I went to Kasa that night. I was visiting a friend who lives in the area, and we decided to give the place a chance and have a few drinks to celebrate her birthday.
When I arrived, I noticed that some customers were speaking Portuguese, which surprised me and made me realize it might be a Brazilian place. Since no one greeted us or helped us get seated, I went straight to the bar and politely asked if it was a Brazilian establishment. Being Brazilian myself, I felt excited because I thought I would feel at home there.
However, when I asked, the bartender/waitress answered me very dryly, with a tone that made it seem like I was asking something obvious. I'm a very friendly person, so I just brushed it off and thought maybe she was having a bad day.
I left my friend waiting while I went to the restroom and then came back to order a caipirinha. During that time, there was still no assistance. Eventually I managed to get the staff's attention to place the order. I tried to overlook the situation because she seemed to be the only one working, even though the place didn't have much movement.
While looking at the menu, I noticed they had ceviche. I'm a big fan of ceviche, but I wasn't sure what style it was. Even though Brazilian cuisine doesn't have a specific traditional recipe for it, it's also not a very common dish in Brazil. So I politely asked the same waitress if she knew what style of ceviche it was. I explained that I personally don't like the Mexican-style version with avocado, tomato, and lots of spice.
Without even really paying attention, as she kept making drinks, she responded with sarcasm and a mocking tone: "As far as I know, ceviche is Peruvian."
She didn't need to be a culinary expert to answer my question. She could have simply asked me to check the description on the menu again. Instead, I felt disrespected by someone I had been polite and friendly to from the beginning.
I told her, "I'm sorry, but there are different variations of the recipe. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't the version that comes with avocado."
Right after that, I also let her know that when you work with the public, you need to have at least a minimum level of respect for your customers, especially those who are part of the restaurant's target audience.
Maybe the food is good, but after that experience I didn't even have the opportunity to try it. I drank the caipirinha she made -- which honestly felt like it was prepared without much care -- paid my bill, and still left a tip equivalent to the amount, because maybe she was just having a bad day.
But I shouldn't have to turn a happy moment celebrating a friend's birthday into a stressful experience. It didn't ruin my night, but I definitely don't feel comfortable in places where customers don't seem to be treated with respect. read more