Kasa Indian Eatery

Great concept and I liked the options-- eating lighter to a bigger meal is an easy way to order--Taqueria-style. The food was completely fresh and this is a tall order for many Indian restaurants in San Francisco. The small but nicely edited wine list is a plus. I had a Belgian beer which paired perfectly with the Chicken Tikka that I ordered. The menu and ambiance is simple and well thought out. Some had mentioned in a review "what's up with the tin trash..." making a comparison to a prison experience. If that person was culturally aware that stainless steel serving trays and cups is quite common in India. I think Kasa did the right thing. A prison meal is the furthest thing I think of when I enjoy Kasa.

I can't wait to go back to Kasa and try the large plate of ever good Indian cuisine.

I like discovering new foods. Especially foods that I thoughtI ate but I find hidden on the bottom shelf. Yes score! I discovered Kasa the other day wandering around Castro desperate for nourishment. You must understand I spent the afternoon working at a chocolate store surrounded by chocolate and was filled with chocolate and little else. I got the roll with tikka masala chicken. Biting into it was pure bliss. Just the right amount of spice which I adore with some cooling sides was perfect. Loved the metal plates. Prison ware baby.

First time eating at Kasa and I am a fan! You order at the counter and watch the server scoop up your food into a metal platter that made me think of prison lunch lines for some reason. Then you order your drinks from a second worker and pay for your meal. After that, you find a seat by the tall counters or one of the few tables in the restaurant. Most of the tables were taken when we ordered, but one did clear up by the time me and my partner-in-crime(PIC) paid and started looking for seats.

We ordered 2 thali plates ($10.95), which came with roti (handmade bread), lentils, rice,yogurt, veggie salad, and chutney. I ordered the chicken tikka masala and the gobo aloo (cauliflower and potato...easily my fav dish). My PIC ordered the chicken tikka and the karahi paneer (their cheese is AMAZING). In addition, we each ordered a drink. I got the hot chai ($2.50) and my PIC ordered the mango lassi ($3).

Both of us were really satisfied with our meals and will definitely keep Kasa in mind when looking for homestyle Indian food. I could totally see myself becoming a vegetarian if I knew how to make food as delicious, hearty, and healthy as what I had at Kasa.

I came here for dinner with 4 former classmates of mine from BU. I wouldn't say we were all close friends in school and have had little contact since graduation, but for the first time ever, we made an effort to catch up. One of them suggested a "good Indian place" in the Castro and so we decided to eat at Kasa. The unusual and enjoyable food complemented the unusual and enjoyable company quite well.

I don't know if Kati Rolls are some popular new fad and I am behind the times or what, but this was the first time I had encountered Indian food like this. Being my first time, I decided to get the 3 roll combo in order to try several flavors. I ordered a potato roll, lamb roll, and a chicken tikka masala roll. My favorite was by far the lamb and the chicken tikka masala was quite good. I opted to have the roti in the potato roll dipped in egg first and that was a mistake. The combination of fried egg and potato gave it more of a breakfast burrito taste...not so much bad as just unwanted. Quality-wise the 3 rolls were a bargain for the $11.95. Quantity-wise, I was stuffed.

They are served with a smear of raita on a bare metal plate. I can't say they get points for presentation...it really looks prison-esque.

I suppose it is obvious and glib to describe the food as Indian burritos, but describing the establishment as an Indian taqueria is apt. Like any decent burrito joint, I would frequent it if it was in my neighborhood, but doesn't warrant a trek.

So, sadly, like the dinner with those former classmates, I think Kasa will be a one time thing.

Staying with a friend in the Castro, I got hungry and felt a craving for some good Indian food. Kasa was the closest Indian restaurant to me and I thought to visit after learning it was a popular spot.

Getting there, I thought, what is this, a cafeteria? It's like a prison cafeteria with the metal trays and really tiny selection of foods that actually don't look appetizing at all.

I got the food anyway, since I figured it can't be THAT bad if there were lines wrapping around the block when this spot first opened as well as a fair amount of people inside eating. Seriously, I don't know how they managed that feat, because it was hands down the worst food, Indian or not, I have ever had in my life.

The rice was insipid and tasted like air, no flavor AT ALL. The Lamb Curry wasn't even curried and dry as a bone, tough to swallow and tough to chew. I think it must have been a 20 year old goat living on a sparse mountain top rather than a lamb, the meat was so tough and dry! It was shredded up in an attempt to make it more palatable, but nothing can mask the inferiority of that meat. The Chicken Masala, oh god, even worse. Dry chicken and a greasy, congealed orange mess of a sauce that hardly had any flavor. I didn't even know you could botch masala that badly. The dipping sauces that came with were flavorless and also unpalatable.

I have thus erased this place from my mind and memory. They serve FOOD at restaurants, and that is not what they serve at this establishment.

"Fresh Indian" is one of those phrases that doesn't seem that intuitive ...sort of like "Pleasantly Overweight" or "Heterosexually Challenged". It sounds like it could be interesting, but somehow you can't get your head around the concept. Well, Kasa has somehow figured out the idea of "Fresh Indian" food because it doesn't have the oily residue of most dishes I've had at Indian restaurants. In fact, this isn't really a restaurant but a casual place to grab a bite in the Castro.

It took over the Castro Tacqueria, which I am embarrassed to say I never tried. I was meaning to, but now it's gone. I didn't even get to say adios. Now I can say namaste. It's a cool open space with counters on one side, a few tables on the other, and a small community table in the middle. The menu is not too complex. You either get the Kati Rolls (one for $5.50, two for $8.95 or three for $11.95) or the $10.95 Thalis, which is described as a "deconstructed Kati Roll" and comes with daal, roti, basmati rice and raita. But they come in six varieties, so there's plenty of choice.

I went for the Lamb Curry Thalis, and it was very fresh-tasting without the tell-tale grease you would get at the buffet places. It's amusing that it's served on an aluminum plate tray that looks like it came from an upscale prison. Now usually I have a Diet Coke with something I know will be spicy, but I tried their Belgian beer on tap. I believe it was called "Tripel Karmeliet", and that was so smooth. I think this will be a new pit-stop for me. Namaste, dude.

FOOD - 4 stars...Fresh Indian...I get it now
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...clean, open, the whole gen-Z vibe
SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly and young
TOTAL - 4 stars...finally a fresh alternative in the Castro to the stodgy Bombay Indian well worth a stop