Building a home away from home for South Asian Montrealers

• Read the Chinese version here  | 请阅读中文版
• Read the Punjabi version here | ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸੰਸਕਰਣ ਇੱਥੇ ਪੜ੍ਹੋ
• Read the Urdu translation here | اردو ترجمہ یہاں پڑھیں

It started with an idea to have a place for everyone to gather over a cup of chai.

Nahid Aziz, with her husband Samad Razzak and their daughter Nikita, opened Maison Chaïshaï during the pandemic to respond to a need for more spaces catered to South Asian Montrealers. 

"I grew up watching the whole family drink chai in the morning and the evening," said Aziz. "It helps us spend time with each other."

Beyond food and chai, the restaurant also holds cultural events and other activities, from open mic nights to jam sessions for artists in the community. 

"I want our kids and our youngsters to have what was missing when we came here," Aziz said. 

To mark Asian Heritage Month, CBC Quebec connected with Asian communities to ask them: How do you carry your cultural heritage, in big ways or small? Learn more about the series here.