this restaurant has a front section and a back section. been here a few times. they usually sit you in the front section unless it's full in the front or unless you ask to sit in the back. the food portions are decent to good size. i sat in the back section last time i came and this time i sat in the front section. front section is where the open air kitchen is also. Poor ventilation. lots of smoke. I give this place one star despite i have been here at least 10 times because when you have a bunch of people coming for dinner and sit on the same table together, they force your table to all be in 1 bill. Why 1 bill you ask? So that they can force charge you 18% tips on your bills, not 15% if you take the time to calculate, which I find is complete bullshit (This is illegal too btw, I found out later). Nobody in my table wants to pay for the whole table and get paid back later by each person after. so since I don't want to sit here all night. I paid. I find it completely bullshit and unfair. usually i come with my girlfriend or a buddy so i didn't know this. the place is also very loud. they have a lot of alcohol section but the front of the restaurant outside is also extremely dirty. inside is not super clean but it's passable. Customers beware of their sneaky practice of forcing everyone to be on bill so they can forcefully charge you more tips!! Completely sneaky for close to no service anyway. highly Not recommended! if you don't believe me, you can try to go in a group and you can then see how they proceed when you pay. they forcefully charge you not even 15% but 18%. Do the math compared to your subtotal. ALL FACTS.
Reviews / Ratings for Sam Cha
If you are looking for something simple, affordable, cozy, crunchy or even spicy food. I would definitely recommend this place! I love the songs they play it was such a vibe, can’t help but sing along en plus with the view and weather outside? it was fun watching people pass by with their cute fall outfits 💋 The food? its amazing! I don’t even like noodles but I even asked for my friend’s food if i could finish it🤣 The Monsieur that served us he’s pretty chill & he also cleaned the table or the place we wanted to seat on. I even charged my phone hehe. This place is also close to school’s area like Dawson, La Salle College, etc. and they close @9pm or so Overall, 11/10. we would definitely come back!😁💯
Hands down the best galbi and udon I've had in the city. It is a go to for me when I am craving Korean. The spicy pork udon is perfect. It is chewy, spicy, saucy, and filled with flavour. The beef galbi might be the best I've ever had as well. Would recommend this place on a heartbeat. We also tried the seafood pancake and the fried chicken. They were good but not on the level of the other two dishes. The main downside is that the place is tiny. It is hard to get a table without a reservation. And after eating there expect to smell like Korean food, it is so small and there is no ventilation. It is a minor inconvenience but totally worth it.
The spicy jokbal is definitely the best in Montreal. Tender meat with soft and meting fat in the sticky sweet spicy sauce. It’s quite spicy but the sweetness and lettuce balanced it well. The portion is good for two people too. Overall highly recommend. Edit: ordered again 2 days later and it’s extremely salty, even the flavour is different…..
Great moment
The quality of food has dropped a lot. We ordered pork bone soup, the meat was even cold (it was fully cooked but not heated) though the soup was hot, and the meat was really really really hard to chew. The yaki udon was very salty. Sam Galbi and Okonomiyaki were okay but not amazing.
Food was excellent , great service
They have really yummy chicken katsu curry with rice.. and a really good bibimbap. Service wasn’t the fastest, but overall it’s a good option for a quick meal.
Really enjoyed it here, good food for a good price, great atmosphere and service, would go again!
A great Korean restaurant located on Sainte-Catherine Street near the Forum. The food is excellent, although I haven’t had the chance to try their kimbap yet. I’ve been there about five times over the past ten years, and it has consistently been good. The prices are very reasonable considering the location, especially compared to other nearby restaurants. The only downside, in my opinion, is that it’s often packed with long lineups. When the restaurant is full, the tables are quite close to each other, so you can hear nearby conversations and the atmosphere can get pretty loud. That said, it felt amazing the one time I went early on a random quiet weekday during the summer, when most students were on vacation. The experience was much more relaxed and enjoyable.
It was 1st time...um don't know why a monday would be this crowded🫠. The interior design and food does make me feel like being in Korea😅. Strange huh?
As always, perfect food and perfect service 🔥🔥😀
Sam Cha is a delightful Korean restaurant conveniently situated near Atwater Station. It has a lovely picnic table decor and welcoming ambiance with delicious Korean cuisine! Can't wait to come back and have their Beef Tartare again! We booked a table via Google Maps' reserve feature ahead of time and was reliably given a table when we arrived. The menu is scannable via a QR Code to their menu online. We ordered their Beef Tartare – a standout dish that we recommend. Its exceptional flavours and presentation left a lasting impression. For our main course, we opted for the Korean BBQ for 2, featuring beef ribs grilled at our table via a portable stove top. The set was accompanied by an apple salad and a vegetarian dolsot bibimbap. As of Sep 2024, the table top BBQ is not part of the menu any longer. We were also impressed by the attentive and efficient service that made our dining experience all the more enjoyable. Staff would occasionally check in on our table and ensure our grill was working and food was being cooked and flipped. Additionally, the staff seamlessly accommodated both English and French speakers which was a great experience. Sam Cha conveniently accepts cash and credit payments.
I love this little nook. Udon noodles are amazing.
The food was good, but the service was awful. We visited on a Saturday night and were seated in a very cramped corner overlooking the street, which made the experience uncomfortable. The server never even looked our way when we waved to get his attention, and we had to get the to-go boxes ourselves. Overall, there was a clear lack of care for customers. Based on this experience, I won’t be returning and would rather spend my money at places that value their customers.
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Opening hours
- Sunday Closed
- Monday Closed
- Tuesday Closed
- Wednesday Closed
- Thursday Closed
- Friday Closed
- Saturday Closed
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