Casa

Recommends

Au Gourmand

Joined 3 years ago

Casa - July 18, 2010. Cuscuz Paulista - I ordered a shrimp cake with couscous* and got a burial mound for the shrimp king. Have you ever been to those burial mounds in Asia – I have seen them in Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan and China – they look like miniature hills or baby mountains, whichever size depending on the power of the deceased kings. Many of these burial mounds remain unscathed and unexcavated despite the prying modern curiosity largely because the experts are not sure if they can win the race against decomposition to preserve whatever is inside when the graves were opened. Not to mention, there is the engineering nightmare of how to support tons of dirt and rocks topped with trees without having it all collapsing over the experts and grave diggers and re-burying them with the lonely and long-deceased royalties (although I am sure they would appreciate some new company after hundreds of years of solitude, or, after an everlasting dreariness of the same faces of the sacrifices).

To tackle on this kingly shrimp mound requires similar unwavering determination and discipline. Finishing off the wondrously fresh and plump shrimp protecting the tomb was quick and easy. However, what do you do with the rest of the man-made mountain? Tentatively, a small piece was cut to test the ground: Quite picante, the cake tingled and left a small fire in my mouth so that I needed a follow-up bite to round it off. Have you noticed that when you eat something spicy one is never quite enough? You need one after another to quench the fire and to keep it burning at the same time. This schizophrenia, I have named as the “domino effect” of spicy food. Nonetheless, by the fourth bite of chipping off the sides of the mound, I was faced the same question as countless adventurers and archaeologists before me: Where is the treasure? If the buried treasure is the prize for digging into the earth, then what would be the treasure of digging into the shrimp cake – the shrimp king and the queen and the whole shrimp family? The shrimp Indiana Jones started to feel a creeping self-doubt: I would not find the lost shrimps. Despondent and dejected, yet I was still left with ½ of the mound intact. Perhaps the shrimp royalty was securely and secretly housed in the other half by the careful chef of Casa to hinder the likes of amateurs like me from finding the prize; however, chunks of the spicy corn cakes were turning into mud cakes in my stomach and prevented me from any further digging. After another unsuccessful tackle with the mound, I started to realize that the texture of the shrimp cakes were, in fact, quite similar to the real mud cakes which I created in my grandparents’ backyard – the same consistency and the gritty texture…

For the future grave diggers, I recommend taking a few of these shrimp cakes to accompany your arduous physical labor as one cake would be able to fill the stomachs of a whole team.

*By the way, by couscous, the Brazilians actually mean the corn meal, not the smallest Moroccan pasta in the world, as I had found out.

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chef olenka

Joined 4 years ago

Casa is a Brazilian Home. You don't have to worry about going to Casa. There is no such hurries to get yourself in the Best of Brazilian Food.

Don't ever listen to those curious and bad liver guys who don't feel the special and indulgent atmosphere of brazilian to make you feel at home. And the food!!! Unforgetable. Bellieve. Indulge yourself in a night that would stay forever in your heart and mind!

Recommends

CSMobileUser

Joined 5 years ago

Food ok service subpar. Went their last eve with a friend. Great atmosphere but the help is incompetent nad not particularly nice. Food was average.

Recommends

ABrazilian

Joined 4 years ago

If felt like being home.... I have been to casa so many times and the food there is FANTABULOUS...it tastes like home made Brazilian food. The only problem with this restaurant is that is always packed...hard to get a table unless you have a reservation.

Doesn't Recommend

Tupiniquim

Joined 5 years ago

Don't got to Casa if you want to have a pleasant night.. I am Brazilian and just came back from dinner at Casa. Unfortunately, I left very disappointed and will never go back. The location is very charming and cozy. The starters are very good, the entrees are good but the desserts mediocre. THE SERVICE IS AWPAULLING!!!

I decided to take a friend for dinner. We arrived at 7:30 pm for dinner when the place was empty. By 9pm the place was packed and before we finished dessert, the waiter dropped the bill on our table. We kept eating. Just as we finished having dessert, the waiter collected the dishes, the glasses of water and asked if we could pay the bill!!!!!!! Unbelievable. I was still working on my caipirinha. After two minutes the waiter asked again if we could pay and leave as there were other people waiting at the bar. I said I was going to finish my caipirinha, so he asked me to finish drinking it at the bar!!!!!!! I told him that no. He asked me how long I've been living in NYC and explained that this is very common in restaurants here. (I've been living here for five years and have never been asked to pay the bill and leave before even finishing my meal.) UNACCEPTABLE, RUDE BEHAVIOR. I will never go back and recommend you don't go there unless you want to have an unpleasant evening. It was embarrassing...

Doesn't Recommend

btour

Joined 8 years ago

Forget about this place. Got there at 5:30 on a Sunday, the place wasn't empty because we were there, otherwise it would have been empty. We were two and waiting for two others, they asked us to wait at the bar. I told the waiter (who looks like a lolipop and was wearing a shirt that says SAPPORO - please...) that he could only be joking. He said "No". I told him we were going to seat and the told me "We usually don't do that". Tell you what, I don't even know why I stayed in this despicable place that doesn't even serve good food and debates "rules of engagement". My rule of engagement is that if it is reasonable to seat two waiting for two others, it's really not a big deal. OK, enough of these incompetent staff, let's get to the food. The appetizers are basically the only thing you should have here. I went to Casa many times (forced by friends) and tried pretty much everything. Stay away from the entrees, they are heavy and don't taste good. To start with, Brazilians don't eat feijoada and muqueca for dinner, it's too heavy. Please avoid at all costs the beef strogonoff, they have a problem with that, seriously. I can do better at home. Beef strogonoff is very simple to prepare: sliced beef, onion, worcestershire sauce, cognac, mushrooms, cream. I am having a hard time understanding how they f%^&* up such an easy dish... The "complete salad" that costs $15 is composed of 1/6 of a heart palm stick and maybe six sleeves of the lettuce you find at Food Emporium. Please. Oh, and the place is very expensive. So good luck!!

Recommends

warner34

Joined 5 years ago

memorable expreince. the best word to describe casa is decadent. its so unbelievably rich and delicious and expensive that its perfect for the right occasion, such as congratulating a worthwhile accomplishment, celebrating an anniversary, or simply to ensure a truly memorable experience with whomever is joining you. its impossible to not have a wonderful dining experience here.I would recommend to anyone.

Doesn't Recommend

Brad8888

Joined 5 years ago

Worst Restaurant Experience Possible. We had been there once before and it was decent and figured why not since we could get a Friday night reservation. Well, thought is what we thought we had. They called at 5:30 the night of to confirm and we called back before 6. They said that they had given away our table for the 9:15 reservation. They even lied to us and said they had called 4 hrs ago when it was less than a half hour. I mean do they not know how phones work in this world. Unbelievable. Avoid at all costs!

Recommends

PVM

Joined 5 years ago

Best of a mediocre lot. Ate there with a party of four last week. Two of us are Brazilians. Bottom line is that the menu is representative of Brazilian cuisine but the food has a watered-down-for-Americans taste to it. Pretty room, but FAR too noisy to be able to maintain a conversation; indifferent service, not particularly friendly. Excellent drinks. Better food is available on 46th Street, but setting is not as nice. Would consider returning, but only on a night that is not as crowded and noisy.

Doesn't Recommend

Newport20RC

Joined 5 years ago

AWFUL. CASA IS AWFUL. Trust me... I go out in the city A LOT! And CASA IS BLOODY AWFUL. I mean what hell kinda hole is this? There were no chairs. My friend and I had to share a chair while we were there with a party of 4 others. What kinda sh!t show are they running there? The staff is far from human... they arent accomodating at all.. even after tonnes of begging for another chair. DONT EVER WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS PLACE.. ITS THE SIZE OF MY CLOSET, STAFF IS RUDE, AND YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SHARE A SEAT ALL NIGHT. All for nothing. The food is avoidable.

Dont waste your $$$$ here.. do yourself a favor and go elsewhere..