You know the feeling. One moment you’re chasing the perfect pad thai across town, and the next you’re settled into your neighborhood spot, where the tom yum soup feels like home. Whether this shift hit at 25 or 65, if your cravings now demand authentic, soul-warming Thai, this list is your new compass. Here are the nine places in Saint Laurent that truly deliver.
Bistro Sawadika
$$ | (514) 339-1188 | WEBSITE
At one point in your adult life, going out meant navigating menus with tiny portions and waiting forever for your food. You’re over it. Luckily, Bistro Sawadika is an all-you-can-eat restaurant that doesn’t mess with any of that. Yes, the beautifully decorated ambiance is impressive and the lighting definitely creates a great atmosphere, but this Saint Laurent spot is never overwhelming. The variety of dishes is all fantastic and their quick, efficient service is one of our favorites in town.
Asie Moderne
$ | (514) 748-0567 | WEBSITE
To be honest, Asie Moderne is cozy. But it’s not the type of cozy where you’re in constant fear of bumping elbows with the person at the next table. People here are either sipping complimentary tea at their seats or leaning over their steaming bowls discussing the number of Thai chilies it took to make their current soup so flavorful. All the soups are fantastic and if you’re extra hungry, there’s a great authentic Thai-inspired menu. Get the hot soup and vegetarian options.
Épicerie Pumpui
$$ | (514) 379-3024 | WEBSITE
Épicerie Pumpui is a small Thai spot in Montreal and a place you go specifically to eat perfect Thai food. The menu is broken into a few standout dishes – pad Thai, shrimp pad Thai, fish balls in green curry, and mango sticky rice. Whatever you go with will be one of the better-made Thai dishes in Saint Laurent. That includes the overly sweet pad Thai you make for yourself at home three times a week.
The place does get crowded during peak dinner times and weekends, but no one’s obnoxious about how long they’re lingering. If you want to share, you can order multiple dishes like the highly praised chicken wings and enjoy the variety of flavors.
Thai Express Restaurant Laval
$ | (450) 682-8862 | WEBSITE
The idea of authentic Thai food is appealing to you, but you also have zero interest in bland imitations and watered-down flavors. Head to Thai Express Restaurant Laval. This neighborhood spot in Saint Laurent has been serving consistently delicious food for years, but feels like a fresh discovery every time. The crowd is a mix of regulars who know the menu by heart and newcomers who are sick of mediocre takeout.
It isn’t a fancy space, but there’s a lively atmosphere with friendly staff who remember your spice preferences. Just don’t leave without trying the new spicy bag fries – they’re debatably as good as the Pad Thai.
Thai Express Restaurant St-Laurent
$ | (514) 331-7575 | WEBSITE
Anytime a chain restaurant is described as fast-casual, conventional wisdom is to expect something generic. Thai Express Restaurant St-Laurent is the exception. The Thai spot has been around for years, but with its consistently fresh approach, it has transformed into a culinary destination that, come lunchtime, is an all-out flavor fest. There are bright, clean dining areas, eco-friendly packaging throughout, and big portions on every plate.
The Singapore Shrimp Pad Thai is perfectly spiced and delicious, the General Thai pineapple and mango salad is so much better than it needs to be, and if you ask nicely enough, you might even catch the friendly staff customizing your order exactly to your taste.
Thammada
$$ | (514) 276-5888 | WEBSITE
Thammada is cozy, intimate, and full of people enjoying pad Thai and Tom yum soup. If it weren’t for the lack of theater programs and the smell of fresh herbs, you’d swear you were in a Bangkok alleyway. But you’re not. You’re at one of our favorite Thai spots in Saint Laurent.
This place is a perfect starting point before a show at the Théâtre d’Outremont next door, or you can just settle into a corner table and try not to think about how excited you are to dig into that wonderful crème brûlée when it arrives.
Sukho Thai Centropolis
$$ | (450) 688-3033 | WEBSITE
Everybody knows you don’t go out for Thai food anymore. Everybody doesn’t know that you secretly crave mango sticky rice and still order it every single time. Time to go to Sukho Thai Centropolis. This spacious spot in Saint Laurent is technically a restaurant, but a more accurate name for it would be Publicly Admitting You Love Group Dining More Than Anything Else.
Expect servers delivering five-course meals with fabulous hospitality, private karaoke sessions in the K-pop room, and table-wide sharing of those extraordinary flavors. A night at Sukho Thai feels like the greatest birthday party of all time, and if you don’t know what that means, you definitely shouldn’t come here.
Restaurant Les Garçons
$$ | (514) 419-1986 | WEBSITE
We get it, Thai restaurants have been everywhere since forever (when you actually still cooked at home) and the last thing you’re doing this Saturday is eating another bland pad thai from some generic spot. Here’s the good news – Restaurant Les Garçons is not a generic Thai restaurant. It’s a neighborhood gem that happens to serve authentic, well-seasoned Thai food. If you order the ceviche starter and dumplings, that’s great.
If not, you can spend the rest of the night enjoying the pad seew, drinking good beer, and eating generous portions that only cost what feels right for the quality.
Restaurant Kupkao Thaï
$$ | (579) 525-2255 | WEBSITE
Restaurant Kupkao Thaï sits in a Saint Laurent strip mall that looks like any other from the outside, but inside you’ll find a warm and cozy space that feels like a friend’s living room. There’s no need to overthink the menu here – just tell the staff what you’re craving. Whatever they bring will be exactly what you wanted. The pad thai, shrimp rolls, and wonton soup are all exceptional, but the green curry is the real star – it’s the best I’ve ever eaten.
Seats fill up quickly during peak hours, but the service is so friendly and attentive that you won’t really care if you have to wait a few extra minutes for that perfect bowl of Tom Yum soup. With reasonable prices and clear vegetarian options like the tofu (which is a solid 10/10), this place is recommended for anyone who loves authentic Thai flavors.