From the moment you step inside, you feel like you’ve been transported straight to Hong Kong. The entrance alone makes you forget you’re in Toronto — it’s such a unique and immersive experience. I ordered the lychee cocktail, and it was far better than I expected — absolutely delicious! Each dish that came out paired beautifully with the drinks. It was such a wonderful experience to enjoy the vibrant Hong Kong atmosphere and unique flavors right here in Toronto.
Nothing special. Over priced - tiny portions - weak food that you will forget about almost immediately after leaving. Drinks are typical Toronto mini cocktails in the 20-25$ range. Wine list is minuscule and uneventful. I cannot remember any of the 8 things we ordered but looking back at my receipt, prawn toast was some sort of deep fried shrimp taquito thing, a Caesar salad that I cannot remember being good or bad, char siu that was super salty and dry, beef tartare which was good but small, mushrooms of some kind on a plate - to me, they were more like slabs of tender rubber bands, dessert…. Well, we actually laughed about when it was brought to the table by the overly earnest wait person. It was blobs of gelatin in a sweetened milk sauce…. It was about the size of a side of ketchup and had absolutely no discernible flavour. Look, this is a fail for dinner. If you want a place to go and chit chat over a cocktail and graze on textures and temperatures, it’s cute and they probably will have a table available.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Vanessa Elik
Had a lovely evening at Ayla! Service and atmosphere was delightful. The steak tartare and char siu iberico pork were fantastic. My only comment about the food would be that the mackerel with pork dumplings are a bit of an odd combo, mackerel being a bit fishier than a standard shrimp and pork dumpling but props to them for trying something different. Would definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Riffat S
I’ve tried a lot of Turkish places and this is hands-down the best one! We ordered a platter for two but was enough for two adults and two kids. The food was flavourful, fresh and remained absolutely hot due to the dish it was served in. The kunafe was absolutely decadent - perfectly flaky and crispy. Loved it! The servers Bilge and Deniz were absolutely wonderful. Very welcoming and polite. Bilge helped with the menu as there was an overwhelming selection. The place is very clean, including the bathrooms. Amazing experience and would definitely come back!
Jamyang Tenzin
The prettiest restaurant!! Loved the mushroom dish and the risotto!!
Recommend their lychee drink!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sophia Tieu
The dishes here were impeccable. Every component of each dish was well thought out and it was a great experience. We got the typhoon shelter mushrooms, prawn toast okonomiyaki, and iberico pork char siu. The dishes are all shareable, thus, on the smaller side, however, it was a great tasting experience to share with friends. The service was lovely, and environment felt very welcoming. I would definitely visit again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A E
Highway robbery!! If you think you’re getting Cantonese food & traditional portions, you’ll be sorry. Smaller than the smallest tapas! For $35. we got 4 slices of CharSui bbq pork (delicious but $9. per 4” slice???!!)!?! $11. for one 2” prawn wrapped in toast! $36. for 1 filet of sablefish (3” x 3”). We love Chinese mushrooms but have never had rubbery mushrooms at an Asian restaurant! The risotto was odd — Italian but with oxtail Chinese style like a beef congee. We are so disgusted that we “fell for” their recommendation to order one of each item on their menu. Dumb. Buyer beware. And the Caesar Salad using sesame Dressing & Parmesan cheese was inedible— they used mixed greens that were unbearably bitter (chrysanthemum, arugula & watercress). It probably would’ve been fine if mixed with a sweeter dressing or added sweet fruit bits? The one mango dessert was the size of 3 tablespoons for $12.! Really!!! Ambience would’ve been good but was ruined by staff leaving the patio door to the outdoor terrace open during 40°C heat wave! I specifically checked to make sure the restaurant had Air Conditioning & yes they said they did. But what was the point if she left the patio door wide open resulting in the AC shutting down & everyone inside sweltering in the heat? Don’t go here. Go to Pearl Harbourfront or Lee Restaurant or Mineral Fusion instead for better gourmet dining, larger potions at the same price point ! Also the music was so loud it was tough to make conversation. The seats were solid wood, no cushions as tho’ they don’t want clients to be too comfortable & linger for too long! They only had 1 co-ed washroom so clients had to lineup to use it! Awful experience overall. $366. for 3 people. & we were not stuffed. Our wallets are still stinging from this experience & we are very accustomed to paying lots for gourmet meals (eg. $180./person @ Miku or $100./person @ Mineral for their Fixed Price Menu excluding alcohol!) Listen to the other honest review below. Don’t bother going here
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Shirley
Great little spot. A few gluten free options as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Sher Yao
Tiny and overpriced bite sized portions Sablefish was cooked well but the sauce way too salty, and no rice was provided!! Sago of the custard had a fridge taste and the top layer was dry.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Sydney van der Heyden
Everything about this place is beautiful. The service, the food, the atmosphere. One of my new favourites in ottawa. Thanks again for such an amazing, worth it all
For $115 per person, it was rather disappointing. As a Hong Konger, the food just tasted basic and doesn’t worth the price. You can get the same food with a cheaper price if you go to Chinatown down the block.
They do have a relatable Hong Kong experience – insanely hot restaurant during the summer, with numerous files accompanying you.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Andrew Russell
Not sure what to say . Don't really write reviews on spaces in the city , also especially for groups I support . But this was a bit of a disappointment. Was stoked to try the space, but the food fell short . Beet Risotto overcooked, with a Oxtail Jus. And pickled beets. Anyways a bunch of like man that was disappointing as well as the food took a while to come, from what I could tell was my food was given to the wrong table.The Salad was really good ! Service was Decent for sure but I think bogged down on maybe understaffed.. anyways it is what it is. Maybe the second time might be better ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Alicia Chin
This restaurant feels like it's trying to figure out its identity. I am unsure who the audience should be for this restaurant as the food is reminiscent of cultural foods but not definitively a Good™️ iteration of those foods. Everything (because we ordered everything on the menu) felt meh, and many lacked the depth of flavour that one might get elsewhere (again, back to the identity issue). I just feel like there are versions of each dish that you could get somewhere else for cheaper. A miss for me.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Ryan J. Chan
Ayla Upstairs, the fancier cousin next to Patois (although they're just as good, go there too!) serving HK and Caribbean influenced food and drink.
You are greeted with a warm homage to Hong Kong decor: postered walls, deep red lighting, and stairs leading up to the open dining room and quaint terrace patio seating, which we opted for.
Servers were friendly, accommodating and were not shy to explain the menu and its intricacies to us prior to and during dining.
A highlight for us was the Typhoon Shelter Mushrooms, with their umami centric flavour and fragrant garlic crunch. The Drunken Sablefish was also a very tender and rich dish, brought together with the brown butter sauce and complimented by the pickled shimeji and shiitake. Both very great dishes!
The steak tartare's cheung fun felt more reminiscent of cold skin noodles, although the taste was cohesive overall. Tofu was also a nice dish, but the slight lacking of texture (in my humble opinion) left more to desire- although it was a great opener with the tanginess of the pickle brine.
Somewhere in my head as well, I thought the dessert was a mango pudding- but it was more of an homage to egg custard. Knowing that in hindsight, the dish was a refreshing finisher! (Although we dropped by Super Serve afterwards for some extra dessert, their raspberry and Earl Grey blend is amazing.)
Great place to come enjoy the finer details of fusion food, and will be returning the next time there is a menu refresh or adjustment!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loretta Lau
The drinks… the food… the service and decor. Everything was perfection. Highly recommend.
From the moment you step inside, you feel like you’ve been transported straight to Hong Kong. The entrance alone makes you forget you’re in Toronto — it’s such a unique and immersive experience. I ordered the lychee cocktail, and it was far better than I expected — absolutely delicious! Each dish that came out paired beautifully with the drinks. It was such a wonderful experience to enjoy the vibrant Hong Kong atmosphere and unique flavors right here in Toronto.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Steak Tartare, Perfect, Prawn Toast Okonomiyaki, Tuna, Mentaiko Tarama, Cha Chaan Teng Risotto, Beef Tartare, Iberico Pork Char Siu, Iberico Char Siu
Nothing special. Over priced - tiny portions - weak food that you will forget about almost immediately after leaving.
Drinks are typical Toronto mini cocktails in the 20-25$ range. Wine list is minuscule and uneventful. I cannot remember any of the 8 things we ordered but looking back at my receipt, prawn toast was some sort of deep fried shrimp taquito thing, a Caesar salad that I cannot remember being good or bad, char siu that was super salty and dry, beef tartare which was good but small, mushrooms of some kind on a plate - to me, they were more like slabs of tender rubber bands, dessert…. Well, we actually laughed about when it was brought to the table by the overly earnest wait person. It was blobs of gelatin in a sweetened milk sauce…. It was about the size of a side of ketchup and had absolutely no discernible flavour.
Look, this is a fail for dinner. If you want a place to go and chit chat over a cocktail and graze on textures and temperatures, it’s cute and they probably will have a table available.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Had a lovely evening at Ayla! Service and atmosphere was delightful. The steak tartare and char siu iberico pork were fantastic. My only comment about the food would be that the mackerel with pork dumplings are a bit of an odd combo, mackerel being a bit fishier than a standard shrimp and pork dumpling but props to them for trying something different. Would definitely recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I’ve tried a lot of Turkish places and this is hands-down the best one! We ordered a platter for two but was enough for two adults and two kids. The food was flavourful, fresh and remained absolutely hot due to the dish it was served in. The kunafe was absolutely decadent - perfectly flaky and crispy. Loved it! The servers Bilge and Deniz were absolutely wonderful. Very welcoming and polite. Bilge helped with the menu as there was an overwhelming selection. The place is very clean, including the bathrooms. Amazing experience and would definitely come back!
The prettiest restaurant!! Loved the mushroom dish and the risotto!!
Recommend their lychee drink!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The dishes here were impeccable. Every component of each dish was well thought out and it was a great experience. We got the typhoon shelter mushrooms, prawn toast okonomiyaki, and iberico pork char siu. The dishes are all shareable, thus, on the smaller side, however, it was a great tasting experience to share with friends. The service was lovely, and environment felt very welcoming. I would definitely visit again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Highway robbery!! If you think you’re getting Cantonese food & traditional portions, you’ll be sorry. Smaller than the smallest tapas! For $35. we got 4 slices of CharSui bbq pork (delicious but $9. per 4” slice???!!)!?! $11. for one 2” prawn wrapped in toast! $36. for 1 filet of sablefish (3” x 3”). We love Chinese mushrooms but have never had rubbery mushrooms at an Asian restaurant! The risotto was odd — Italian but with oxtail Chinese style like a beef congee.
We are so disgusted that we “fell for” their recommendation to order one of each item on their menu. Dumb. Buyer beware. And the Caesar Salad using sesame Dressing & Parmesan cheese was inedible— they used mixed greens that were unbearably bitter (chrysanthemum, arugula & watercress). It probably would’ve been fine if mixed with a sweeter dressing or added sweet fruit bits? The one mango dessert was the size of 3 tablespoons for $12.! Really!!! Ambience would’ve been good but was ruined by staff leaving the patio door to the outdoor terrace open during 40°C heat wave! I specifically checked to make sure the restaurant had Air Conditioning & yes they said they did. But what was the point if she left the patio door wide open resulting in the AC shutting down & everyone inside sweltering in the heat? Don’t go here. Go to Pearl Harbourfront or Lee Restaurant or Mineral Fusion instead for better gourmet dining, larger potions at the same price point ! Also the music was so loud it was tough to make conversation. The seats were solid wood, no cushions as tho’ they don’t want clients to be too comfortable & linger for too long! They only had 1 co-ed washroom so clients had to lineup to use it! Awful experience overall. $366. for 3 people. & we were not stuffed. Our wallets are still stinging from this experience & we are very accustomed to paying lots for gourmet meals (eg. $180./person @ Miku or $100./person @ Mineral for their Fixed Price Menu excluding alcohol!) Listen to the other honest review below. Don’t bother going here
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Great little spot. A few gluten free options as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tiny and overpriced bite sized portions Sablefish was cooked well but the sauce way too salty, and no rice was provided!! Sago of the custard had a fridge taste and the top layer was dry.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Everything about this place is beautiful. The service, the food, the atmosphere. One of my new favourites in ottawa. Thanks again for such an amazing, worth it all
Restaurantji Recommends
For $115 per person, it was rather disappointing. As a Hong Konger, the food just tasted basic and doesn’t worth the price. You can get the same food with a cheaper price if you go to Chinatown down the block.
They do have a relatable Hong Kong experience – insanely hot restaurant during the summer, with numerous files accompanying you.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Not sure what to say . Don't really write reviews on spaces in the city , also especially for groups I support . But this was a bit of a disappointment. Was stoked to try the space, but the food fell short . Beet Risotto overcooked, with a Oxtail Jus. And pickled beets. Anyways a bunch of like man that was disappointing as well as the food took a while to come, from what I could tell was my food was given to the wrong table.The Salad was really good ! Service was Decent for sure but I think bogged down on maybe understaffed.. anyways it is what it is. Maybe the second time might be better ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
This restaurant feels like it's trying to figure out its identity. I am unsure who the audience should be for this restaurant as the food is reminiscent of cultural foods but not definitively a Good™️ iteration of those foods. Everything (because we ordered everything on the menu) felt meh, and many lacked the depth of flavour that one might get elsewhere (again, back to the identity issue). I just feel like there are versions of each dish that you could get somewhere else for cheaper. A miss for me.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Ayla Upstairs, the fancier cousin next to Patois (although they're just as good, go there too!) serving HK and Caribbean influenced food and drink.
You are greeted with a warm homage to Hong Kong decor: postered walls, deep red lighting, and stairs leading up to the open dining room and quaint terrace patio seating, which we opted for.
Servers were friendly, accommodating and were not shy to explain the menu and its intricacies to us prior to and during dining.
A highlight for us was the Typhoon Shelter Mushrooms, with their umami centric flavour and fragrant garlic crunch. The Drunken Sablefish was also a very tender and rich dish, brought together with the brown butter sauce and complimented by the pickled shimeji and shiitake. Both very great dishes!
The steak tartare's cheung fun felt more reminiscent of cold skin noodles, although the taste was cohesive overall. Tofu was also a nice dish, but the slight lacking of texture (in my humble opinion) left more to desire- although it was a great opener with the tanginess of the pickle brine.
Somewhere in my head as well, I thought the dessert was a mango pudding- but it was more of an homage to egg custard. Knowing that in hindsight, the dish was a refreshing finisher! (Although we dropped by Super Serve afterwards for some extra dessert, their raspberry and Earl Grey blend is amazing.)
Great place to come enjoy the finer details of fusion food, and will be returning the next time there is a menu refresh or adjustment!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The drinks… the food… the service and decor. Everything was perfection. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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