Michelin-Starred Kasama — Spring/Summer Visit 🌸

I was just at Kasama on Christmas Eve, but when a friend visited from NYC, we booked a late May dinner to try the seasonal shift. Most dishes stayed similar to winter’s menu, with a few updates: 🍗 Roasted Squab – Previously served as a single leg; now presented as leg + breast with Southern-style dirty rice. 🍄 Mushroom Course – Adobo mushroom replaced by a mix of maitake, crab mushrooms, and cordyceps. 🍌 Banana Cue – The traditional fried banana dessert has been removed from the menu. 🍧 Halo Halo Reinvented – Looks like strawberry shortcake but topped with black tea shaved ice instead of condensed milk or coconut. Hidden beneath: pandan jelly and leche flan — familiar yet fresh. However, service was disappointing — again. I’d emailed a week ahead about no goat/sheep cheese or lamb, and my friend’s no-oyster request. The server confirmed both upon seating — yet issues arose. 🦪 They asked my friend: “Can you eat cooked oysters?” After a “no,” they substituted salmon — which was reportedly fishy and underwhelming. 🧀 Then, knowing my restriction, the server asked: “Have you heard of halloumi?” I’ve tried this goat+sheep milk cheese before — strongly dislike it. Only after my cold “yes, and no” did they change a lamb course to pork belly. This isn’t the first time Kasama’s service has felt inattentive — like they hear but don’t listen. With minimal menu innovation lately, I’m likely taking a break from visiting. 📍 Kasama 1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 #Kasama #MichelinStar #ChicagoFineDining #FilipinoCuisine #ServiceFail #DietaryRestrictions