Gasa Restaurant

My goal this year was to find the best kothu roti joint in Scarborough/​Markham. I had heard great things about Gasa so I decided to try it out. I had to wait over 25 minutes for my food and I was not provided an explanation. In addition to the poor customer service, I had a horrible experience with the food here. The roti tasted very stale and the curry was abysmal. The next day, I was sick to the point that I had to go to my family doctor who said I had food poisoning. Two thumbs DOWN, Gasa.

This place has some pretty good food. I always come here for samosas, but they are out of it half the time. I have tried other things they have, as suggested by the owners, but I don’t really remember the names. All very good though. If you are ever in the neighbourhood, definitely drop by.

If you’re chillin’ in the East end, everyone there knows that Gasa is synonymous to amazing Kothu roti. Place an order at the counter (or phone ahead) and you’ll be handed a piping hot take out dish of the most magnificent piece of Sri Lankan food. It’s best taking it to-​go as they only have 1 table in a cramped space.
This isn’t my first Kothu Roti adventure, but I can tell you that for the cost and quality of the product you’ll be stunned. My favourite is the Mutton Kothu Roti. This dish is chopped up roti combined with a curry. It takes about 15 minutes to make (give or take) but it’s warranted when you see how hard the guys are working in the back. If I had the heart to knock off a star, it would only be because it’s so spicy that my face reddens. Yet, I welcome the rosy cheeks because nothing can deter me from the amazing taste.

Authentic kothu roti (roti cut into nearly thousand pieces). We had veggie kothu! Nice and spicy food with a lot of quantity for one person to eat.
Ambience — pick up only!
Wait time — 10 to 29 mins
Overall! Super place ! Reminded of chennai for eating roadside foods :)

Havent really been introduced to Tamil food until last year. Knew about babu’s but never went. I heard really good things about the Kottu Roti at Gasa; had to try it out. Pretty good. The chilli chicken is my favourite one as it is different from other tamil dive ins that i have tasted. They are very affordable.
However; i just ordered the chicken biryani. Even though they are very generous with their portion. Lots of chicken and rice. It failed to capture the same taste as Suvaiyakam Restaurant down at Birchmount and Finch who also offer a veg and salad (which Gasa didnt). No complaints as it was ok.
Chilli Chicken Kottu Roti will be my staple item at this location. Cant knock it till you try it. I am the one who knocks!

This is the place I go to when I have craving for Kotthu roti and spicy noodles. It’s nice to watch them make it for u just when u place the order. It’s super fresh and sooooo good. This place made me fall in love with Kotthu roti. They put a lot of meat when they make the food which is so awesome. Must check it out if you want something spicy and delicious. U will not regret it!

Once I start on the short eats from Gasa, I can’t stop. S-​P-​I-​C-​Y … ahhh, so good …
It is always good to know that you’re getting what you came for, i.e. Gasa is reliable and consistent. Well-​prepared food with a very generous pinch of chili and masalas to wake up your taste buds.

One place I truly missed while out of the country. Gasa has fantastic Kothu Roti, spicy, fresh and flavorful.
The food looks exactly like it does in the photos. I love that we can watch the food being cooked, too.
Yeah it’s a hole in the wall but it’s been a fav of mine for about 20 years. The prices haven’t changed much and the food was exactly like I remembered.
Fantastic on cold, wet days to get the blood moving again.
Yes, the menu is hard to read, and maybe it helps to bring a darker skinned friend if you really like it spicy, (and I do. I really do. Don’t let my Irish complexion fool you), but in a world where everything changes, Gasa has a solid core that has kept them going for decades

Gasa is known for their fresh and flavourful kothu roti! Mild for me, please. I normally can handle spice, but the mild option is sufficient.
This small Sri Lankan take-​out joint is located at a corner plaza by Kennedy & Silver Springs. When you first walk in, it’s dark and the left side of the restaurant seems to be unused. There is a menu on the wall but the prices do not seem to be updated, and if they are, they are written on sheets of paper. Half of the food displayed in their pictures and on their wall menu are not being served (unless they are hidden in the back and not displayed to customers?).
Anyhow, from what I could see, they serve tandoori chicken, fried noodles, fried rice, deep fried snacks, and kothu roti. I have ordered only kothu roti and I think at this point, I will continue to stick with their best item on the menu. Also, be prepared to wait at least 5 – 10 minutes for your kothu roti, unless you order ahead of time.

The food here is just unmeasurable. The buryani here is just the best. But one thing I have to add is the food comes really slow

This is a strange little place. My 3 coworkers and I zipped in for lunch. It’s a little hole in the wall with barely any seating and very little insulation. It was freezing in there. Take out is definitely the way to go here.
The bad. The menu is confusing and there are no prices. We couldn’t see any printed paper menus to take either. The gentleman working the grill and cash was difficult to understand, and messed up 1 of our 4 orders. And he cooks one order at a time. So it took us a while to get out of there.
The good. The food is really good. The portions are huge. We could have fed 8 people easily. And the prices are excellent.
We shared some savoury doughnut things that were very nice. Also, the mutton rolls, which were ok. And the fried curry potato balls which were tasty.
My coworker got the Kothu Roti. The flavour was nice and rich, but she found the consistency a bit off-​putting. The rest of us got the chili chicken. Even the mild spice has a nice heat to it. It is quite something to see him throw all the ingredients on the flat top. A huge amount of rice, a good portion of chili chicken, a leg of tandoori style chicken and a boiled egg. Wild. So much food. We thought that one order was for all 4 of us. All that for around $ 40.
We’ll order more carefully next time, but we’ll be back.
Cheers

The mutton rolls were perfect. Crispy on the outside and savoury on the middle. The kothu roti was amazing as well. Would recommend the chili chicken or the mutton.

Small place offering up Sri Lankan takeout.
Gasa was this tiny restaurant with 2 guys in the back whipping up Sri-​Lankan/​South Asian cuisine. The place itself seemed to be very popular among the locals cause some of the customers were laughing it up with the cooks and having a good time. The guy who took my order seemed friendly enough but had a bit of trouble with English. (Typically, I find it to be a great sign… but not when it means messing up my order).
I ordered up Curry Chicken and Rice. He didn’t seem to understand what I was saying, but just nodded his head anyways. When I got my meal, I knew it was Kouttu Roti. Since I was eyeing it from the beginning anyways, I’d figure I take it as a sign to try it out.
I wasn’t really a big fan as the chicken to roti ratio was pretty low. The flavors were definitely there coming from the peppers and onions. The roti was very hearty and the portion was good for $ 6. The spice level was also incredible considering I asked for mild (I heard about the spice level of Sri-​Lankan food). I love that it can have that much of a kick, but damn.
Two stars is a bit harsh, but I didn’t really enjoy the roti too much. I was hoping for a meaty and fresh dish, but it felt like spooning a bunch of softened croutons. The place is very popular amongst the locals, so maybe I’m no expert, but I think I would have enjoyed my original order much more…

Gasa is a typical, tiny, hole in the wall Sri Lankan take out restaurant. They seem to have a huge fan base, as when we entered, the place had a long queue.
The menu is quite simple, with regular Tamil fare like kothhu roti, vadas, bondas, mutton rolls, fish buns and tandoori chicken.
We tried the mutton rotis, as they appeared baked, not fried. The thing was just stuffed with potatoes, and I couldn’t find any mutton at all. Maybe we got the wrong orders, or those things were just misnamed. The deep fried mutton rolls also lacked meat. The Tandoor chicken was loaded with chillies, and that’s something i have never experienced while having tandoor at Indian restaurants.
My biggest problem was the spiciness of everything. Sri Lankan food is known for being spicy, but I wasn’t prepared to handle that level of heat.
Will I go there again? Maybe. The food was extremely cheap, authentic and filling, and if I am cash strapped, i might consider giving this place another visit. Mostly, I’ll just stick to Babu’s to satisfy my cravings for Sri lankan food.