What’s on the menu at Casa Morales, a new Mexican restaurant from the Gus Tacos team

Name: Casa Morales Contact: 152 Augusta Ave., @casamorales.to
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market
Previously: Parallel Basta Owners: Augustine Skrzypek Morales, Carlos Emilio Morales (Gus Tacos) Chef: Felipe Kwon Accessibility: Not fully accessible

Casa Morales’s roots are in the hallowed halls of Kensington Market’s Latin American food court, a launchpad for some of Toronto’s most beloved eateries. It was at 214 Augusta—once home to the Chilean hot dog spot Completo and the pupuseria Casiamento, both of which later became stand-alone restaurants—that cousins and co-owners Augustine Skrzypek Morales and Carlos Emilio Morales opened Gus Tacos back in 2019. The Canadian cousin of their original taco stand in León, Mexico, soon met with much fanfare and now has seven locations across the city.

Related: Toronto’s best cheap tacos right now

Using traditional recipes, Gus Tacos made its name by keeping things simple. Casa Morales, their newest venture, is a departure from that ethos. With a sleek, modern aesthetic, an inventive cocktail program and a refined menu designed in collaboration with executive chef Felipe Kwon, it’s neither a taco stand nor strictly traditional. “The dishes and flavours are Mexican, but the precise way they’re conceived and plated may not be,” says Kwon, whose resumé includes Seoulshakers and Alma. “I would call this modern Mexican.”

The Food

There’s lush, smoky Oaxacan-style mole (all chili, no chocolate) enveloping chicken wrapped in a crisp corn tortilla, shrimp in a pool of blackened and liquified chilies, and grilled octopus marinated in the orange, clove and coriander concoction typically reserved for tacos al pastor. Plus, creamy roasted poblano soup is served in a bread bowl, Canadian-style. The flavours are potent, but each dish is assembled with enough restraint to let the ingredients shine. And in the generous, unpretentious spirit of Mexican cuisine, nothing is overly precious—there are no plating tweezers on the line.

The Drinks

House-made juices, jams and extracts underpin the bar’s signature cocktails, which include balanced easy-drinkers and punchier spirit-forward ones that highlight premium mezcal and tequila. The wine list manages a gradient of body and intensity despite having only a handful of labels, and beers include Modelo Negra and Especial.

The Space

It’s a large room with a buzzing open kitchen, a warmly lit bar and moody black upholstery. The monochromatic palette and minimalist decor don’t immediately reveal the restaurant’s culinary heritage, but subtle details hint at its roots: there’s the black-and-white portrait of desert cacti on the wall and a floral print sculpted in brutalist concrete that echoes patterns commonly found in Mexican homes.