One-Off Or Repeat

Another Groundhog's day, another anniversary. But the snow-storm already came early in the week. I thought about returning to Yasu on Saturday but decided to try a new spot called Alma near Bloor and Dufferin. Chef Anna Chen has combined Continental cooking, given her stints at various restaurants around the city, with an emphasis on simple, local ingredients and some Asian touches. One running thread for me throughout the meal was that all the dishes were great except they each had 1 choice that didn't match my personal palate.

There was no such caveat for the appetizer of flat bread (2.50) and eggplant dip (5). These were their most popular dishes and no wonder. The made-to-order sourdough flat bread is flat-grilled then baked. It was piping hot and delicious on its own. When you spread on the purée eggplant dip with a touch of fenugreek and chili oil, it was exquisite.

As for the small plates: the fried sweet potato ($12) combined both natural sweetness and fried dough goodness. I didn't like the fish-oil base of the accompanied Japanese sauce, though it was fine on its own. Similar, the pomelo salad ($10) contrasted wonderfully the soft, refreshing Asian grapefruit with crunchy peanuts and slivers of chili. But again, the sauce was a miss for me, this time because of too much acidity. The charred beets ($9) were delicious, its earthiness blended well with sprinkles of yuzu and onions.

For the main course I ordered the buckwheat cavatelli, oyster mushroom, and Chinese greens ($20). Unfortunately, the presentation was off-putting. It might have looked fine in the bright kitchen, but in the dark dining room, the plate resembled a mass of brown silkworms and organ meat. Appearance aside, it was quite tasty except for the fishy kelp (I would have preferred dried salted seaweed), and the fermented button mushrooms.

Finally for dessert, I opted for a brand-new dish of coconut sorbet and clementine curd ($8). Cold dessert dull flavours, so you have to amp up your ingredients. As such, the delicate tanginess of the curd completely disappeared unless you taste it on its own.
Overall, I quite liked my dinner here and will make this a regular spot. Though I'm not a picky eater, I will have to ask for minor changes to my orders. I did notice that its rows of tables made Alma seemed formal and aloof, possibly deterring the large young crowd that congregrated at the homier mish-mash of The Burdock two doors down.

Edit: After one year, I never made this a regular spot. The combination of high price and slightly off execution always made me choose a different restaurant every time I think of Alma.