Alma

A meal so good, we came back twice in a week. The first time my husband planned a surprise date night, and we went for the “Trust Alma” option. Our server chose for us: the special crab and tuna hand rolls (not on the menu): way too salty, and a really disappointing start to the meal; The hakurei turnip salad: myGOD what a revelation. I’ve never had vitello tonato before, or turnips in a salad done so well… by far my favourite dish of the night; The pork wonton and noodles: really full, delicious wonton - a solid dish; Wok fried asparagus, long bean and maitake mushroom: another incredible surprise… tons of umami, delicious addition to any combination of dishes; Grilled flank steak, potatoes in sauce bordelaise: another *chef’s kiss* dish - the sauce with touches of bone marrow was addictive, the potatoes coated in duck fat and a perfectly cooked steak. My ONLY complaint - the lack of non alcoholic options. I almost opted for the $6 coca cola, when I had the mind to ask if it was bottled… but no. SIX DOLLARS FOR A CAN. OF. COKE. Not a chance. When many other restaurants are beginning to accomodate non-alcoholic drinks, Alma is incredibly behind. But a week later, I was reminded of the turnip salad with the vitello tonato and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. And so… we found ourselves here again. This time, each with our own salads (so I wouldn’t have to share). Additionally, we also got the scallion bao with straciatella, re-ordered the asparagus and the steak, but this time also opted for the char siu pork steak. The scallion bao… made me really sad that we got the super salty hand rolls the week prior. This was truly… simple, and delicious. The char siu… wasn’t our favourite. A little too sweet, a little too lean… But that salad, and the bao… JUST TOO GOOD. And would hands down return for the bao, and the salad alone. But this time, the restaurant was too loud. It was much too hard to hold a conversation across the table. Considering there are roughly ten tables in the restaurant, the fact that it got so loud really affected our enjoyment of the night.

Follow @bredgyeats for more food photos! An example of where Asian meets Western is when it combines some classic Chinese tastes with Western techniques to net a unique experience that I haven't experienced elsewhere. The golden-brown crispy exterior is contrasted with slightly chewy tapioca pearls, held together with a cheesy burst of umami from the gooey parmesan. The scallion bun is top-notch, with an interesting pairing of Stracciatella cheese. The pillowy soft texture, crispy shell, and the aromatic scallion oil sheen bring a familiar flavour profile with a different mouthfeel, while the cheese adds a fresh milky tanginess in each bite. Meanwhile, the hand-pulled wheat noodles are tossed in a wok for that addictive smoky aroma that coats each bouncy strand of perfectly cooked noodle. The soy sauce seasoning is balanced with a touch of sweetness, fragrant black pepper, tender greens and mushrooms. Pork wontons are little pouches of juicy pork wrapped in a thin wrapper, with a concentrated umami taste similar to Chinese sausage. Finally, the cruller brings a crispy crunch that only lasts a few minutes fresh out of the fryer, topped with a decadent salted caramel ice cream, fragrant coffee aroma and caramelized bananas.

Good, but not great. Small space with small tables with bland decor, but it’s the type of restaurant that is more about the food than the vibe. I went with the servers recommendations both times I’ve visited and though satiated, was not wowed and no dish was a standout. Plates are on the small side. Service is friendly and attentive but a little bit too “up-selly”. As much as I wanted to love this place an support a female owned business, I won’t be rushing back.

Chinese fusion is not easy to do. I believe that’s because Chinese food is fusion in of itself. You have so many regions in China that have a variety of flavours, textures, colours, it’s hard to establish what is a Chinese flavour. Alma does an admirable job but misses the mark a bit. And yes, portions are very small The fritter filled with cheese was quite tasty. Great texture with flavourful cheese that reminded us of Mac n cheese. Radish cakes with the rhubarb sauce was also quite nice. Scallions balls with the cheese were pretty chewy and flavourful. Their specialty noodle dish of the night with the cockles had a great level of spice and was definitely the highlight.

Personally - my experience at Alma was rather disappointing. Perhaps it was due to my high expectations. I got the radish cakes, baos, char siu pork, duck, and the desert I don’t remember the name of. The dishes were overall salty which didn’t allow flavours to shine through as much as I would’ve wanted. I also don’t usually complain about prices, but the scallion bao especially was disappointing for what you are paying. Overall, service and atmosphere was perfect but I found the food to be lackluster.

A lovely night of thoughtful food and attentive service. Those parmesan tapioca bites where memorable, the mustard greens, white asparagus, pork wontons all extremely delicious.

I visited this restaurant with high expectations, given its mention in the Michelin guide, but was ultimately disappointed. In my opinion, the food was average and overpriced. Four dishes, in particular, stood out for the wrong reasons. The pork wontons with noodles had thick, doughy wrappers, and the flavour was flat. The cod, priced at $45, was overcooked and paired with shriveled mushrooms—far from what I’d expect at this price point. The radish cake left me puzzled, with a chewy, grainy texture and a tangy plum(?) sauce that didn’t quite work. Lastly, the special of mustard greens was too salty and overcooked. Overall, the dishes we tried leaned toward being too oily and over-seasoned.

For a fusion resto in the west end, it’s not bad. Enjoyed the depth of flavours in each dish. I found it to be pricier than what was being offered. I don’t mind paying what they charge but at least give more food. Plates were definitely disproportionate to the cost. You must book ahead though as it’s a small space and it’s quite popular. Our faves were the chili wings and the bbq pork. Noodles with wontons were also good but the wrapper we found to be too thick and not enough filling. Steak was sadly chewy.

The squid fried rice ($31) needs rebranding - it's not fried rice, rather an Asian paella. When I think of fried rice, I imagine a dish that emits wok hay (a fragrant, reach into your gut aroma) with individual grains tossed with vegetable and proteins. Alma's rice was too saucy, the romesco clumping the rice and drowning out the squid. And don't even get me started on the cashews... an annoying garnish that must be picked out. Drier and nut free, this may resemble fried rice. I was expecting mouth numbing spice with the Szechuan spiced lamb belly roast ($44) but not prepared for the grainy rub that covered the tongue and meat flavours. What a shame, as the lamb was cooked beautifully and after scraping off the rub it was delicious, especially with a dollop of the salty Chinese olive paste. With the chopped Chinese olive, the dish reminds me of braised pork belly with preserved vegetables (muy choy coaw yok). I would have preferred the lamb belly to have flavour profiles closer to this traditional dish, enhanced with a bit of Szechuan heat and a roasted crust. While the black pepper soy sauce in the pork wonton and noodles ($29) was too heavy handed, the noodles were incredible, having a lovely chew that would impress a pastaia. Sadly, this expertise didn't shift into the wonton's wrappers, which were too thick. At least the wontons were nice and plump, filled with a generous amount of pork filling (this could benefit from finely chopped vegetables to add moisture). Using scallions in the filling and reducing the amount of garnish would better balance the dish. Chef Chen's take on Peking duck ($58), a special for the evening, needs a permanent place on the menu. While the skin wasn't as crispy as Peking duck, it did have that lovely salty roasted taste and the meat cooked to a medium rare. The well crusted roasted turnips and the creamy foie gras sauce were great complements and left us wanting more. In fairness, Alma nailed the small plates. The parmesan tapioca fritters ($10 for 2; $5 for additional piece) were crispy, creamy, and captured a depth of flavours that beat out most arancini I've had. The tapioca also added a glutinous chewiness that would make a mochi lover swoon. One look at the beautiful caramel crust on the bao ($17 for 2; $6 for additional piece) and I could why the dish is so popular. Break the bao open and the dough is fluffy and moist... the consistency so perfect that I didn't even mind that the bun had no filling. Just give more of the stracciatella cheese and eggplant fenugreek dip as the tablespoon portions were too scant to share amongst three buns. I could have used all the eggplant spread on my bun alone it was so good. Diners may find the chili bean beef tartare ($26) salty, but anyone that's had chili bean sauce should know it's sodium laden. Our table loved the finely chopped beef mixture on the thin rice cracker, just handle it delicately to avoid it crumbling. Eating at Alma is like a rollercoaster... a series of highs and lows. We finished downhill with the coconut flan ($12), the syrup incorporated a strong flavour that just didn't work - it's hard to decipher but reminds me of the herbal pei pa kao mixed with white rabbit candy. It overpowered the flan's egg custard flavour, and the wild blueberries didn't hold up either.

Honestly, this restaurant is not amazing. They do have fast service and they're very friendly. The drinks look great but in the end, I think the food is barely elevated for the format of restaurant and the flavour and preparations are quite lacking. I do recommend the tuna tartare and cod but I do not recommend the char Siu.

Visited on a Thursday, ~5:30PM with a family member. It was empty, only one other table seated. We reserved through OpenTable, but for some reason the system didn't have availability from 6-8:30, but it wasn't busy, and it seemed many visitors were doing walk-ins... It's cozy and dimly-lit inside, with 2-person tables lined up along each wall and high seating at & beside their little bar. Perfect for dates & dining alone. The staff were very friendly and helpful, offering recommendations of dishes and helped us figure out how much might be a good amount to order. We ordered: 1. Parmesan Tapioca Fritters $9: literally seems to be boiled tapioca mixed with melted parmesan into a ball/cube, breaded, and fried. My mind was blown and I definitely will be trying to make this. It was just a teensy bit too salty though. It might've been the parmesan's fault. 2. Bao with stracciatella cheese & eggplant fenugreek dip $17: I thought it'd have a filling, and was slightly disappointed to see it didn't but then I took that back immediately. It reminded me of a freshly made soft pretzel (the outer of the bun is lightly toasted and sprinkled with salt), with creamy dips on the side. SO GOOD. It only came with 2 though...I could've and would've eaten a whole basket if that was a thing. 3. Radish cake, plum, garlic chive $15: the flavour & texture reminded me of boiled plantains. It was slightly sweet. 4. Potato dumplings, maitake mushroom, truffle oil $27: i love potato infused food so this was a must try, and the way it was so soft and melty in my mouth was a dream come true. 5. Char Siu pork steak, turnips, caramelized rice wine kasu $36: this does not taste like a traditional char Siu. Actually, it reminded me of Filipino ham for the flavour (Filipino ham is one of my favourite holiday foods to eat) but the texture - it was so tender and juicy, and you could really tell a lot of time and attention is put into the preparation of this. 6. Coconut flan, wild blueberries $12: I really liked that it wasn't too sweet, because most flans tend to be that way. 7. Clementine sorbet, kosho $12: the clementine flavour was very strong, maybe a little took much...but the candied peel & kosho were a great touch to balance out the texture and flavour. The server mentioned that all plates are meant for sharing, with some plates being considered "small" and "large". Between 2 people, she mentioned we could get by with 1 small & 1 large per person. Based on my experience, it might be best, especially if hungry, to get an extra small/large to get a filling meal, or order some drinks on the side, as the portions are on the smaller size. Overall, I would highly recommend others check this place out. You can really taste the dedication & passion that goes into the cooking.

Alma has been on my list to try for quite some time now, ever since it was mentioned that they do a twist on Chinese food. Decided to come here for my birthday! The restaurant is small but cozy, the server was attentive and knowledgeable and even suggested us a beer with fermented plum. Ordered it and thought it was interesting and quite tart! My partner and I ordered the bao with stratcchiatella and eggplant dip. At first I was hesitant on ordering this dish because it seemed too simple, but I'm glad we did. The eggplant dip had notes of ginseng, and herbs similar to what you'd find in a Chinese herbal soup, and the bao was the softest I've ever had. We then moved to mains and ordered the charred trout and lamb belly. The charred trout was delicious. The trout was cooked perfectly and the sauce on it made me want to lick the plate clean! The lamb belly was tender and amazing with the szechuan spices, was not spicy to me at all. The Chinese olives was a nice touch, and the tomato at the bottom was interesting. For dessert we ordered the banoffee pie pudding and coconut flan. The coconut flan was a bit overpowering with the bitterness, it felt like the sugar was overcooked. The banoffee pie was good! The miso dulche de leche added a nice touch. Overall it was a great experience at Alma, I'd highly recommend people to come here if they want a fancy meal!

I came here for New Years Eve and had a preset menu. While the service was good, the food itself was such a huge disappointment that I felt the need to share this review. I'm giving this restaurant a 1 star because of how underwhelming my experience was. The preset menu only had 5 items and they were all really small portions. I've added photos to show everything we had (for 2 people). The price for all of this was $320, so $160 per person. This was so crazy to me - It was all EXTREMELY overpriced for what we got and I just can't understand how these prices can be justified. None of these dishes stood out to me at all. The only one that I enjoyed was the miso cod dish. Everything else either tasted bad or felt low quality/below average. I think I would have had a better experience at Congee Wong or something...

Highly recommend the squid fried rice which felt more like a paella bc of the texture of the rice. Char sui steak was amazing Buttery smooth and melts in the mouth Tapioca Parmesan bites were alright! Tastes great and had a nice crunch to them but kinda just felt like any other parm bites. The only qualm we had w the food was that we just wanted ... more. Portions were small but to be expected with a Michelin star restaurant. Another note, Our waitress became impatient when my boyfriend couldn't hear what she was explaining (bc of the music) and we felt as if her attitude and temper was short w us.. until the bill came. Then she was nice. Wish she was a bit warmer and welcoming and that service was friendlier Would've been 4 stars if it wasn't for the service.

Been meaning to try this place out for awhile and finally got the chance. Went with a few friends so we ordered a bunch of dishes to try. - Baos with spreads (cheese, eggplant & fenugreek spread) - fried chicken wings - soy glazed - braised beef cheek with cabbage - squid fried rice - smoked trout There were 2 pork dishes ordered for the table but as I don't eat pork I won't comment on those. The baos were warm and fluffy and so delicious. I also enjoyed the smoke trout as it was done to perfection. It's about 5-6 pieces so depending on how many people in your group you may want to order 2 (** this was a special so may not be available all the time) My favourites were the beef cheeks...so tender and sliced through like buttah baby! The sauce did not overwhelm the beef and it was succulent. I also enjoyed the fried chicken wings. I felt that the sauce contained some citrus as it had that brightness to it. I could eat a plate of those! We also ordered desserts, clementine chilies sorbet and cheesecake. The sorbet was too citrusy for me but the cheesecake was pretty good. Not overly creamy that is typical of cheesecakes. The service was lovely, our server made recommendations and answered our questions This is a really tiny spot so definitely make reservations!

Best restaurant meal of the year (2023) for me - and it's October tomorrow! Really delicious. Top three things we had; - chili bean beef tartare - pork wonton and noodles, soy, black pepper - bibb lettuce and charred corn, salsa verde, shiso I would eat the chili bean beef tartare again right now, a couple hours later. Worth a trip (repeat trips) just for that. They cook the traditional egg yolk component sour vide so it's like a rich eggy gel underneath the beef, and it just vaults the richness to an amazing level. Anyway, delightful. Charming small room.

Alma, you were such a great experience and I wish I had more of the tapioca fritters! We initially booked for patio but we got lucky that Ontario went into Stage 3 the day of our reservation. We got moved inside and I felt comfortable of the surroundings. Between 2 people, we shared 4 small plates and 1 large plate. Perfect amount of food. Loved the Vins D'Alsace rose! Servers were so friendly. Will return to Alma for their next seasonal menu.

This was on my list for a while because well...Asian fusion . Their menu consists of small, tapas style plates and priced accordingly ($15-30). Our reservation was 30+ mins late, so they gave us 1 item on the house which was nice We had almost everything on the menu: Parmesan tapioca fritters: this was pretty good! Crispy, cheesy and the tapioca had some bounciness (complementary) Radish cake: one of my favorite dim sum items, they tried to make it different with the garlic chive sauce but it didn't really add flavour IMO Scallion bread: I appreciate they tried to do something different and reimagine it as a bread, but plain old scallion pancakes are just better: they're crispy and fragrant (everything this bread was not) Fried chicken: the flavours of this were actually however the chicken was dry af which was disappointing Marinated cucumbers: honestly these were meh; I feel like I make it better at home lol Pork wontons: the wontons plus some noodles were $27 the wonton skin was too thick and starchy, I prefer them thinner. The noodles did not have a lot of flavour or any sauce Fish: I forgot what fish this was but it was ATROCIOUS, it was literally unseasoned fish with oyster sauce drizzle? And served on a bed of blanched bean sprouts?!? WTF is that??? Short rib: the short rib was actually fall-apart tender and had a lot of flavour, this would be my top contender for the night. Note: they don't have a cocktail menu and only serve wine, which I felt, didn't not complement the dishes. Overall I was HUGELY disappointed in the entire experience, and wouldn't come back

Went here with some friends for a casual dinner. The reservation process was very straightforward and the staff were super welcoming when we arrived slightly early. The space has an understated elegance. It's not too loud, but maintains a social buzz. We ordered a bunch of plates to share and none of them disappointed. The fried chicken started us off on a high note- perfectly crispy with a rich sweetness to the glaze. The radish cakes didn't jump off the menu at first glance, but I'd certainly recommend em. They've got the texture of a rosti with small garnishes of rhubarb and garlic sauce for each bite. The squid fried rice was another hit, with some mixed rice grains of varying textures and a healthy amount of grilled squid. We ended up ordering both dessert options as well and were glad to have had both! The airy sorbet paired nicely with the richer and more savoury cheesecake. It's a bit a steep price for the size of the plates (we ordered 7 for the 4 of us), but it's well worth it for this unique culinary experience.

Creative and unusual taste. Love cleanliness and friendly service. I would recommend for small adventure

Part of a longer review... "The fried cauliflower, curry, fermented pepper, honey ($10) was the perfect marriage of Asian and Indian flavours. Notre première selection from the small section of the menu, it made a good first impression. Crispy morsels of fried cauliflower sat on top of a pool of bright yellow curry, which doubled as a creative plate presentation and dipping sauce. While this dish didn't demonstrate technical brilliance or boldness, per se, it was divine in its simplicity. My guest and I both sopped everything up, and agreed that the honey and fermented pepper were the appropriate accents without overpowering the vegetable centerpiece. Similar sentiments continued for the artichoke, ajo blanco ($12). A staple cold soup in Spanish cuisine, ajo blanco is a delicious combination of bread, crushed almonds, garlic, water, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar. While it is usually served with grapes or melon, Chen placed delicate artichoke hearts on top and drizzled the whole dish with olive oil. I had an issue with the temperature inconsistency of the dish. The ajo blanco was chilled, and the artichokes were warm and didn't impress with flavour. This was one of the more elaborate dishes in presentation, but it seemed indecisive in its identity -- was it hot or cold? Chen has flexed her pasta-making muscle for years at high-end establishments such as Buca Yorkville. The duck sugo and pappardelle ($22) was reminiscent of mon plat préféré at Buca Yorkville: the duck ragu. One bite led me to conclude that Chen's version had room for improvement. The salt balance was off (did she forget to add salt to the boiling water?) and the meat was dry. A sugo is a patiently-simmered sauce that should burst with flavour. Think: Grandmère's tomato sauce that's been simmering on the stove all day long. Chen's sugo, however, had clearly been prepared in haste..."

We ordered takeout here during the pandemic and it was a mixed bag but we decided to give it another shot in person and are glad we did! We got the bao, daikon radish cake, fried noodles, scallops and the custard cake. The bao, fried noodles and custard cake were things I would go back for. Daikon cakes were kinda meh and the scallops were really good but a pretty standard preparation you would get at most restaurants. Their house red was a gamay and one of the best wines I've ever had. Service was great, I liked how the chefs would bring out some of the dishes and ambiance was what I'll call "classic Toronto". I saw comments here that it was overpriced but I did not find that to be the case. Date night with 2 drinks each and the food listed above was about $180. Imo that's reasonable for the quality of food and dishes that I'd never be able to make at home. I will be back!

I really wanted to like this place. Coming from a Chinese background, I've had these dishes for way cheaper and, of course, more generous portions. I kept seeing them on social media, and decided: why not? I'd like to support local. Though they would put a slight spin on traditional dishes, the portions would be way too small for the price and the subtleties did not arrive. For example, the radish cake - especially as a suggestion from the server. If you'd never had traditional Chinese food before, this could be a gateway with a good experience. Everything was plated well. The flavours are more mild and the look of the food is more approachable.

Alma is a small and cute restaurant. The chef did a pop up at Famiglia Baldassarre before this restaurant opened up so I got chance to sample her flavours beforehand. I am not really a fan of fusion or nouveau Asian food even though I go to the restaurants all the time still. I am just never impressed by small portions seemingly amped up with sauces and presentation. For me, this dinner was okay. I liked the atmosphere, the friendliness of the server, but the food didn't really connect for me. While I could see conceptual creativity, the flavours didn't really come through, and once again, I am never a fan of dishes where three small dumplings could possibly constitute a dish. Probably my favourite dish was the cucumber.

A lovely dining experience. Arrived with a party of 4 and we did our best to enjoy a survey of the menu. Started with the tapioca fritters and the bread. The fritters, perfectly cubed and encrusted in a golden, fried parmesan exterior boasted a soft tapioca interior stuffed with Comté cheese. For those of you who might be thrown by the idea of tapioca, it wasn't an entirely textureless puree and would compare it -- favourably -- to the texture of a creamy mini arancini you might find at your favourite Italian restaurant. When bitten, the melted cheese inside pulled and stretched like a pizza commercial. Mozzarella sticks dream of this kind of cheese pull. Once we finished the dish we promptly ordered another. The bread was excellent, drawing from the flavours of a traditional Chinese scallion pancake. It looked like a thick round of focaccia, but was cakey, and light. Served in a round it resembled a humble, icingless cake. Like cake, it was cut into slices. Also like cake I would have been happy eating a loaf of it for dessert. The accompanying spreads were the perfect complement--savoury and smooth, and coating your mouth in the most satisfying way. The fried chicken with lime arrived like a decadent General Tso's chicken (making it easy to share). Each bite retained lots of crunch from its fried exterior while its sweet, syrupy coating is the kind of sauce you'd be content licking off your dining companion's finger. Or the fingers of other diners at other tables. Bottle that stuff and sell it. The wonton and noodles did not disappoint. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to enjoy homemade wontons (in homemade wrappers) and hand pulled noodles, their dough providing delicate resistance before yielding to your teeth. The sautéed greens that topped the dish helped bring some contrast to it, with their bright green colour and subtle crunch. The last of the "mains" was the beef rendang. It was dark in colour and rich in flavour. Served with rice, it -- like much of what we'd eaten -- was wonderful. Slow cooked at a low temperature this Indonesian short rib dish was tender enough that it gave way with the gentle touch of a fork. This dish would fortify you on the coldest days. The only dish that wasn't a home run for us was the mapo tofu, which seemed a little "one note." But based on the number of successful dishes we enjoyed we didn't lose sleep with this one dish not quite hitting the mark. Service was friendly and attentive, and provided some excellent wine recommendations. I've been reluctant to dine out despite pandemic restrictions being eased, but an easy going and delicious evening at Alma has definitely helped inspire me to get back out and enjoy Toronto's remarkable restaurant scene.

I went for the first time to Alma today. I've had the pork wonton and noodles. This dish is INSANELY GOOD. I can't recommend it enough to go to this restaurant. Chef Anna Chen is a virtuoso.

Came here for brunch during the Bloor Street Festival. I had the pork wonton with noodles and my wife had the avocado toast. Our kids are typical kids so we asked the chef to make grilled cheese which they accommodated us!! Great service for sure. My pork wontons were fabulous and my wife really liked her avocado sandwich. Menu is Italian with Asian influences. Doesn't matter what it is...the food was great quality. Looking forward to trying their dinner menu.

From the outside, Alma dosen't seem to look like much, but upon entering the clean simple decor, the music, the attentive and friendly service to the presentation of the food makes this restaurant a charming spot for dinner. The chef at this restaurant is Chinese but has worked in various Italian restaurants which translates into the dishes that are offered on the dinner menu. It is rather a happy marriage between two cuisines that delighted the pallet of both my boyfriend and I. The dishes and portion sizes of the menu are meant to be sharing plates, and it was reccomend to get 2-3 items from each section of the menu (snacks, small and large). The servers are also very thoughtful in the sense of giving you recommendations of what you're craving for and what you may like. So onto the food... From the SNACK section we ordered the: Flat Bread (which was fairly similar to the bread from a rou jia mo Chinese sandwich), and paired it with the Rampini Dip and the Pork Salami. The Flat Bread was delicious as it's made to order and came piping hot, it was wonderful with the Rampini Dip which my boyfriend and I did not leave a trace of. The Pork Salami was a neat play on various types of Lap Cheong that's house made with Italian inspired flavors. Needles to say, we were happy with our choices from this section. From the SMALL section we ordered the: Squid and Cucumber, and was delighted for the chef to come out and serve as a complimentary dish of the Eggplant Wontons. The Squid was cooked to perfection with a nice kick from the pilacca sauce. The Cucmbers were also not a miss as it made for a lovely summer dish as every bite was refreshing! The dish that was a miss for both my bf and I however was the Eggplant Wontons which we greatly appreciated was presented to us by the chef herself explaining it and give to us on the house; it fell short due to the overwhelming amount of dark soy and molasses as well as us seeing that the wontons were slightly undercooked to our liking. For the LARGE section we ordered the: Ricotta Gnocchi and Pork Wontons, as they were the top two most ordered dishes and reccomend by our server. We were blown away by the Gnocchi, each one was light and fluffy to the bite, and the sauce was also not overbearing. We also enjoyed the corn and fresh tomatoes that added a refreshing element to the dish making it a lovely summer plate. The Pork Wonton dish was an interesting one as it reminded us of a cross between lo mien and cacio e pepe, it was a lovely dish, however just like the Eggplant Wontons, the wontons were too al dante for our liking. Perhaps, asain wontons are just not meant to be eaten al dante like Italian pastas? Not too certain, but it was a bit of a miss on that note as it was odd in its texture for us. Ending off our meal, with not knowing what DESSERT to choose from, we played it smart and decided to order both! Both desserts hit it out of the park with making it a wonderful treat in ending our meal as both the PEACH, YOUGURT, ALMOND and the BLACKBERRY STRAWBERRY SORBET, RICOTTA AND SHISHO ended off the meal on a good note. Overall a lovely dining experience and a good restaurant addition to Toronto. Looking forward to coming in for their brunch menu sometime.

Can we talk about the radish cakes for a minute? They're kind of gluey (in a seriously good way - the flavour sticks to your tongue) and unctuous and I could literally eat a million of them. I had the maitake mushroom and chive fried rice. When I was a kid and my parent's ordered Chinese food for us I would completely bogart the fried rice and leave the others to their chicken balls (they were not for me). This dish brought back some of those wonderful memories, only this was obv way more elegant. We ordered both desserts. The chocolate cake was made with miso and sesame and magic. Really amazing. As was the white chocolate passion fruit dealy. (I forget exactly what they called it. I should really take notes.) And there was some other stuff, all great and yeah, look. I am not good at coming up with interesting ways to turn a truly wonderful sensory experience like this into riveting prose. Clearly. Suffice it to say: This place is great. The space is great. Kate and Ben are great - lots of fun and very knowledgeable. And if I had to sum up the mind-blowing genius of Anna Chen's cooking it would be her putting preserved lemon in with the bean sprouts. Ridiculously tasty. I love Alma for all of the above, but also: What a nice break it is from traditional downtown Toronto dining not having to traipse up and down the narrow, low-ceilinged staircase of doom every time you have to pee.

Absolutely stellar restaurant - I've eaten here many times over the years and I love every single meal and every single dish I've tried here. Tonight I got delivery of the pre fixe cod and this was my first time having this dish, super tasty and complex and comforting. A perfect meal. Do not hesitate to go here and try this food, or get it to go. Honestly, they're lovely people and the food is consistent and delicious.

Perhaps I don't know how to appreciate nuances, so the prices here leave me wanting. The service was great though. We started with the stracciatella ($5) and their homemade flatbread ($2.50). There's maybe 3-4 tbsps of cheese, and their homemade flatbreads are about the size of McDonald's pancakes. Something like that. Both were absolutely delicious and were the highlight of our meal, but for the price, I'd like a little more, portion-wise. The cheese is mild-tasting and very creamy, and with a splash of olive oil and a touch of salt, goes perfectly with the flatbread. The flatbread is made to order and it takes a while to make, but it comes out piping hot and is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We moved on to the fried chicken with soy molasses glaze and lime ($17). For $17, we received 5-6 drumsticks/wings in a slightly larger than average Chinese rice bowl. The wings were tasty, but I found the soy drumsticks too sticky (as in the sauce stuck to my teeth) and the lime a tad jarring in constrast. After that, we had the rainbow trout ($29) with turnips and lemon sabayon. The portion of trout was quite reasonable for price. There were three turnips, stalks and all, and then the lemon sabayon, which is a creamy lemon sauce. The trout had nice, crispy skin, and was pretty juicy. I discovered I like turnips! Yeah. That. The corn and squid rice with guanciale adobo was basically a fusion fried rice stacked in layers in a large ring mold. Had I not known there were fancy ingredients in there, I'd have never known. It tasted like something I could have made at home, and for that reason, I wouldn't pay $30 to eat it again. I'd come back for the cheese and the bread, but that doesn't seem like a great reason to revisit a restaurant. Perhaps the trout.

The restaurant is cozy and cute. I always love restaurants with small menus, because it usually means everything is great. We ordered flat bread, stracciatella cheese, pomelo salad, chawanmshi, wonton noodle, and charsiu pork. Everything is quite alright, it's simple, good, but doesn't stand out particularly. Service is pretty standard, not particularly exceptional. I would go again if it's right around my corner but probably would not make it all the way for it.

Service - Wonderful Food - Neutral Nothing special to the fusion. We ordered 2 flat breads (very small) and a side of white bean hummus. Both underwhelming. Main was the fish which came with half a bokchoy. This was considered a large main and I was left hungry so I can't even imagine a small main! For nearly $30 for a large main I definitely expected a bit more in terms of taste or the amount of food

It is hard to find a restaurant with good consistency, but this place has it. I've been back a quite a few times for dinner, and again I have been pleasantly surprised. And, I don't usually frequent anywhere. Since Covid, I've been ordering their take out dishes and it's amazing. If you appreciate homey sophisticated Asian based food, then the take out menu is a must! Its a little bit more money but for a while lot better food...the way it was meant to be.

We popped into Alma with the intention of only getting a few drinks and snacks before a later dinner, but everything was so delicious that we ended up getting more plates than we expected! Everything on the snack menu was bomb, but if you get anything, go for the flat bread and the straciatella. The flat bread is more like a pillowy bread pocket that has a great sourdough tang. You can use that to scoop up the cheese, which tastes like an extra-creamy burrata. From the mains, the steamed rice in lotus reminded me of a fancy Chinese zong zi and had a great fragrance with little morsels of chicken and mushrooms throughout. Alma also has a really unique wine selection and their staff kindly guided us through the list. Overall we had a great time and would definitely recommend for a nice date night!

Everything here was disappointing and unadventurous. Once I see that many quinelles, I expect my mouth to be surprised by some of the flavours. Nothing was particularly adventurous, nothing was particularly bad either. If it had been a cheaper meal, I would have given more stars - but once you get to that price point, you have to do better.

Food isn't anything interesting. Same old. The wait staff is extremely derogatory, and will happily spend 5 mins reaming you out. Overall, a huge miss. Go to anywhere else. MacDonald's has better service.

I moved to this neighborhood during Covid and discovered Alma only in the last few months. The food is so fresh and prepared with care. Everything I have ordered I have enjoyed. Every dish feels so special! I can't wait until I can safely eat at the restaurant!

Tasty food.. Very small portions.. Over priced for the quantity. Very nice wait staff!

Opened on July 20 this year. Has all the attributes of a potential neighbourhood gem! Style is plates for sharing with an Italian orientation and an Asian fusion influence. The food and service were outstanding! Every dish well thought out, using only the freshest of seasonal ingredients. Have to say, best meal I have had in a year! Please get down there and experience Alma. You will not be disappointed!!

This is my first time to Alma. We left it up to the chef to prepare our meal. Everything about Alma was on point. We walked in and found a seat. Our server was very knowledgeable about drinks. The menu is small and delightful. We had a small app, two small plates and two large. All dishes were for sharing. The best ending was their Olive Oil cake. I dream about it! All in all, A cute and friendly neighbourhood restaurant with female owners and chefs. Refreshing and delicious!