Fatema Z.
Yelp
It's about time that Montreal gets its very own authentic Indian chai and chaat café.
Located downtown, steps away from Metro Guy-Concordia, Maison ChaiShai offers something unique to all, despite being surrounded by various cafés and eateries. Since opening a month ago, it has already drawn in students and curious foodies by its zen and cozy interior and diversified menu.
Being a fully family-run restaurant, we were given a lovely warm welcome and made to feel like we were at home. Speaking with the owners Samad and Nahid, this has been a dream of theirs for a long-time coming. Interior designer Nahid has curated the space beautifully to look like an extension of their own home, with gorgeous artwork and unique wooden pieces from Pakistan, silk curtains from India, and colourful lanterns from Turkey. Being an Indian 'fusion' restaurant, they would like everyone who steps into the space to feel welcome, relaxed, and at home.
Though the name, Maison ChaiShai, might suggest a chai café or the likes, I was surprised to see that it is way more than that! From an extensive drink menu that boasts the Indian version of bubble-teas such as their litchi and pomegranate blasts to Indian snacks and street foods and complete à la carte main dishes. The menu, in which everything is 100% Halal, is still being developed to soon include Indian-style sandwiches, bowls and a high-tea menu!
We ordered a variety of mouth-watering dishes to try and were blown away from the exotic flavours. Everything was beautifully presented, and portion sizes were great for sharing. The dahi puri and samosa chaats were exploding with flavour at every bite, the quality incomparable to other chaats that I have tried in the past. From the à la carte menu, we had the Hariyali Chicken, Seekh Kabab, Bihari Kabab and Butter Chicken. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted exquisite. The kababs were perfectly moist and succulent, the hariyali 'green' chicken was tender and full flavour and the butter chicken definitely stole the show, being the BEST I have ever had! My MIL, an expert in Indian cooking, was also amazed and that's saying something!
To sweeten our palate, we ended with an Indian-fusion dessert - a Gulab Jaman cheesecake. It was served magnificently with fragrant rose petals, drizzled with sweet cardamom syrup, and tasted heavenly! Of course, we could not enjoy this without a steaming hot cup of chai. I had the Kashmiri (pink) Chai and let me tell you - this was one of the freshest and most authentic Kashmiri chais that I have ever had, unlike the ones made with artificial syrups that are overly sweet. It was truly a hug in a mug, so comforting with just the right amount of pistachios. My husband devoured his masala chai which was perfectly spiced and great for uplifting the senses on a cold winter's day.
Overall, I was truly impressed by my first visit to Maison ChaiShai. Everything from the quality of the food to the ambiance and service was exceptional. Highly recommend and a must to visit if ever in Montreal!