A La Kitchen

Great place for some body- & soul-warming Shanghai food. Come here if Ding Tai Fung is too crowded (although this place is usually quite packed as well!) Something I love to order here are Sweet Sticky Rice Rolls with Pork Floss — sweet AND savoury all *rolled* into one! I also love the Noodles in Peanut Sauce and the Red Bean Deep Fried Egg White Balls for dessert. There's still a lot more I want to try on the menu!

Not bad...love their dessert.... The food quality has been consistent and we go there all the time. I would say they have probably the best Steamed Crab Pork Dumplings. I also always save room for their tasty dessert, and I would recommend the Deep Fried Egg White Ball with Mashed Sesame, Sesame Rice Ball with Soy Bean Powder, and Crispy Deep Fried Banana with Honey.

The only down side is it can get quite busy at times and there is no waiting area...imagine in the winter you have to wait outside the door. Also they tried to jam too many tables together and it can get crowded, therefore taking away the dining experience. The staff in general are efficient and friendly.

Best Shanghainese Food in the GTA. A la has always been one of my favorite place for Shanghainese food, but the place used to be always full. Recently I heard it has expanded, so it's time to go back. No disappointment. We have tried many dishes and dim sum over the years, and can honestly say that they are all good. The place has more than doubled its size, and we just managed to get a table without a reservation. Will definitely go back.

Great Food. A La Kitchen expanded double the size and no need for long waiting in line for good food.

Ok food; loooove the "deep-fried iced banana" dessert. Went there on a weeknight around 10pm, thinking that they don't close till 1am (according to their listing on http://ccue.com), only to find out later that they were indeed closing at 10:30pm or so. was apologetic to the waiter upon finding out the updated closing time; he was pleasant and told us not to worry about it. the chefs and other wait staff were leaving one by one, but kudos to he who stayed and remained in good grace.

this is a new(er) place so they have a clean and modern design, which is pleasing to the eye. cost is about average; not very cheap but not outrageously expensive, either. food-wise, we ordered 3 things of appetizers, a noodle, and a dessert, details as follow--

appetizers:
1. "xiao long bao" (soup dumplings with crabmeat)--wasn't tasting particularly "crabby", but the skin is soft and thin, and the soup and meat are flavorful.

2. "sheng jian bao" (pan-fried meat buns from raw)--was rather disappointing. the bottom crust (spotlight of the dish) wasn't crunchy enough, and the meat and bun were not memorable otherwise. blah.

3. "hong you chao shou" (wonton in red/chilly sauce)--i liked it that it wasn't super spicy like some place would make it to be (or it was supposed to be quite spicy). their sauce has a certain amount of sweetness in it, paired with the chopped peanuts, it was an ok combo. wontons were cooked to satisfaction; the skin (wrapper) was soft and paper-thin. not super fantastic, but still good.

entree:
"shanghainese noodle"--it was, again, nothing spectacular, but on par and as expected.

dessert:
was deciding between the "gao li dou sha" (baked egg white w/red bean paste) and the "ba si xiang jiao" (deep fried banana dipped in honey/syrup); the latter which i chose didn't disappoint. though it seemed the banana could be fried just a tad longer (after the ice bath they were getting closer to warm than hot inside), and my bf stopped eating the crust after two pieces coz it might have been too sweet for him. but i liked it. i liked the crust that's sweet and crunchy, contrasted with the warm mushy banana inside. having the waiter scoop the sticky pieces out of the dish and dump them into an ice bath is a spectacle in itself. highly recommend this dish for first-timers.

in all, food is about average, but fact that they took us minutes before closing without giving us attitude or rushing us out deserves an extra star in itself. i love shanghainese food, and since i haven't tried out many of the other dishes (ex. soy bean milk and "ci fan"--sticky rice roll) here, i would definitely go back unless i'm greeted with a huge line.

i heard they can get quite busy during meal times so it's recommended to make reservations if you're planning to dine at peak hours. also, they are located at the new section behind the main plaza, so you can actually enter via Rodick Rd or through Yorktech Rd to avoid plaza traffic. another thing, they only take cash or debit; no credit card.

Overall, the meal wasn't bad. They have 'wok hei' (鑊氣) in their stir fry dishes. I think it's just the dishes they picked this time weren't that appetizing for me. If you like 東波肉 (braised fatty pork ), this place is for you. Their 小籠包 (steamed pork juicy buns) and deep fried egg white balls dessert are pretty good too.

This is my second coming here and after being quite impressed with the first time, why not come again? A La Kitchen has been open for quite a few years (5-6?) now but it wasn't till recently have I tried it and they serve up some good Shanghainese food.

Dinner set + beef noodles and crab Xiaolongbao $90 Foods are Delicious and nice environment

The menu has a good amount of variety from rice to noodles, vegetables, seafood, and meat. Appetizers can be purchased for around $7, while noodle dishes are around $12. There are also more expensive dishes which can cost near or above $20. Overall, the food is delicious. The restaurant is nicely decorated and has a great atmosphere.