Kasa Moto — Restaurant in Toronto

TLDR; Winterlicious serving sizes are cut in half (see attached pictures), and customer service from the manager is non-existent.

Went to Kasa Moto for their Winterlicious menu against my friend's warning that their food was subpar. I went anyways because I thought it would be a good opportunity to try a variety of their menu options for a good price. What a huge disappointment.

We had made a reservation a week in advance and upon arrival, we had to wait 45 minutes to be seated. One nice thing to note though (which was the best thing that happened all night, which is pretty sad), was a bartender was going around to give out complimentary cocktails to those who were waiting.

Once we finally got seated, we were given the menus and made our order with the server. Our server was extremely nice, so nothing against him, but what we didn't know when we made our reservation for the $53 prix fixe menu, was that all the serving sizes were cut in half, maybe even in thirds. I have attached pictures of what we received, and you can see the clear size difference if you compare to the other pictures posted here of their regular menu.

We ordered the salmon started, which included 4 measly slices of salmon when a regular order on their regular menu has twice, maybe three times the amount. My friends ordered the lamb, which we think was supposed to be some type of lamb fried rice, but just tasted like pure butter. The lamb was so smelly that they couldn't even eat more than one bite of it. My friends took three bites of the entire dish, and didn't touch the rest. When the server came to take our dishes away, he clearly saw that we barely touched our lamb, but didn't say anything or ask us why.

The best part out of all of this is when our dessert came (we ordered the cheesecake), it came out a little bigger than the size of a Mrs.Fields' cookie (refer to attached picture). Ok, fine, we should have expected this considering how small the appetizer and entrée portions were, BUT not only was it small, two out of the three that we order were SOUR. Like milk that had gone bad sour. We thought maybe this could have been due to the cheese that they used, but the other three cheesecakes that we got did not taste like that. We asked someone walking by, who happened to be the manager about the sourness and he told us that it was vegan and no dairy was used... at this point, we were appalled, because if there was no cheese or milk in it, why did it taste like someone had left milk out at room temperature for way too long. You didn't even have to taste it, all you had to do was put your nose a couple cm away from it and you could smell how sour and rancid it was. We asked him to go double check with the kitchen since this was going to be a popular dish served over the next couple weeks for Winterlicious, not even to complain (although we should have, because at that point, my friends had already eaten half thinking it was supposed to taste like that), but just so that others wouldn't have to mistakenly eat the whole thing thinking it was supposed to taste like that and get sent to the bathroom for the rest of the night.

Neither him (the manager) nor the server ever followed up with us that night about our barely touched entrées or the rancid cheesecakes. The customer service here by the manager was laughable. The server himself was very nice, and did his best, but as the manager, you should have been more concerned about your customers' experience. The best customer experience we had that night was from the bartender who gave us complimentary drinks while we waited, which was very nice.

We paid close to $70 with tip for 4 tiny slices of salmon, 4 spoonfuls of butter lamb rice, and rancid cheesecake. The whole point of Winterlicious is to give customers a good value for a three/four course meal on regular sized/priced menu items. If you will be reducing your menu items to reflect the discount price, please don't participate in Winterlicious as it would be cheaper to just go on a regular night, pay regular price, and...

The AYCE brunch is not worth the price. Menu has changed, and the entire ordeal was disorganized.

My main issue with my experience here was what seemed to be the lack of understanding and communication between the servers and the owners on the all you care to eat brunch menu, and the disorganization around it. Admittedly, we went with a larger group, however, the issues that I highlight below didn't feel like it was because of accommodating a larger group.

Some issues experience include:

1. No understanding from waitresses on what mocktails were included for the non-alcohol drinkers. We were originally told that there were two types included, and then they came back to tell us that one of the mocktails they offered initially was excluded (with no explanation)+ juice/pop/tea was included. I actually instagram messaged them after, and was told in messages that there would be "mocktails", not just one, offered.

2. I'm not sure if there was a misunderstanding with the servers, but they told our vegetarian companion that the chef was not serving vegetarian makis that day, that it wasn't "seasonal". Mind you, on the menu, there was explicit text that says there is an option for the vegetarian maki to be made for the Brunch set. We explicitly chose Kasa Moto as our option for this meal because we were looking forward to accommodating our friend's dietary restrictions. I eventually asked a more senior waiter if any accommodations could be made, and they did send something out. I will mention that they asked if it were necessary to be made, as more food items were going to be sent out soon. Unfortunately, most of the remaining food items (he listed these off) included meat.

3. The menu change. They basically nerfed the menu between when we made the reso and when we went (roughly a month). They took away some more of the value items (with raw fish) and placed them into an "add on for extra section". I think this is misleading. I understand that restaurants can change their menus, but personally I think that taking away value from a menu like this from people who reserved based on what they previously saw, and then telling them that they can just add it on to an already pricey meal is bad practice. We were also never informed about this changed, and only noticed when we were already sat down and with the menus in front of us. I had asked if they would honor the original menu, and confirm that we booked before the change, but that was denied. Actually, we were also lied to because they said that those items hadn't been on the menu since "last summer". This was untrue because we had looked when we booked.

4. There is no non-alcoholic option on the AYCE brunch menu. I'm glad we confirmed online about this before booking, because the waitress told us that it was the same price as the option with unlimited alcohol. It seems silly, right?

I've looked at other reviews and posts about the food previously, and I does seem like there was a downgrade in quality, and type of food available for this Brunch. I can't comment on whether it was good before.

As of where it is now, I really think that you're only paying for the environment, and being in Yorkville. Based on my experience, I won't be back.

TLDR If you go for brunch, I highly recommend confirming the details of the menu and what you will receive, and keep it saved to...

Located in Yorkville, Kasa Moto is a Japanese restaurant with a modern minimalist design, accompanied by continuous music and attentive service.

Carpaccio The beef and sauce complemented each other perfectly, fully enhancing the umami of the beef while adding a hint of spiciness.

Crudo The sweetness of the scallop and the earthy sweetness of the sunchoke purée worked harmoniously, while the shiso oil provided a refreshing touch. However, the snow peas and fruit lacked presence, serving more as decoration than contributing to the flavor.

Beet & Pear A platter of Asian pear, golden beet, and kabosu, this dish became more intriguing with each bite. A single bite might only reveal a simple sweetness, but when comparing the three ingredients together, the dish showcases:

A contrast in textures (soft to firm) A layered sweetness, ranging from natural mild sweetness to crisp and tangy notes A unifying creamy aroma from the Yuzu Ricotta The dish maintains a cohesive style while offering a dynamic and vibrant flavor experience.

Sushi Somewhat underwhelming. The soy sauce was straightforward and mild, and the sushi and sashimi lacked distinctiveness, making it rather forgettable.

Cod (Best Dish) The standout dish of the night—one that justifies a visit to this restaurant.

The crispy, golden exterior contrasted beautifully with the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth interior of the cod. The pairing with black garlic and miso sake cream created a new sensory experience. The burst of tobiko in one bite was simply amazing. Kale and tuile added crunch, enhancing the contrast with the tender fish. From visual appeal to seasoning and balance, this dish was flawless.

Beef Made with beef cheek, the portion was generous. The meat was incredibly tender, though slightly on the salty side. However, the sweetness of the mashed potatoes balanced it well—highly recommended to mix them together.

Chocolate Stone The chocolate mousse was too dense and heavy, making it overly rich and monotonous. In the end, even with three people, we couldn't finish it.

Chestnut Cake A chestnut cake that was plain and unremarkable—nothing special.

Melon & Ice Cream The melon was noticeably sweeter than what you’d find in a supermarket, and the drizzle of honey made it flavorful without becoming overly sweet. Lighter and more refreshing than the other two desserts, making it my top dessert recommendation if you have to order one.

Overall Verdict Top picks: Beet & Pear (appetizer), Cod (main), and Melon & Ice Cream (dessert).

Apart from the cod, I feel the restaurant is slightly overhyped. The desserts were disappointing, but since this is a Japanese restaurant, and I didn't focus much on their traditional Japanese offerings, it would be unfair to judge them entirely based on this experience.

For the Winterlicious menu, it’s worth coming once just for the cod, but most of the other dishes (except for the beef and beet salad) are not...