Finally made it out to Social on Commercial Drive even though it has been around for a bit. Situated in the old location of Falconetti's, the place has been completely renovated with a varied menu exhibiting Asian influences. I had an ulterior motive to visit the place as it sported a fried chicken sandwich that I wanted to try (for my IG account: @shermaneatschickensandwiches). But don't worry, I ate many other items too...
To start, we had the Salt & Pepper Wings with a side of ranch dip. I thought the wings were a bit small, but that can hardly be the restaurant's fault as it depends on the supplier. The skin was well-rendered and completely crispy. There could've been possibly more salt and pepper as the wings ate rather plain. I thought the meat was on the drier side, but I guess this was a by-product of rendering most of the fat.
Staying with appies, we also had the Chicken Karaage Bao with fried chicken, pickled daikon & carrot, cilantro, hoisin and gochujang mayo. These were soft and fully stuffed with crunchy chicken that was still juicy. There was good spice, tang and sweetness. One thing that they should've done was to place parchment under the baos since they stuck to the bamboo steamer and fell apart when we tried to remove them.
Trying to get a bit out of every section, we decided on the Bacon Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, house sauce and side salad. This was really good with a moist and meaty patty. It had a good amount of natural beef flavour due to the fat content. Those large slices of pickle added both crunch and tang. Also, the lean bacon and burger sauce made things messy and flavorful. Lastly, the toasted brioche did the burger justice.
One of the under-the-radar dishes was the Rigatoni Mushroom Alfredo with garlic cream and pecorino. It sure looked appetizing with just enough sauce to coat the pasta while topped with breadcrumbs. It ultimately deliviered with al dente pasta and an impactful creamy sauce. It was earthy and aromatic with enough seasoning. Back to the breadcrumbs, it added the necessary crunch.
Since we didn't get fries with our burger, we decided to add the Truffle Fries for good measure. These were quite crispy with a decent amount of potato texture left on the inside. They well-seasoned without overdoing the truffle oil. However, we could of done with a bit more parm. Not sure if ketchup was the right condiment for this, maybe some truffle mayo or aioli instead?
Okay, for the best dish of the night - the Nashville Hot Chicken Sammie! Okay, this is actually an off menu item since they only have this as sliders. I found it to be one of the best I've had recently and should be permanently on the menu. The chicken was moist while the batter was crunchy. There was a balanced spice and heat while the condiments worked well. Bun was toasted and soft too. Excellent. To get our complete fry fix, we got a side of fries too. Overall, the food at Social was quite good. I would certainly come back, especially for the chicken sammie.
The Good:
- That chicken sammie!
- Varied menu, could be scary, but it worked
- Service was on point
The Bad:
- Seating is great upstairs, but downstairs is a bit cramped
- Need to put parchment under those baos
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