Sam cha provides a specialized Korean barbecue experience centered on interactive tabletop grilling. Patrons select from a curated variety of marinated meats and fresh vegetables prepared directly at the table for optimal flavor profile control. The menu emphasizes traditional culinary techniques featuring essential staples such as kimchi, soybean paste stews, and seasoned side dishes that accompany the primary protein options. Each meal centers on the tactile process of searing slices of beef and pork over charcoal or gas flames to achieve a distinctively charred texture. The interior layout prioritizes functional efficiency to accommodate social groups focused on communal cooking. This establishment maintains a robust focus on authentic seasoning profiles and high quality ingredients, ensuring that the preparation techniques remain consistent with regional Korean standards for grill house cuisine.
Sam Cha is widely regarded as a go to destination in Montreal for authentic and flavorful Korean cuisine, consistently praised for dishes like bibimbap, fried chicken, udon, and jokbal. While many diners highlight the affordable prices, generous portions, and welcoming staff as major draws, the restaurant is also noted for its small, cozy, and often crowded environment. Because of its high popularity among students and locals, noise levels can be high and wait times long, making reservations strongly recommended. While the vast majority of patrons have positive experiences with the quality of the food and the vibrant atmosphere, some mention occasional inconsistencies in seasoning or service speed, and others point out that the intimate seating arrangement can be a bit tight for those seeking a quiet dining experience.
Legitimately the best spot in mtl. Great staff, great vibes, great soju. Get the lychee soju & pig feet (spicy ) & seafood pancake. Thank me later. Cya
Absolutely loved it! We waited about 45 minutes as it was Saturday night dinner time. Once seated we were quickly greated & served our drinks. We ordered; sweet chickie, bulgogi, spare ribs, homemade kimchi, curry udon, tteakbokki rosé & seafood pancake. All super delicious & perfectly portioned for 4 people. Service was quick, friendly & efficient. Will definitely come back to taste more from the menu! Only negative is you come out of restaurant very very very stinky 😝
A bit of a disappointment since there was no free side dish. We ordered some tteok bok ki fried skewers & it was good, with some sauce to dip in. We ordered some fried dumplings & they were bland, a bit too fried, too oily. The rating went downhill because of the porc bone soup, the soup was very very salty & when you remove the 3 big bones, there is barely any soup left... Anyways, not recommended. The beef bibimbap was ok, could of been better in taste.
The service was ok, it wasn't busy at lunch time, & had to ask the waitress twice for napkins.
The place didn't look too tidy, mediocre, the seats were a bit too close between clients.
Feb 23, 2025
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Food was good, but that's about it. The service was ok, not great they never came to check ups after serving, also it took 40 minutes to receive our food, which wasn't so bad as we got our appetizer at least. My biggest problem is that we got placed in a separate room from everyone, it was past the kitchen; it look disheveled, left behind & also cold since there wasn't a lot of people/ambiance… Honestly would have expected better from a reservation! Overall ok since the food was good (at least), but i would not go back there.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but the meal didn't quite live up to what I had hoped for.
We started with the Beef Tartare as an appetizer. The beef itself was quite sweet, but the flavors felt unbalanced. To make matters worse, it was served cold, almost frozen, with ice crystals in it😂😂
The Tofu Soup, however, was a highlight. It had a great flavor & was definitely the best dish of the meal. We also tried the Spicy Jokbal, but it was far too sweet! Despite being labeled as spicy, I could barely taste any heat.
The waiter was attentive tho, so one star for him. But overall, I left feeling disappointed
Cette semaine j'avais appeler pour reserver pour ma fete a moi & mon amie samedi du a un probleme de cuisine il ne prenais que de petite reservation ce qui est comprenable mais il ont quand meme acceptee de prendre ma reservation pour samedi jen suis vraiment reconnaissante le samcha est devenu mon resto preferee cest tellement bon les prix son abordable & le service 1000/10 nous avons eu du plaisir & vraiment apprecier notre moment desoler pour le bruit samedi 😂😂😂 desolee aussi d'avoir surement tres mal prononcer makgeolli mais cetais vrm bon cest la deuxieme fois que jy allait en groupe & on a tellement aimee quon voulais revenir je conseille vraiment ce restaurant un gros merci au staff de nous avoir endurer dans notre fun 😂😂😂
Beef tartare est le meilleur!!! C’est la première fois j’essaie du bœuf cru mais franchement c’est super délicieux, trop tendre & la sauce est sour & sweet. La portion de Spicy jokbal est trop généreuse, on était trois mais on n’a pas pu finir. La serveuse était trop patiente avec nous elle nous a aidé sur le choix des plats, mais le resto est quand même petit & les places sont trop trop serrées, à part ça tout était parfait!!
Soo so good! Love the food there, it honestly doesn't compare to any other place. The quality is amazing, the prices aren't too high & overall everything is nice. Do make sure you reserve though because it's always packed.
