Gaia Restaurant — Restaurant in Montreal

The service was the poorest, the food was amazing.

We celebrated my good friend's' birthday there this evening and we had a reservation, we probably went overboard by adding a last minute +++2 people on our list but we also just made it work with whatever table we had.

We came in and we had to keep asking for things we needed (water, utensils, did not even offer us extra napkins; we had 2 kids and a teen with us)

Now the jaw dropping part was, they took the cake out in the box, without lighting the candle and just handed us the whole thing waited 5 minutes for a lighter and they finally came out with a torch after my mom followed up, our server decided to give us paper plates because when my mom asked for some they said they only had paper plates and plastic forks, again we had to ask for a knife to cut the cake, to end this beautiful evening, the other table right beside us, gets served with a birthday cake that has a candle lit, prepared to be given to the celebrant and they were served with regular plates for dessert (not plastic forks either) stainless steel. I then confronted the server and asked why were we served differently, with a long pause he said "we never asked"--- with the service charge that we pay, and the years they have been serving, we have to ask them to light the candle? When we clearly already said that the celebrant is ready to blow her cake? And seriously???? Paper plates ??

Good food. Ambiance was okay. But very very poor service. Would never go back.

PS. We tip well, we even helped the servers pile the plates and handed it to them, went to the counter nicely and paid for our plates. I just do not understand why would it be so hard to be served the same way...

As dedicated Pho-lovers whose old Pho place kinda fell by the wayside, we are actively on the hunt for a new place we can haunt on the regular.

We found Gaia by Googling “best Pho in Montreal”. It popped up in the top 3 results in several searches. The reviews were great and it isn’t far from the Jean Talon Market, where we already planning to go anyway, so we decided to hit two birds with one stone.

The restaurant itself is very cute. It’s filled with old, gaudy furniture that is strangely charming and adds a little something different to the atmosphere. The waitstaff were incredibly friendly and prompt. We were seated and served immediately.

The menu has a large selection without being excessive. The only thing I didn’t like - which I realize is petty on my part - is the fact that doesn’t explain what each dish consists of. I don’t eat things like cilantro, tripe, etc which many Pho restaurants use so I had to ask to make sure my order didn’t contain these items.

I ordered the Soupe Tonkinoise with rare beef. It was spectacular! It came in a huge bowl and the broth was full of flavour and extremely tasty. The server gave us Sriracha and Hoisin sauces but neither were necessary. It was perfect exactly the way it was.

We loved it! Is it the best Pho we’ve ever had? No. But it’s pretty damn good and we would definitely...

I had the pleasure of dining at a new Vietnamese restaurant in Montreal that just opened this week, and I was thoroughly impressed with the authenticity of their food. The meal started with a highlight: beef sashimi that was exceptionally fresh and flavorful. This was followed by tempura soft-shell crabs that were perfectly crispy and delicious.

The crispy chicken dish was another standout, with a delightful crunch and savory seasoning. The lemongrass beef noodle Bun Bo Hue soup was rich and aromatic, offering a comforting and authentic taste. Finally, the grilled chicken basil combo was a perfect blend of tender chicken and fragrant basil.

Overall, this restaurant offers a genuine taste of Vietnam, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic Vietnamese dining experience...