A popular restaurant in Montreal’s Chinatown was just hit with $5k in health inspection fines

A restaurant in the heart of Montreal’s Chinatown has been ordered to pay $5,000 in fines from Quebec’s Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) across two violations, according to records published in the provincial food safety registry.

Chez Chili, located at 1050B Rue Clark, was cited for failing to keep its premises, equipment and utensils clean, and for failing to keep the space free of contaminants and animals, a category that explicitly includes insects, rodents and their droppings.

One note before diving in: the inspections cited here did not necessarily take place recently. In many cases, several months or more can pass between the date of the infraction and the official publication of the judgment, as the legal process runs its course.

Here’s a breakdown of the two most recent violations, both stemming from the same inspection.

September 9, 2025 — $3,000

Inspectors found that the premises, vehicles, equipment, materials and utensils used for food preparation, packaging, storage, transport, labelling and service were not being kept clean. The judgment was issued June 8, 2026.

September 9, 2025 — $2,000

A second fine was issued from the same inspection after inspectors found the premises were not free of contaminants, pollutants and animals, a category that includes insects, rodents and their droppings. The judgment was issued June 8, 2026.

Earlier fines on record

The two violations above aren’t the first time Chez Chili has appeared in the MAPAQ registry. Records show two additional infractions on file for this address.

The restaurant was fined $1,000 over an October 10, 2025 infraction, after inspectors found heat-sensitive perishable products were not being cooled promptly or kept at or below 4°C. That judgment was issued December 5, 2025.

Earlier, an infraction dated December 18, 2023 brought a $2,000 fine for failing to keep its premises and equipment clean, the same violation cited in the most recent round. That judgment was issued October 15, 2024. Combined with the most recent fines, the total on record for this address comes to $8,000.

What customers say

Chez Chili holds a 4.5-star rating across more than 2,700 Google reviews, which places it among the better-rated spots in the neighbourhood.

Most customers are enthusiastic, praising the Szechuan cooking, the service and the friendly staff.

Others were less generous. One reviewer who left two stars described a sharp drop in food quality, writing that a beef chow fun arrived soggy and bland and that a beef and broccoli dish was prepared in a way they had never come across before. Another, in a one-star review, claimed two people got sick after eating there and warned others to stay away. That account is an unverified customer claim and not a finding by inspectors.

MAPAQ fines are issued by the Montreal Municipal Court and published in the provincial food safety registry. The violations listed do not necessarily reflect the current conditions at the establishment, as issues are often corrected before a case is resolved in court. A fine appearing in the registry is not a closure order.