In the FoodEEs series, El Estoque staff members take on different food establishments, reviewing the menu items based on taste, price and authenticity.
Alma Dessert is a cafe in downtown Sunnyvale known for its specialty tiramisu, an Italian dessert made of Italian ladyfinger pastries soaked in coffee and layered with whipped mascarpone cheese and cocoa powder. The store features unique tiramisu flavors like matcha, sea salt Oreo and pistachio. Alma Dessert’s menu also includes a wide selection of fruit and milk teas, ranging from pure jasmine and assam teas to more embellished drinks like the Black Forest Fog — a blend of chocolatey coffee and creamy mascarpone with a “frog eyes” decoration — and the Dubai Chocolate: a milkshake that pairs chocolate with pistachio-saturated phyllo pastry strips.
The store itself is small and implements a grab-and-go model with an ordering kiosk, offering no spaces for customers to sit. Despite its digitized ordering structure, the store isn’t uninviting, extending warmth to customers through excellent customer service, visually exceptional treats and small decorations like cake-shaped plush toys.
Classic Tiramisu ($8.95)
With this thematically central confection, Alma Dessert attempts to stay true to iconic tiramisu flavors. Its subtle hint of espresso layers well with the thick coat of cocoa powder on top. However, the ladyfingers, or savoiardi, could have been steeped more thoroughly with espresso. The sponge’s resulting dryness, though not unpleasant, becomes distractingly cakey and compromises the tiramisu’s distinctive textural integrity. A velvety spread of whipped mascarpone does its best to remedy this loss, maintaining the silky lightness that gives tiramisu its timeless elegance. When eaten chilled, Alma Dessert’s generous portion of classic tiramisu is a thoroughly delicious treat, but due to its compositional misstep, it just barely misses the transcendent experience that a pure tiramisu, if executed excellently, can inspire.
RATING: 3.5/5
Mango Passionfruit Fantasy ($6.95)
The Mango Passionfruit Fantasy offers a refreshing burst of tropical fruit flavors. The drink blends slightly carbonated juices from mangoes and lilikoi with small chunks of fresh mango for texture. Its palette is not especially complex, as it foregrounds typical Asian fruit tea flavors and is mostly mango-forward. Though the Mango Passionfruit Fantasy’s excessive sweetness can become tiring by the end of the cup, it’s a delightful refresher for hot and cold days alike. We recommend pairing it with the lychee jelly topping for a fresh textural complement.
RATING: 3.5/5
Matcha Tiramisu ($8.95)
The Matcha Tiramisu is one of Alma Dessert’s six unconventional takes on the tiramisu dessert, among flavors like Biscoff, mango and chocolate. This version replaces traditional espresso flavors with Japanese matcha green tea. With matcha-infused mascarpone and a liberal dusting of matcha powder, every bite of the Matcha Tiramisu is filled with a decadently strong green tea flavor, which is bitter but not overpowering. The dessert abandons the regular espresso soak in favor of green tea concentrate instead. This forwardness is a welcome variation from the Classic Tiramisu, which features quieter flavors. However, similarly to the Classic Tiramisu, the ladyfingers of the Matcha Tiramisu still lack the luxurious moistness that tiramisu typically displays. Its dryness is more forgivable, though, since the dessert’s flavors show appreciable variation from the classic espresso palette.
RATING: 4/5
TEA-ramisu ($8.95)
The TEA-ramisu is Alma Dessert’s indulgent beverage spin on the tiramisu dessert, and features milk tea with chocolate flavors, whipped topping, a dusting of cocoa and a ladyfinger on top.
For a drink that looks like it would break records for caloric density, the TEA-ramisu is surprisingly palatable. It’s tastefully balanced, with not too much sweetness and it doesn’t feel like a chore to finish. Under all the toppings, there’s an authentic and strong flavor of black tea, which is foundational to the drink’s completeness. The TEA-ramisu is the perfect display of Alma Dessert’s ability to take their central inspiration — tiramisu — and apply it to different flavors and textures with remarkable inventiveness.
RATING: 4.5/5
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
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With a unique tiramisu-centric menu and accommodating staff, Alma Dessert offers a more than satisfactory service to visitors. Though its offerings can be expensive, their hearty proportions are worth the price. Alma Dessert’s unconventionally themed menu invites customers into its small location to indulge in creatively crafted tiramisus and drinks, providing a thoughtful and memorable experience supplemented with delicious treats.
