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Vegan
Organic
Thai
Beer/Wine
Asian
Fine dining Thai vegetarian restaurant offering many choices, all of which are now fully vegan (since spring 2013). Prices moderate to slightly expensive. Confirmed open, Apr 2017. Their less expensive version of the same food, Chuch (lunch express style), had shut in early-2014. Open Tue-Sat 5:00pm-9:00pm.
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Last update on 09 Nov 2022 by helterskelter
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112 Reviews
First Review by tragedia
kennyp353
Points +1801
Dull and overpriced - Edit
So I went there armed with the HappyCow reviews to help in my menu choices, but I really wish I didn't.
Read moreI had the crispy breaded seaweed appetiser. Someone said they'd never tasted anything like it before. Nor me, really - but not in a good way. It was like sticky sesame fried pretzel slices - not exactly unpleasant, but not an experience I'd care to repeat. The hot and sour soup with vegetarian chicken and lemongrass was adequate despite a slight taste of dishwater, with three small slices of an acceptable fake chicken.
Followed by the vegetarian duck with hot chili and basil. Decently spicy, and decent-sized portions (rather than overly-huge American sized), but it was a really poor duck substitute - I've had far better fake meats than they use here. The sticky rice was crusty on the top, rather like if you'd left cooked rice to cool in the open air for several hours and then microwaved it - the worst rice I've ever had - it's astonishing how they could mess up rice.
Service was terrible, from a surly rake-thin Asian woman who has obviously chosen the wrong career having no interest in so much as saying hello to a customer, never mind smiling or attempting to build rapport.
I was really looking forward to this, given the reviews and the recommendation from one of the animal rights protestors. But it wasn't worth the trip, nor the $50 check.
Pros: ambience
Cons: disappointing food, terrible service, overpriced
Guest
veggiewoman
Points +378
Innovative Thai oh my! - Edit
Wow. I eat thai fairly often and ChuChai had some really interesting dishes. There were tons of mock meat dishes (not my thing), and it is maybe 95% vegan. We had a breaded seaweed that I had never seen or tasted anylike like it before, sauted eggplant with spicy sauce and INCREDIBLE peanut sauce covered tofu (among the best tofu I have ever had). Yum yum! Nice terrace and atmosphere too.
Read morePros: Delicious, Variety, Atmosphere
Guest
pandora_13
Points +80
Slightly disappointed... - Edit
I was really looking forward to trying out Chu Chai on my visit to Montreal last week. Based on others' reviews I was expecting something akin to a religious experience, and unfortunately it was several notches below that.
Read moreI think the thing that turned me off the most was the atmosphere. They're going for that sleek, trendy look that's so popular with the NYC SoHo types. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing... but Chu Chai's decor just feels steely and cold. The server's lack of enthusiasm didn't help either.
Still, what matters most to me is the quality of the food. The fried dumplings were sadly disappointing; they were miniscule in size, over-fried and hard. You really couldn't even tell there was anything inside them. If they had been steamed they probably would have been much better. The spring rolls looked very good though, and did get two thumbs up from our dining companions.
For our main dish, my boyfriend and I split the fried rice noodles with duck, chilis and basil. This dish was incredibly tasty. However, for $14 we really expected a much larger serving. (Obviously at Chu Chai you're paying more for the decor than for the food.) Other dishes we sampled were the chicken and broccoli, which was simple and tasty; and the fish with ginger, which was very delicately spiced but still flavorful. (Note: The pepper rating system is spot-on. Zero peppers means zero heat, unlike at many Thai places. If you find that boring, order something with a pepper or two.) And what's the deal with making you pay separately for rice? You'd think they could toss it in for free with prices that high.
It was a blessing in disguise, though, that our main dish was so small... because the desserts were very good. The fried bananas with ice cream were out of this world. I would probably return there just for that alone. The coconut tapioca custard was good too.
The food at Chu Chai is, for the most part, very good. For this reason alone I'm giving it four cows. Whether or not it's worth the price is up to the individual, I suppose. I don't think I'd go often, personally, when there's other great Thai food available in Montreal for a much more reasonable price.
Pros: Tasty food, Varied selection
Cons: Way too expensive, Cold, trendy decor, Lackluster service
Guest
tragedia
Points +43
Try it and you'll love it - Edit
Although the meals here are horridly expensive for the amount of food that you get, the food is to die for. For an appetizer, try the peanut butter dumplings (only as of recently have they been made vegan) and the breaded mushrooms. A friend of mine said they tasted like sesame beef, but I'd never tried sesame beef, so I couldn't compare. Their meals are very tasty overall, but they don't really offer that much (quantity) in terms of their "star" ingredients, ie. fake meat. For example, a meal of "shrimp" and veggies offers perhaps only 6 or 7 shrimp. Overall, however, this place is a must-try.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Friendly staff
Cons: Expensive, Small portions
Guest
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