Casa Morales — Restaurant in Toronto

Casa Morales is a beautiful and authentic part of Kensington Market. The casual fine dining atmosphere is clean and contemporary, with an open kitchen that brings energy to the room and makes the whole evening feel interactive. From the moment we arrived early before our 6 pm reservation, we were greeted with genuine hospitality: complimentary glasses of house wine to celebrate our anniversary during happy hour, and blue corn tostadas with a trio of condiments (guacamole, onions, and salsa negra). Unfortunately, the guacamole contained cilantro, which our server was aware I couldn’t eat. This was the first slip of the evening.

The cocktails were excellent. The Bendito Dios mezcal cocktail ($19) was a standout, balanced, smoky, and beautifully crafted. The Carajillo ($16) at the end of the meal was equally impressive, a smokeshow, one of the best we’ve had.

We started with sopes de hongos ($21 for two pieces), which had great texture and deep mushroom flavour. The grilled peach salad ($21) sounded fantastic on the menu, with sikilpak pepita purée, goat cheese stuffed zucchini flowers, corn, and tomatoes. Unfortunately, the sikilpak was full of cilantro. Instead of communicating and offering a replacement dish, the server brought it back altered (without the sikilpak), which meant it lost one of its key components -- but we were still charged full price. I would have preferred to change my order to something else, like the rockfish, but wasn't asked.

The chile en nogada ($34) was festive in presentation, complete with the red-white-green Mexican flag colors, but the execution missed the mark. The flat chile's picadillo filling was very small in portion and almost entirely overpowered by cinnamon and clove, which made the dish unpleasant and unbalanced. The white sauce, with goat cheese, was pleasant, and the green herb garnish was properly parsley. What stole the show here was not the chile itself, but the two chunks of fresh bread served alongside: dense, crusty, and possibly the best bread we’ve ever had. Honestly, Casa Morales could sell loaves of this bread daily, and people would line up for it!

By this point, Chef Felipe, who had been prepping right beside our table in the open kitchen, noticed that I wasn’t thrilled with how the meal was going. He was gracious and warm, engaging us in conversation, and specifically offered us ribeye tacos as a gesture. These were incredible: rich, tender, flavourful, with excellent tortillas. They were the highlight of the evening and showed the kitchen at its absolute best. (On the menu, the Mar y Tierra tacos are listed at $24 and include both ribeye and fish, though he sent us only the ribeye.)

My partner ordered the arrachera beef steak ($46), which was excellent: thinly sliced and piled up with bean purée, tomatoes, grilled onions, a white sauce, and an outstanding salsa rojo. We noticed some inconsistency, as other guests’ steaks were served in thicker chunks but the flavours and textures of ours were impressive.

For dessert, my partner chose the tres leches cake, which came with peaches inside and a brûléed caramelized top, a nontraditional tres leches ish dessert. He enjoyed it, though I found the inner texture less appealing.

Service was warm and hospitable, but it was also uneven. Our cilantro restriction note was missed more than once, dishes had to be corrected and re-served (costing us extra time), and in the end, we were told with only ten minutes’ notice that we had to leave, while the dessert and carajillo were being enjoyed, even though the earlier delays were not our fault. We had to finish the alcohol more quickly than comfortable. It felt abrupt and rushed, which was a frustrating way to end a celebratory meal. The bill arrived with two shots of spiced pineapple tepache, like others have mentioned. We were charged in full for everything we ordered, even the salad, and tipped in full. Casa Morales has a lot of heart but needs to pay attention to detail. 3.5/5 but we're looking forward to returning to try more of the sauces, Oaxaqueno...

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Like longing for love after enduring a painful breakup, the time between placing your order to getting your first bite is when my mouth is the most lonely. It was like cupid's arrow when I was promptly served smoky corn tortillas with a trio of dips, to hold me over until the Aguachile and Mole came.

You'd doubt you were still in a landlocked city with how fresh the butterflied shrimp are, as they give away with a subtle bounciness and tender texture, illuminating your taste buds with their subtle sweetness, prominent lack of fishiness, and an appetizing sour, spicy, and mildly smoky liquid. It's accompanied by crunchy cucumber slices, crisp red onions, and creamy slices of avocado that meld wonderfully with the acid.

Then came the Mole, which has been on my must-order for Mexican restaurants ever since my taste buds first experienced the complexity of this unique sauce. It brings the smoky depth of roasted chili peppers, that adds a salivating undertone to the sweet, umami, earthy, and cocoa flavours that drench the corn tortilla enrobing the tender, shredded chicken. Finally, it's drizzled with a mildly luscious garlic cream and milky queso fresco crumbled on top. The crisp pickled onions on the side are pretty much a bonus palate cleanser.

You don't need a keen eye to notice the smoky octopi flying off the pass, as you'll notice every table around you with at least one plate of this. Previously marinated in an al pastor-style sauce, it's finished with the fiery smoke of the grill while maintaining a tender, yet bouncy texture. The subtly sweet flavour is heightened by generous dollops of an addictingly herbaceous and fresh chimichurri sauce, made with some of the most delicious olive oil I've ever tasted. Along the perimeter, the tentacles are decorated with a melody of grilled vegetables, adding a pleasant texture contrast while offering a fresh respite between bites. Finally, the crispy potatoes and chipotle mayo sauce are a match made in heaven, all finished with a citrusy squeeze of lemon.

Seeing the corn tortilla hit the grill, my excitement matched my frustration of not being about to pronounce this Mexican "pizza" properly. Once toasty, it's topped thoughtfully with creamy frijoles and fresh ingredients like tomatoes, red onions, radishes, cilantro, and tangy queso fresco. Slices of avocado adds a nutty richness that complement wonderfully with the bursts of salty, beefy umami from the crunchy piece of tasajo.

A dessert that teeters between bold and light, it perfectly balances the indulgent sweetness of evaporated and condensed milk with the fragrant lime zest, which is all elevated with a lusciously moist sponge layer, silky smooth cream, biscuit crumble, and a fragrant vanilla aroma. With the dessert comes more free stuff, the ponche de frutas is a mix of apples, pears and raw sugar that...

Easily one of my top 3 Mexican restaurants in the GTA! Every dish we tried was not only creative but executed with bold and vibrant flavours that were perfectly balanced with bright, acidic notes. Ingredients tasted incredibly fresh and high quality, and everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection.

Service was 10/10 flawless. The staff were warm and attentive, and Chef Felipe himself came by to walk us through the menu. His passion for food and culture really shines through in both his cooking and the way he speaks about it.

We were a party of 2 and ordered:

Sopes de hongos – A wonderful start to the meal. A humble, comforting dish elevated with deep umami from cremini and oyster mushrooms.

Crema poblana – Absolutely outstanding. A rich, creamy, and comforting soup served in a bread bowl. A mild kick of heat cut through the creaminess beautifully, and the roasted corn with housemade queso fresco made it even better.

Chile en nogada – My personal favourite of the night. A poblano pepper stuffed with picadillo (minced pork, spices, apples, and pears), topped with a silky walnut sauce and fresh pomegranate. A perfect harmony of savoury, sweet, and nutty flavours. While the portion is on the smaller side and a bit pricey, it’s well worth it for the craftsmanship, this is truly an intensive labour of love.

Barbacoa – Showstopping. The meat was tender, fall-off-the-bone, and the fresh housemade corn tortillas took it to another level. This might just be my new favourite barbacoa in the city (sorry, Quetzal!). The portion was generous, we could only finish half and took the rest home. Perfect to share with more people. Loved how Chef Felipe personally serves it tableside, which adds such an intimate and interactive touch.

We mentioned that we really wanted to try the mole rojo, and they even brought out a small sample so we could try it as a dip with tortilla chips!

For drinks, we tried the Rosita and Maria mocktails. Both refreshing, though I leaned toward the Maria. Sadly, we were too full for dessert this time.

Since I’m currently pregnant, we skipped the seafood dishes, but that just gives me more reason to return. I’m already looking forward to trying the chicharron carnitas and seeing what’s new on their rotating menu!

Thank you again, chef...