Kasa Indian Eatery isn't quite new, but when I first ate there it had been open only about 6 months at it's Castro location on the corner of 18th and Noe. At the time it was a new concept serving kati rolls, a type of Indian street food originating from Kolkata, India. The place got a bit of press when they first opened so when I went I was surprised it wasn't very full, which was fine by me, crowds in small restaurants are too noisy and not fun. It allowed me to order, eat and enjoy in relative peace. Since that first visit I have been back on several occasions and yes I really like this place.
As you can see from the menu you get a choice of fillings to go inside the roti, which is a handmade bread and at Kasa it is buttery (always a plus) flaky and tasty and serves as a perfect wrap for the 7 choices of filling. I like the Chicken Tikka, sort of a spicy grilled chicken and Karahi Paneer which is Indian cheese, green pepper and tomatoes wok sautéed. To that is added marinated purple onion and chutney which you can get either mild or spicy. As I've gotten older my taste buds prefer spicy so I go for the full bore. On the side you get a cool creamy yogurt sauce to dip in and it also serves the duel purpose of helping ease the spicy if it is too much for you. The active cultures in yogurt also help with digestion which is one of the reasons you should eat yogurt when you travel from the country you are traveling in, it helps get you adjust to the food of that country. (It's worked well for me)
If you want something more formal at Kasa you can also get the Thali plate which is basically a deconstructed version of the kati rolls plus you get spicy beans and jasmine rice as additional side dishes along with your two main choices and a couple of roti to soak up all the flavorful juices on your plate.
The menu here is small and compact which is perfect as it allows them to do what they do really well making Kasa a perfect place for a quick bite on the go or a casual sit down after a movie at the Castro Theater. If you are in the neighborhood I highly recommend you stop by. Plus now they have joined the food truck craze and serve the kati rolls at different locations around the Bay Area--it's a large pink and brown truck so it's hard to miss but you can check out their website to see where they are going to be and the best part is the prices are the same as they are in the restaurant. A win win for food and value.
