place is like if a very chic bottle of funky wine had a sabbatical year in Thailand. All the dishes are bursting with flavour, snd the atmosphere is intimate & cozy. The servers are also ++ pleasant & a fun time. I've spent my last two birthdays here with no regrets. Get the fermented pork belly & whatever else they have on special, you won't regret it!
