09/26/09

One of my favorite places

by konkboy

This is a place that reminds me of my trip to Japan. The food is not sushi, but it is authentic Japanese bar food with some entrees if that's what you're after. There are specials that come and go, some, I wish, were permanently on the menu. This is the one place where I will order chicken wings. I like the small dishes like shisito and edemame. The broiled salted mackerel is another favorite of mine. The food smells like Japan to me and that's what I really like about this place. The staff are very helpful and friendly.

• Pros: great small bar to just sit and drink and eat
• Cons: only one bathroom

01/27/09

NO GOOD PEOPLE, RUDE

by mungo124

extremely extremely rude. bad bad business.

30 dollars minimum per person. which is totally ok.

the waiter came to us and forced us to order 50 dollars more because we didn't exceed 30 per person. we asked him 5 TIMES to make sure if he didn't miscalculate. he was getting upset we were asking him too many times. we didn't want to eat more at this point. we found out later we were totally over $30 per person when the waiter FORCED us to order more.

the bill came up to 53 dollars per person.

they FORCED us to order more food and FORCED to pay for it. what kind of restaurant is this? we tried to talk to the manager but she told us to shut up.

TRUE STORY. 9 of us were there. we couldn't believe these people. 9 of us and our friends are NEVER EVER GOING to this place. POOR SERVICE. POOR business mind. total sadness.

• Pros: shrimps
• Cons: RUDE

07/21/08

Great neighborhood find

by jennigiglio

I love this place! I live on the block and try to make it at least twice/ month. Everything I have eaten here has been wonderful. I have never been rushed but they do tend to get a bit nervous if you take a while to order. I love the filet and the tartare. Definitely a place to try.

10/24/07

Rude service

by millee01

I have been to this restaurant several times, and while the food is good, my experience this evening was very negative and I do not plan to return. The manager was incredibly rude and passive aggressive and it turned me off to kasadela for good.

10/22/07

this place is sooooooo good.

by ilikefood2007

i've never tried anything short of AMAZING here. i live in the neighborhood so my friend and i always go. while i've been to kasadela probably 15 times, i can't NOT get the amazing things that i've previously ordered, so i have only tried about 8 things. i love the rock shrimp donburi--AMAZING, esp good in the wintertime b/c it makes you feel so satisfied, the pork/kimchee special, the tebasaki CHANGED MY LIFE (japanese style chicken wings) and the mesclun salad w/ shrimp tempura. the prices are so reasonable, you'll want to eat everything (everything i just mentioned is $6-10). i took my parents here while they were in town and we kept ordering more and more small plates b/c they loved EVERYTHING. i also took a number of foodie friends here and they all were obsessed w/ it. the decor is cute, simple but trendy, and i would definitely recommend for a date w/ someone who loves japanese food. you really can't go wrong.

10/12/07

Really Flavorful Asian Cuisine

by timmytoytim

Have been meaning to try this place for some time. The food is really tasty and portions are very reasonable for the price. Service is attentive and pleasant. I don't know much about sake, but the waiter was able to explain the taste to me very accurately. I can see it getting packed on the weekend, but during the week, there was no wait and the dining environment was very pleasant. Will be back soon.

09/24/07

possibly my favorite place in new york city

by ninabella125

I can't say enough about Kasadela. Having only discovered it about a year ago, my only regret is that I didn't know about it sooner. Some of the reviews on here are concerned with the waitstaff and the small space, but I have yet to encounter any of the poor service that has been mentioned. Quite the opposite, in fact - I find the staff to be lovely and attitude-free. The food is absolutely fantastic and very well priced. I recently arranged a dinner for one of my friends, which was a wonderfully hassle-free experience. Kaika, one of the managers, pulled up a chair and planned out a delicious and eclectic menu for us and never once tried to push us into spending more than we agreed - in fact, she was concerned when our tab was $5 over the agreed amount! When our party got there, the food was ready immediately and was delicious and fresh - and there was plenty of it. The small space lends a no-frills intimate atmosphere to the restaurant, and the widely varied music selection is charming. Kasadela is worth the walk, and for those of us who know and love this place, I am sure I speak for everyone when I say that I hope it remains the little gem of a find that it is.

• Pros: food, coziness, price
• Cons: maybe a little far of a walk, but really not that bad

05/19/07

Rushed Hard Sell, Cramped Seating & Stupid Hostess

by robertlee01

Not in a charming part of the Manhattan. Quite a walk form anywhere unless you drive there straight.

We called asking for a reservation. The phone message said they don't take reservation. So we walked in, before we were seated, the first sentence from the waitress was "Are you ordering right away?" We have to say "Can we be seated first?" It seems the people servicing us are much more hungry than we were, and they expect us eating like in fast food outlet for junk food. They cramped us in a very tight space citing it's their standard. We understand people in Japen used to be cramped up. That wasn't too bothetring besides quite a few flies flying around. Before we made our first round ordering, the waitress was circling us as frequent as the flies. The food isn't fatastic, but okay. We were quite tolerate for three rounds of odering until hostess came to rush us citing reservation after us. We asked why we were not told in the begining and why their message said not taking reservation. She started to have all kinds of BS to disgust us, then ridiculously insisted in asking what's our last round of ordering. We guessed that she was still hungry after disgusted us. As we were paying our bills, she had to come and to tell us how wrong we were. We had to tell her to get off our sight and to leave us alone. Gosh, she's even worse then the flies...

There are many good restaurants in far better areas in the city with far better food, less expensive and much friendlier staffs and services. Why do we need such place? We question its right to survive in this wonderful city!!!!!

• Pros: Okay Food
• Cons: Bad Service, Unfriendly, Hard Sell, Cramped & Aggrevating Hostess

05/17/07

Great alternative to the same old sushi

by metrokitty

The food was fantastic....most of the food is cooked...so if you're not in the mood for the usual sushi but still want Japanese food, this place is a great alternative. The portions are small but inexpensive....think Tapas Bar. Order various items from the menu and split them w/ your date or friends. Definitely sample a few of the sakes- you will not be disappointed. The staff is very friendly and they do not rush you out. Enjoy....it's definitely good eats!

• Pros: food, price, service, ambiance
• Cons: can't think of one

02/12/07

Fun sake bar!!! (with a few reservations...)

by sw33tears

Kasadela is a cute sake bar where you can try a variety of sake and share plates of Japanese "tapas". We had a good time last Friday night with a few reservations. The sake was delicious. The food was generally good- I highly recommend the beef tataki and age tofu. The salmon tartare was good but the portion was ridiculously small- about the size of a quarter! The Ebi Chiri (garlic shrimp) and scallops special was par. The service is somewhat questionable- it was a bit irritating that we had the waitress come over 3-4 times immediately after being seated. The sake and food menu is huge- we kept on asking for another minute to peruse. (Were they rushing us?) Also, it was difficult to communicate with our waitress- a language barrier issue- which is usually ok until you want to learn about the different sakes you are trying. Overall, this place is worth a first visit... you can see the effort here (A for effort) but they get a B for delivery ...

• Pros: huge food and sake menu, adorable ambience, friendly hostess
• Cons: rushed waitress service, couldn't learn about the sakes that you are trying