LE CHEF | THE CHEF | الشيف — Restaurant in Montreal

Update 11/02/25: What should've been done, was that either the male owner, female owner or the waitress could've told us from the start not to share, so that this misunderstanding would've never happened. Instead, my mom and I were stared at when the three were arguing about us sharing, right across from us at the kitchen. I would not come back, even for the free meal. The waitress was smart enough to just sulk and pout when I said I would give my soup from the meal to my mom, instead of telling me not to share. That way, I spent more for a meal that I didn't get to really enjoy.

Update 10/21/25:

After coming a third time (twice with my mom and once by myself for a pick up order, I would never come back).

Even though I gave a previous positive review, the customer service was lacking. I had to be getting up to ask for water (when they leave jugs at people's tables) and asking for the waiter, instead of him checking up on me. The waiter checked up on other customers, so sadly we were being ignored. I still gave a positive review, because the food was delicious.

The second time I went for pickup, I felt like I was bothering.

A lady (who seems to be the owner) was less than happy to see me and less than happy to serve me.

I felt like I had to almost beg her to give me food, even though I can go wherever I want to get food.

Sadly, the food was not as good as last time.

Today, 10/21/25, I forcefully took my mom back to the restaurant because I really enjoyed their food.

I ordered a meal where you can reorder, which I shouldn't have ordered.

The lady said it was for one person, but she never said that if I shared, I could not reorder.

I gave the soup that came with it to my mom, and the lady serving us, the owner lady and the male owner were less than happy that I did that.

They were talking about us in Arabic, but we knew they were talking about us since they started arguing and said certain key English words.

I just wanted to enjoy my food.

When I asked the lady serving us if I could get more, she said no, since I shared.

I then asked for the bill and my mom let the male owner know how we felt.

I let him know that I kept on coming back because I wanted to support fellow Palestinians,but I wouldn't be coming back.

I shouldn't have tipped,because of the bad customer service,but I did.

I feel very sad, as the food is good, but if I'm feeling uncomfortable, because my mom is feeling uncomfortable, I definitely must...

This restaurant has been on my list of saved places for a while, and I finally had the chance to try it out yesterday. It’s a hidden gem on Crescent Street.

The atmosphere is nice and cozy, and the various products and decorations brought a wave of nostalgia. The menu is rich and diverse, and I especially loved the creative idea of displaying the origin of each dish with the flag of its country—something I haven't seen here in Montreal.

We chose the package deal, which included four options: a main dish, one side, two soft drinks, and sweets (mainly baklava, my favorite, and kunafeh). We enjoyed beet hummus, Palestinian musakhan, Egyptian moujadara, kufta with tahini sauce, grape leaves, and Arayes filled with meat. For dessert, we had baklava and ordered Turkish coffee.

Overall, all the food was delicious and flavorful. The small portions of various dishes allowed us to enjoy a mix of different flavors at once.

Ra’ed and his wife Hadeel, the owners, are truly the cherries on top. They are welcoming, kind, and sociable.

My first experience was pleasant and enjoyable, and I highly recommend this restaurant if you love...

First of all, I am going to divide my opinion into four categories: place, amount of food, taste and quality of food, and price.

Place: The restaurant is clean and nicely designed, with a style that leans more towards a modern café than a traditional restaurant. This gives it a pleasant and beautiful atmosphere.

Amount of Food: The portions were fair; however, the dishes came with nothing but a very small bowl of tahini sauce, which felt insufficient.

Taste and Quality of Food: Here’s the surprise — the rice tasted very ordinary, with just a slight smoky flavor. Unfortunately, it didn’t resemble the authentic Mandi experience. I shared my feedback with the owner, but instead of addressing my concerns, she responded rudely, saying, “Are you here to evaluate our food?” This was accompanied by inappropriate gestures, which I found unprofessional and disappointing.

Price: We paid $80 for two plates and two small servings of tahini sauce. This price felt unfair, especially given the underwhelming food quality and unpleasant service.

Overall, the experience was disappointing and did not meet my...