Alma

Chef Anna Chen dazzles in Bloordale Village from this minimally adorned shoebox of a restaurant. Scallion bao with stracciatella cheese. Parmesan tapioca fritters. Is this Chinese or fusion? Red lanterns dangling from the ceiling and a ceramic lucky cat waving from the corner hint at the menu's intentions but the chef needn’t be bothered with labels.The menu is at once comforting and imaginative. Start with pan-fried radish cakes dotted with an assertive garlic-chive paste. A wide bowl of addictively chewy noodles with pork wontons is pure comfort. Miso cheesecake with graham cracker crust makes for a lovingly sweet send-off. All the while, servers roam about pouring natural wines with abandon.