Introducing: Kasa Moto, the Chase empire’s swanky Japanese spot in Yorkville

By Renée Suen | June 2, 2015

By Renée Suen | 06/02/2015

Name: Kasa Moto
Neighbourhood: Yorkville
Contact: 115 Yorkville Ave., 647-348-7000, kasamoto.ca, @kasa_moto
Previously: Montage (but prior to that, Remys)
Owners: Chase Hospitality Group, Westdale Properties, Adam Arviv and Mark Silver
Chefs: Daisuke Izutsu (Don Don Izakaya, Kaiseki-Sakura), Michael Parubocki (Momofuku Noodle Bar, Frank’s Kitchen) and Tsuyoshi Yoshinaga (Yuzu, Kingyo, Kaji)

The Food: Contemporary Japanese dishes including a mix of izakaya and robata-grilled hot and cold small plates with some larger options, too (like a whole roasted bass). There’s also a sushi bar that specializes in both traditional and contemporary takes on sushi and sashimi, all made with traceable and responsibly harvested seafood. There’s a menu of small plates for the patio, and, on the weekends, brunch will include items like bincho-grilled wagyu steak and eggs, and breakfast bentos of fried rice and salmon.

The Drinks: Cocktails infused with Japanese flavours like yuzu, shiso or sansho salt; Japanese beers on tap and in bottles; a selection of wine and spirits—and sake, of course.

The Space: II by IV Design was responsible for transforming the 12,000-square-foot space into multiple rooms accented with wood ceilings, indoor topiary and hand-painted murals. The two-story restaurant and lounge can seat 410 people spread out across a split-level main-floor dining room, a sizeable rooftop patio, a street-side terrace and Bar Moto on the upper level, which is available for private functions.

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9 thoughts on “Introducing: Kasa Moto, the Chase empire’s swanky Japanese spot in Yorkville”

Darren Robinson says:

June 2, 2015 at 2:29 pm

West: 102
East: 6
Kandyce Holmström says:

June 2, 2015 at 2:32 pm

toronto life, true to their reputation can’t be bothered leaving their limited area of interest.
Grizzled Oldtimer says:

June 2, 2015 at 2:36 pm

And let the troll cries begin.
Colin Buchanan says:

June 2, 2015 at 2:38 pm

Had a chance to visit last Thursday – allegedly the opening night to the public. The space is beautifully designed. BUT a lot of small annoyances added up. There was a speaker built into the seat I was at, which meant I could not hear a single word my guests were saying. While there were literally dozens of servers running around, the only word that could describe their performance was ‘chaos’. Every order had to be ‘chased’. The managers looked more interested in the scene than in the comfort of the guests. And the food? Mediocre actually. I will take my money to Yasu, where I will get the best sushi in Canada, minus the pretence.
Kasa Moto says:

June 3, 2015 at 12:09 pm

Hi Colin. We are so sorry to hear that your experience was anything less than outstanding. We hope you understand that opening nights can be a stressful time for new staff. To that end, we would like to offer you a complimentary dinner for two now that we’re officially up and running. Please email us at [email protected]
Colin Buchanan says:

June 4, 2015 at 11:15 am

What a difference a few days make. Having posted a less-than-stellar review of opening night last week, the folks at Kasa Moto
were incredibly kind to offer up dinner for two. This was not necessary but greatly appreciated. I doubt many restaurants would have done that. In any case, my friend and I jumped at the opportunity and went back last night for dinner. Even though the restaurant was just as busy as last week, the service was that much smoother and efficient. We ordered an array of plates to share and were in 7th heaven: the rock shrimp, pork belly, wagyu rice, etc., were en pointe. Simply delicious. We had a couple of servers throughout the evening, both terrific. My only complaint is that I fully intended to pay for the top bottle of sake we ordered. I did not expect the restaurant to cover that. But, when the bill came, it was all taken care of. TOO GENEROUS. But, guess what, I’ll be back and I’ll be bringing more friends!
Kasa Moto says:

June 4, 2015 at 11:34 am

Happy to hear you enjoyed everything! Thanks for the kind words. We’ll pass along to our staff. Hope to see you again soon!
Ray says:

June 6, 2015 at 4:20 pm

Nice patio but food wasn’t super special, especially at the price point. I think they could have done more to wow the customer. Was expecting a lot from the sushi platter but instead was just given something normal. Don’t mind spending the money but 140 bucks for two (with no drinks) shouldn’t leave you hungry.
The Bolo Punch says:

June 8, 2015 at 11:12 pm

u r an unbelievably pathetic turd.