Delicious, interesting, unique food served beautifully. Wait staff attentive and knowledgeable. Great dining experience!
Cassie
Truly an amazing dining experience. The tasting menu was outstanding. Very well balanced courses. We will be back next time we visit Santa Fe.
Tracy
Excellent inspired food that tastes like reimagined tradition. Crepe, whole fried trout, and pork noodles were special. Super fresh with lots of greens, herbs, and vegetables. Small but appropriate wine list. Have the French Sauvignon Blanc. Perfect with the food. Warm and inviting atmosphere. Great service. Chef came to the table more than once to deliver food and check in. We would come back in a second.
Eric Anderson
This is definitely one of the best Vietnamese restaurants I have eaten at. A high-end modern take on Vietnamese food, we just had 4 appetizers and wine. Every dish was fresh, well put together, and delicious. The wine list is not huge, but all the white glass wines we had were delicious and well-matched with the food. And we tasted all the white glass wines. Oh, and we had the Fire Horse cocktail to kick things off. It was fun and delicious.
Highly recommend this place, and hope they can open a place in Portland, where I am from 😀
Shelly
It was our first time to Alkeme and we will definitely be back. We have a habit of going to our close by favorite, but it was my birthday and thought we would try something different. We were not disappointed. The food was exquisite and the service was exemplary. The chef, Erica, even visited with us. I felt like a queen and cannot wait to go back. The ambience is special as well - what a treat!
Kenneth
We started with cocktails which were both refreshing and delightful. Food was healthy, light and delicious. Service is always attentive and not over bearing.
Kef
Service was spectacular. I workshopped not one but two secret handshakes (snail). Food was comparable to where I eat weekday lunches in Vancouver. Maybe it's something special in Santa Fe, certainly is not up to west coast standards.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Eric
The food was a modern take on Vietnamese dishes. We just had 4 of the appetizers and all were delicious. It was hard to choose, but my favorites were probably the crispy cod or the Vietnamese crepe. The presentation was perfect, the sauces that went with each dish were well balanced with the genersous toppings of herbs and greens that went with each dish. The wine list was not huge but the wines seemed carefully chosen to go with the food, and there was a good selection by the glass. This is a restaurant that would do very well in any larger foodie city on the coasts. Santa Fe is very lucky to have this gem and we will be back here next time we visit.
Neal
We came in with a bit of a rowdy group and our server Lila did a fantastic job taking care of us and was a great sport. She made great recommendations and was so great to us. She should get 10 stars! Thank you
Lesley
First time at Alkeme and we loved it! So nice to have a Vietnamese/Taiwanese flavour forward menu of such high quality in a city with a strong focus on south western cuisine. The ambiance was lovely, Christa and the wait staff were excellent and the fresh and varied flavours of everything we tried outstanding!
You’ve had a million chile-based dishes and burritos, and that’s great (truly). But guess what? This place is ~*awesome*~, regardless of what you’ve had all week. And it’s worth getting exited about no matter where you’re visiting from!
Our advice? Split the land and sea tasting menus. Awesome flavors with excellent execution. Top tier service (Veronica is a pro!) Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aditya Karandikar
Tried the tasting menu and was not disappointed! Would definitely return and recommend!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erika Wendel
Alkemē was where we celebrated our engagement during a trip to Santa Fe, and the experience was unforgettable. Chef-Owner Hue-Chan Karels was incredibly warm and welcoming, greeting us with complementary champagne and seating us in a cozy corner. We arrived after 8 p.m. and missed the tasting menu, but she thoughtfully curated a series of dishes with a sake pairing to recreate the experience.
This was some of the most exciting food we’ve had in a long time...out-of-this-world flavors and textures in dishes that felt both familiar and entirely new. Standouts included bún chả Hà Nội (grilled pork with rice noodles and a deeply satisfying broth...her mother’s recipe), chả cá (crispy turmeric and dill cod), tuna poke in crunchy pani puri cups, and cà tím xào xả (vegan, caramelized eggplant with kabocha squash risotto).
We absolutely loved it all and can't wait to return and tell all of our friends about this Santa Fe gem. Thank you Chef and team!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Williams
Alkeme is presented as a reimagined Vietnamese dining experience, featuring tasting menus that encompass meat, seafood, and vegetables. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the owner, who took the time to explain the menu.
The restaurant aims for a fine dining atmosphere, but it falls short in terms of ambience and noise level. Our seating was in a corner of the bar area, near a high-traffic zone next to an electrical panel, which detracted from the overall experience.
Our server was kind and attentive, demonstrating a good knowledge of the menu and sake pairings. We ordered the meat and fish tasting menu, and while the concept of a refined Vietnamese restaurant is promising, the execution was lacking.
The Good:The fried cod was light and flaky, and the accompanying slaw was delicious. We also appreciated the thoughtful sake pairings.
The Bad:The arancini lacked flavor and seemed under seasoned, and the skirt steak was served cold.
The Ugly: The shrimp dish contained unpeeled shrimp, with about a quarter's worth of shell pieces mixed in. Additionally, the meatball in the pork and noodles had a piece of bone that ended up chipping my wife’s tooth (not a joke).
After including the tip, we spent $300, which felt excessively overpriced for the overall experience. We left feeling somewhat hungry and disappointed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Charlie
Was very pleasantly surprised to find this upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Santa Fe. All of the dishes were beautiful and had complex flavors. We had one meat, prefix meal, and one fish prefix. Both were amazing! The service was perfect and the owner and chef both came to our table to check on us. We highly recommend.
Delicious, interesting, unique food served beautifully. Wait staff attentive and knowledgeable. Great dining experience!
Truly an amazing dining experience. The tasting menu was outstanding. Very well balanced courses. We will be back next time we visit Santa Fe.
Excellent inspired food that tastes like reimagined tradition. Crepe, whole fried trout, and pork noodles were special. Super fresh with lots of greens, herbs, and vegetables. Small but appropriate wine list. Have the French Sauvignon Blanc. Perfect with the food. Warm and inviting atmosphere. Great service. Chef came to the table more than once to deliver food and check in. We would come back in a second.
This is definitely one of the best Vietnamese restaurants I have eaten at. A high-end modern take on Vietnamese food, we just had 4 appetizers and wine. Every dish was fresh, well put together, and delicious. The wine list is not huge, but all the white glass wines we had were delicious and well-matched with the food. And we tasted all the white glass wines.
Oh, and we had the Fire Horse cocktail to kick things off. It was fun and delicious.
Highly recommend this place, and hope they can open a place in Portland, where I am from 😀
It was our first time to Alkeme and we will definitely be back. We have a habit of going to our close by favorite, but it was my birthday and thought we would try something different. We were not disappointed. The food was exquisite and the service was exemplary. The chef, Erica, even visited with us. I felt like a queen and cannot wait to go back. The ambience is special as well - what a treat!
We started with cocktails which were both refreshing and delightful. Food was healthy, light and delicious. Service is always attentive and not over bearing.
Service was spectacular. I workshopped not one but two secret handshakes (snail). Food was comparable to where I eat weekday lunches in Vancouver. Maybe it's something special in Santa Fe, certainly is not up to west coast standards.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
The food was a modern take on Vietnamese dishes. We just had 4 of the appetizers and all were delicious. It was hard to choose, but my favorites were probably the crispy cod or the Vietnamese crepe. The presentation was perfect, the sauces that went with each dish were well balanced with the genersous toppings of herbs and greens that went with each dish. The wine list was not huge but the wines seemed carefully chosen to go with the food, and there was a good selection by the glass. This is a restaurant that would do very well in any larger foodie city on the coasts. Santa Fe is very lucky to have this gem and we will be back here next time we visit.
We came in with a bit of a rowdy group and our server Lila did a fantastic job taking care of us and was a great sport. She made great recommendations and was so great to us. She should get 10 stars! Thank you
First time at Alkeme and we loved it! So nice to have a Vietnamese/Taiwanese flavour forward menu of such high quality in a city with a strong focus on south western cuisine. The ambiance was lovely, Christa and the wait staff were excellent and the fresh and varied flavours of everything we tried outstanding!
Restaurantji Recommends
What’s not to love?
You’ve had a million chile-based dishes and burritos, and that’s great (truly). But guess what? This place is ~*awesome*~, regardless of what you’ve had all week. And it’s worth getting exited about no matter where you’re visiting from!
Our advice? Split the land and sea tasting menus. Awesome flavors with excellent execution. Top tier service (Veronica is a pro!) Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tried the tasting menu and was not disappointed! Would definitely return and recommend!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alkemē was where we celebrated our engagement during a trip to Santa Fe, and the experience was unforgettable. Chef-Owner Hue-Chan Karels was incredibly warm and welcoming, greeting us with complementary champagne and seating us in a cozy corner. We arrived after 8 p.m. and missed the tasting menu, but she thoughtfully curated a series of dishes with a sake pairing to recreate the experience.
This was some of the most exciting food we’ve had in a long time...out-of-this-world flavors and textures in dishes that felt both familiar and entirely new. Standouts included bún chả Hà Nội (grilled pork with rice noodles and a deeply satisfying broth...her mother’s recipe), chả cá (crispy turmeric and dill cod), tuna poke in crunchy pani puri cups, and cà tím xào xả (vegan, caramelized eggplant with kabocha squash risotto).
We absolutely loved it all and can't wait to return and tell all of our friends about this Santa Fe gem. Thank you Chef and team!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alkeme is presented as a reimagined Vietnamese dining experience, featuring tasting menus that encompass meat, seafood, and vegetables. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the owner, who took the time to explain the menu.
The restaurant aims for a fine dining atmosphere, but it falls short in terms of ambience and noise level. Our seating was in a corner of the bar area, near a high-traffic zone next to an electrical panel, which detracted from the overall experience.
Our server was kind and attentive, demonstrating a good knowledge of the menu and sake pairings. We ordered the meat and fish tasting menu, and while the concept of a refined Vietnamese restaurant is promising, the execution was lacking.
The Good:The fried cod was light and flaky, and the accompanying slaw was delicious. We also appreciated the thoughtful sake pairings.
The Bad:The arancini lacked flavor and seemed under seasoned, and the skirt steak was served cold.
The Ugly: The shrimp dish contained unpeeled shrimp, with about a quarter's worth of shell pieces mixed in. Additionally, the meatball in the pork and noodles had a piece of bone that ended up chipping my wife’s tooth (not a joke).
After including the tip, we spent $300, which felt excessively overpriced for the overall experience. We left feeling somewhat hungry and disappointed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Was very pleasantly surprised to find this upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Santa Fe. All of the dishes were beautiful and had complex flavors. We had one meat, prefix meal, and one fish prefix. Both were amazing! The service was perfect and the owner and chef both came to our table to check on us. We highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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