Takara Sushi

I've actually tried the food at Takara Sushi long before this recent visit.  So during the height of the pandemic, we had ordered take out and were quite impressed with the quality of the food especially for the price.  So when we started dining out again consistently, we made sure that Takara was on the list.  For those who aren't familiar, Takara took over the former location of Waffles Gone Wild on Canada Way just off Boundary.  Not necessarily the most convenient location to stop, but I do suggest that you give it a try.

So on this visit, we began with the Assorted Sashimi consisting of albacore tuna, hamachi, hokkigai, tai, Atlantic salmon, tako and ika.  This was rather unassuming but quite good.  Each piece had a fresh appearance and ultimately tasted fresh (as fresh as flash frozen can get) and sweet.  Unlike some of the value Japanese restaurants, the slices were not too big, yet at the same time, not incredibly small either.

Along the same lines, we also ordered the House Spicy Sashimi with diced tuna and salmon, cucumber, avocado and house spicy sauce.  Once again, the fish had a nice sheen and tasted fresh.  Textures were on point too.  This was more of a salad where the amount of ripe avocado and crunchy cucumbers were on par with the fish.  We didn't find the sauce particularly spicy, but did appreciate that there wasn't too much of it (as it can overwhelm the fish).

Onto something cooked, we went for the Assorted Tempura consisting of 4 prawns and 3 pieces of vegetables (yam, sweet potato and zucchini in this case).  This was served hot and crispy while not overly greasy.  The tempura batter was light and wasn't laid on too thick.  It was cooked all the way through as well.  We found the prawns to be buttery with a meaty snap.  Vegetables were cooked properly where the yam and sweet potato were tender while the zucchini wasn't mushy.

So keeping with deep fried things, we also had the Chicken Karaage featuring deep fried leg meat.  These were fairly large pieces that were juicy and tender.  Once again, this was fried perfectly as the outside was crispy and easy on the grease.  The chicken itself (as well as the batter) was seasoned enough so that it could be eaten without any other condiment.  However, the lemon and mayo dip were provided and I used it anyways.

Since the kids love Grilled Beef Short Ribs, we decided to get them.  Well also the fact I wanted to hit as many sections of the menu as possible too...  These featured a good char on the outside while the meat was still tender with the classic short rib chew.  The marinade was just enough where the short ribs were sweet and savoury and the meat had tenderized enough. 

Moving back to the raw stuff, we got some sushi cones including Chopped Scallop, Sockeye Salmon and California.  To compare with places like Sushi Garden and Sushi Town, these were significantly smaller, but the quality was better (not considerably more, but it was noticeable).  There was a good ingredient to rice ratio which made for an even bite every time.  As you can clearly see, the ingredients were fresh.

Of course my son would want his usual array of Nigiri, so we got some of that too.  However, since we had sashimi and cones already, we limited the selection to Tamago, Unagi and Hotate.  I know I'm repeating this by saying that these were reasonable in size and more carefully made than other places.  The tamago was excellent being delicate and lightly sweet.  Unagi was buttery and properly sauced while the scallop was sweet.

We did end up getting one each of a roll and aburi sushi as well.  For the roll, we decided on the Pacific Roll with mango atop smoked salmon with cucumber and 2 prawn tempura in the middle.  This was light and actually refreshing.  Mango was ripe too.  Also had the classic Aburi Salmon Oshi with mango in the middle.  This was pretty good with chewy sushi rice and a fairly thick slice of salmon on top.  Sauce was creamy and mild while nicely torched.  mango added a nice sweet pop in the middle.

For good measure, we also had the Chicken Yakisoba on a cast iron hot plate.  This was another solid dish with chewy noodles and plenty of tender dark meat chicken.  There could've been a touch more sauce as the noodles at a bit dry.  Now, I know that Takara shouldn't be compared to value sushi spots as the quality is better but since their pricing isn't really all that much more, I would suggest you give it a try.  Yes, the portion sizes are not as big, but the food is prepared with more care.

The Good:
- Food prepared with care
- Reasonably-priced
- Menu is quite extensive

The Bad:
- Parking in the area isn't the best
- Don't expect huge portions (but not their style either)

Palate Kitchen

I've said this over and over again - for a city that loves brunch, Vancouver doesn't have enough stellar brunch options (in my mind at least).   To clarify, there are plenty of spots for brunch, but they seem rather defaultish not serving anything interesting nor gourmet.  Then we are left with a few that are truly good but a long line outside comes with the deal.  So originally, when Palate Kitchen opened up in a Georgian revival-style heritage building built in 1921 on West Hastings in Downtown, I was quite anxious to try it.  Unfortunately that was 2020 and you all know what happened.  So finally I made it out for 2 separate visits that I will blog about here.

On my first go around, I decided to try the Kefta Skillet with Moroccan meatballs and 2 poached eggs on a bed of house made tomato sauce and olives.  I really enjoyed this as the tomato sauce was full of body and distinguishable spices such as cinnamon and cumin.  As for the meatballs themselves, they were meaty while still tender and moist.  If I had to compare (even though they aren't exactly the same dish), this was much more impactful than the one at Maxine's.  Smoky and crusty, the grilled sourdough was the perfect vessel to pickup the sauce and perfectly poached runny eggs.

Viv ended up with the Fjord Toast featuring gravlax salmon, avocado, pickled crispy shallots and cream cheese spread on sourdough toast.  Now for most people, I'm sure they can construct something similar at home.  However, this was done very well and let's be honest here, not many of us could replicate this particular version exactly.  I found the toast to be the right thickness and nicely crunchy without being hard.  There was more than enough buttery gravlax on top for it to be the star of the show.  

To end off on a sweet note, we tried their Famous French Toast that gave off a funnel-cake kinda of vibe.  That was a good thing since the outside was crispy while the inside was soft and fluffy.  The whole thing included mascarpone praline, berries, ginger crumb and meringue topped with caramel sauce.  I thought the combination of ingredients added the right amount of creaminess and sweetness as well as texture.  However, there was too much caramel sauce as the bottom piece of French toast was soaked.  I suggest to get the sauce on the side.

On my second visit, I went for the Eggs Benedict with bacon, sauteed spinach and house hollandaise on ciabatta bread.  I'm not sure if there is any other way but to say that the bread was not the best choice for this benedict.  It was a bit dense and too large for the amount of ingredients on top.  It was too much about the bread and not enough about the perfectly poached eggs and silky balanced Hollandaise.  The lean thick-cut bacon was not too crispy, so there was a meatiness to it.  I also added a side of roasted potatoes and frankly, they were not very roasted.  Not enough char or sear on the outside.  I actually ordered the famous French toast again and got the sauce on the side.  To me, that was perfect.  Overall, the food was pretty good except for a things with the benny.  I would come back (well I technically already did...).

The Good:

- Beautiful building

- Interesting brunch items

- Decent service

The Bad:

- Due to its location, on the higher end of the pricing scale

Giovane Bacaro

For those who are familiar with Giovane in the Fairmont Pacific Rim, you will remember that they once had a wine bar that served classic Italian eats.  Well, there is a new concept in the same space called Giovane Bacaro.  It is still an Italian wine bar, but now it features small plates in the same style at the Becari found in Venice.  Mijune and I sat down in the cozy space to try as much of the menu as possible (of course, that was serious eating when dining with Mijune).

We kicked things off with the Potato Chips with crispy herbs.  Yes, this looked like a harmless bar snack, but in reality, I couldn't stop eating them.  They were razor thin, light and crispy.  I thought there was just enough salt.  The chips were slightly on the greasier side, but that was not a deal-breaker for me as I merely downed some spritz to wash it down.  The fried sage and rosemary were aromatic and just as crispy as the chips. 

Onto a selection of Cicchetti (including the aforementioned chips) consisting of Baccala Mantecato, Butter & Anchovy, Buffalo Mozzarella, Egg & Sardine, Smoked Sablefish in saor, Burrata and Chicken Liver.   I know it is a cliché to say everything was good, but it was.  I did have some favourites though in the buttery sablefish with onions, pine nuts and raisin.  Good combination of sweet, sour and savoury.  I also enjoyed the soft-boiled egg with sardine, pickled green garlic and preserved meyer lemon.  This was blessed with an appealing amount of acidity and saltiness.  Absolutely loved the creamy burrata with The Olive Farm EVOO (from Salt Spring Island).  Beyond the burrata, the olive oil was so flavourful and peppery akin to the ones I've tried from Central Italy.

Next up we had both the Polpette di Carne and the Polpette di Funghi.  Normally, these are served in fours, but we asked them to do two of each instead.  Both were lightly crispy on the outside with the carne sporting pork and olive sausage.  There was no filler in these as it was somewhat firm and meaty with a nice saltiness from the olives.  We actually preferred the funghi with potato, smoked ricotta and roasted mushrooms more.  It was actually lighter and packed a powerful smoky earthiness.

Onto possibly the most sexiest-looking dish of the night - Mortadella in Carrozza with preserved green tomato and mozzarella.  This would've been an excellent sandwich with all of those ingredients already, but c'mon, by breading it and frying the darn thing, it became a masterpiece!  Look at that melty mozza and also that golden brown crunchy exterior...  This was so sinful, but utterly a textural delight.  Not to mention, that green tomato added the balancing tartness to compliment the heaviness.

Another well-executed dish was the Fritto Misto consisting of squid, shrimp, smelt, herbs, lemon and a side of aioli.  I've had some versions of this recently and the seafood in this one was quite large.  Hence, the moisture was maintained despite being crispy on the outside.  The batter was nicely seasoned and the seafood was perfectly prepared.  I especially liked the tender smelt.  Mind you, the meaty shrimp and tender squid were good as well. 

Okay, I absolutely love vitello tonnato, so I was curious to see how the Maiale e Tonnato would turn out.  Rather than veal, this featured thinly-shaved pork to go with the usual tuna mayo.  It was topped with turnips and salsa verde.   I quite enjoyed this as the pork was melt-in-my-mouth tender and exhibited plenty of flavour on its own.  However, we gotta have the tonnato sauce right?  It was creamy, salty, fishy (in a good way) and tangy.  Loved the addition of turnips as it provided a different texture.

At first, we were a bit concerned with the amount of truffle aioli atop the Beef Carpaccio di Harry's.  Really, it was no problem at all and in fact, it added the necessary flavour and creaminess to compliment the super buttery beef.  The addition of snap peas (as in the peas inside the pod) was definitely different.  I liked the light pops of sweetness it afforded the dish.  Lastly, to top things off, there was piave vecchio that offered up some sweetness.

Still with the smaller dishes, we moved onto the Amberjack Crudo with coriander, pistachio, mandarin olive oil, citrus segments, chili and olives. This was a colourful and pretty dish where the amberjack was buttery soft and sweet.  The combination of the orange segments and olives provided tastes such as sweet, salty, tangy and even a touch of bitterness. This was possibly a bit too much flavour for the delicate fish, but heck I enjoyed it anyways.

With all these wonderful dishes, we still needed to have a salad right?  Well, if all salads were like the Insalata di Cicoria, I would eat more salads!  This consisted of chicories, crispy potatoes, bagnetto verde and salmon roe.  The potatoes were the star of this dish being firmly crunchy yet potatoey soft on the inside.  The anchovy green sauce provided plenty of depth and saltiness to the dish while the crisp chicories on top made this indeed a salad!

Okay, we made it through the smaller plates and then moved onto the larger ones, but we had a small pasta first in the Sbocciare.  This fresh hand-made pasta was so delicate yet al dente at the same time.  There was a considerable butteriness from the caciocavallo stuffed inside as well as the use of butter in general.  The sweetness from the wildberry agrodolce really completed the flavours of this rich and delicious pasta.

Now onto the larger pastas starting with the Bigoli con Anatra with lightly spiced duck ragu and parmigiano reggiano.  Oh this was as delicious as it appears in the picture.  Firmly al dente, the pasta was able to capture plenty of the ragu with its surface ridges.  About that ragu, it was meaty with the essence of duck and spice (as described on the menu).  Don't let the portion size fool you because this was plenty filling from the ample duck.

So the Fusilloni con Salsiccia didn't look like much when it first hit the table, but hidden within the pasta (and also under the cheese) was veal & pork ragu, chanterelles, red wine and braised snails.  So there was actually a lot going on here despite what was a mild-tasting pasta.  There was the meaty richness of the ragu to go with the unmistakable flavours of chanterelles.  Add in some snails and we had varying textures.  Could've used a bit more salt though.

So we also had the Risotto Bianco with truffle taleggio and wild berry agrodolce.  Now this didn't appear to be much food, but once again, don't let this fool you.  It was, in fact, very rich and cheesy.  The aborio rice was al dente and the risotto spread on the plate perfectly.  Adding in the truffle taleggio meant this was even richer and cheesier.  As with the sbocciare, the agrodolce provided some sweet fruitness to break up the heaviness.

From the pasta, we continued to some bigger plates including the Manzo with braised and grilled wagyu beef, balsamic cipollini onion and farm lettuce.  So once again, this was another filling dish due to the richness of the beef.  Of course it was fatty and delicious with a nice char and perfectly salted.  The balsamic onions added a sweet tanginess as well as the dressing on the fresh lettuce.

Our last savoury item was the Capesante with seared scallops, cannellini beans, fish stuffed cabbage and baci baci.  This was an interesting dish where the scallops were perfectly cooked and seasoned.  They were so buttery soft and sweet.  The most intriguing item was the moist fish in the cabbage which was topped with an Italian version of XO sauce.  Now it wasn't as pungent and spicy as the Chinese one, but it was still salty and seafoody.  

Whenever I'm dining with Mijune, we are guaranteed to have all the desserts...  So we had the Fritole alla Veneziana, Pistachio Gelato, Tiramisu and Gianduiotti.  Again, we had a smaller version of the donuts since we wanted to try the rest of the desserts.  These were crispy, yet fluffy inside with tangy lemon curd.  Not sure if I've ever had pistachio ice cream with preserved peaches, but this somehow worked.  Loved how it wasn't overly sweet.  As for the tiramisu, it was on point with creamy mascarpone and nicely soaked ladyfingers.  Hidden inside were marashino cherries.  Lastly, the gianduiotti featured chocolate & hazelnut semifreddo with EVOO and salt.  This was creamy and light with aromatics from the EVOO and hazelnuts.  The salt helped heighten the existing flavours.  Oh my, did we try a lot of food at Giovane Bacaro!  But you know what?  I came away impressed as it was well-prepared and best of all, interesting.  I would come back.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Interesting food that can be shared
- Dishes are a lot more filling than they appear
- Nice cozy atmosphere

The Bad:
- Not a big spot, so better keep your group small

The Yellow Chilli

This post has been a long time coming.  It is not because I've been waiting to try The Yellow Chilli, rather, this was done awhile ago and I just didn't finish writing about it.  Once you see all the food Mijune and I ate, you will understand why.  Now don't confuse this with a restaurant in Surrey with a similar name.  This one features the unique dishes designed by famed Indian Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor.  Furthermore, with a modern decor and crafted cocktails to boot, this is no ordinary Indian restaurant.  Without further ado, let's get to the over 30 dishes we tried!

The night of gluttony began with the Masala Papad & Dahi Golgappa.  Topped with a tangy tomato and onion relish, the crispy lentil cracker was an appetizing snack before we got to the mains.  There was plenty of sharpness from the onions and  tanginess from the tomatoes.  Somewhat similar, the dahi golgappa featured hollowed up puri were filled with yogurt and topped with tamarind and pomegranate seeds.  Due to the sweetness and acidity present, this was another item that whetted our appetites.

Onto our actual appies, we started with the Hara Masaley Ka Bhuna Paneer which was charred paneer and vegetables in a green marinade.  Loved this dish as the paneer was beautifully charred.  This gave a smoky flavour to go with the decent amount of heat.  The lemon wedge provided the brightness for the dish. This was further enhanced by the side of 3 chutneys including mint, tamarind and beetroot.  

Another vegetarian offering was the Tandoori Soya Chaap sporting soya bean-based imitation chicken that had an appealing texture akin to the Chinese-style vegetarian "chicken".  It was marinated in yogurt and spices then charred in the tandoor (was pretty crispy on the outside).  Hence, it also had an aromatic smokiness accented by spice and heat.  They were served in shot glasses with the mint and beetroot chutneys.  There was considerable spice from the cilantro chuntey.

One of my favourite dishes of the meal was surprisingly the Crisp Palak Chaat with batter-fried baby spinach leaves drizzled with tangy dressing, sweet yogurt and pomegranate pearls.  Seriously, each leaf of baby spinach was hand-battered and fried.  Imagine the effort!  Well, it paid off because each one was crispy and light.  The appetizing tang from the dressing and yogurt kept me going back for more.  Addictive!

Moving along, we had something that at first glance looked like a Thai green papaya salad.  Well it was to an extent being the Papaya Peanut Kachumber with raw papaya & roasted peanuts in a tamarind dressing.  Due to the use of tamarind, the flavour profile was tangy and sweet.  There are different versions of this salad without tamarind, but I'm glad they used it because the flavour is more unique and impactful.  There was also a background earthiness to the dish.

Onto something that featured meat, we had the Murgh Angaar Bedgi which was chicken tikka spiced with special bedgi chillies.  Once again, the marinated chicken had a flavourful caramelized crust on the outside.  Hence, it was plenty tasty even without the chutneys.  There was spices and some heat while the chicken itself was tender and moist.  Again, to lighten things up, the lemon wedge was there for those who wanted it.

Another favourite of mine was the Tandoori Lamb Chops.  Not trying to sound like a broken record, these were marinated in yogurt and spices, then cooked perfectly with a nice char.  There was a good combination of spices including noticeable cumin and coriander (which is excellent with lamb) and heat.  The meat itself was fatty, tender and juicy.  I could eat a tonne of these!  By now, the beetroot chutney was being overused a bit, so maybe a different sauce, or not sauce would've differentiated the dishes better.

No, we weren't done with the same style of plating yet as we had the Chanajor Garam Tiki which was fried cheesy potato patties coated with spiced black chickpeas.  Another study in contrasting textures where the soft filling was countered by the crunchy chickpeas on the outside.  It was almost like a croquette, but with more flavour and spices.  I didn't get too much of the cheese, but it was definitely there.

One last appie was the Amritsari Machchi featuring fried halibut nuggets.  The thing about halibut is that it is pretty easy to tell if it is fresh or not.  This particular dish did have fresh halibut as it was flaky and almost buttery (which cannot happen if they halibut is not fresh and also if overdone).  Each nugget was coated in a thin crispy batter that was nicely spiced.  The caraway seeds provided a nice flavour to each piece of fish.  This especially went well with the salad.

Now finally exiting the appetizer portion of the meal (would be enough food for most already...), we headed to the mains.  The first set of dishes included Murgh Survedaar, Subz Panchvati, Lalla Mussa Dal and Shaam Savera.   The murgh survedaar featured a spicy chicken curry flavoured with black pepper and coriander. This was actually one of the least spicy dishes we had, but that also allowed for the other flavours to come through.  The chicken came in large tender and moist chunks.  With a mix of veggies, the subz panchvati exhibited good spice and spices.  There was a noticeable tanginess and the veggies were still vibrant and crisp.  I found the lalla mussa dal to be creamy and a bit tomatoey with noticeable heat.  The lentils were tender while still exhibiting a bite.  Sporting 4 spinach dumplings filled with creamy paneer in tomato gravy, the shaam savera was a hearty vegetarian dish.  The actual dumpling itself was rather dense, but I enjoyed the paneer and it went well with the relatively mild silky sauce which was quite complex.

Next four dishes were Gobhi Achari, Fish Tikka Masala, Dal Tadka Dhaba and Butter Chicken.  With firm cauliflower florets, the gobhi achari was appetizing with tanginess from the collection of pickling spices.  This was further enhanced by some of the classic spices such as cumin, coriander and turmeric.  I loved the fish tikka masala as the fish itself was in large pieces as well as being flaky and moist.  This was one of the more mild offerings with appealing tang and of course mix of spices.  Onto another lentil dish, the dal tadka dhaba was rich with a definite cumin slant.  This was medium in terms of heat and featured yellow lentils.  Alas, of course we had the butter chicken and this was delicious.  I found this version to be creamier and more subtle than some of the tangier ones.  There was definite heat to go with the usual spices.  Hidden within the sauce, we found large pieces of tandoori chicken that were flavourful and tender.

Continuing on, I doubled up on the picture of the Gobhi Achari but clockwise, we had the Bhuna Gosht, Do Pyaaz Ki Bhindi and Butter Chicken Dariyaganj.  I was delighted to see that we were served the bhuna gosht as I normally do not have a chance to eat goat.  This featured tender meaty pieces of bone-in goat.  I found the flavours to have a fall-spice slant with a strong presence of cloves.  I quite enjoyed the okra in the do pyaaz ki bhindi where it was fried to a point where it didn't exhibit much of the usual slimy texture.  The combination of spices created a wealth of flavours that was a bit smoky, spicy and earthy.  Sporting bone-in chicken, the butter chicken dariyaganj was noticeably more tangy than the other butter chicken we had. Also, being the chicken leg, the meat was more rich and slightly more tender.

Last set included Salad, Raita, Makhanwala Paneer  and Nalli Rogan Josh.  As tasty as the aforementioned dishes were, I was really looking forward to getting in on some lamb creations.  My wish was granted in the form of the nalli rogan josh with a bone-in lamb shank.  The lamb was tender and gelatinous whereas the sauce exhibited fall-type spices including cloves and cinnamon.  Somewhat similar to butter chicken except with a few spice differences as well as the use of paneer over chicken, the makhanwala paneer was rich and creamy.

Now moving onto the starches of the meal, we had the Murgh Noormahal Biryani featuring a sealed pastry top.  This kept all of the moisture inside and also helped heighten the flavours.  There was plenty of heat to go with the spices where the cardamom and cumin stood out. The basmati rice was perfectly textured being al dente with a tender chewiness.  Nestled within it, there was tender nuggets of chicken that had taken on the flavour of the spices.

Onto the breads, we had everything including the Garlic Naan, Butter Naan, Pyaaz Mirch Ke Roti, Pudina Laccha Paratha, Plain Naan, Amritsari Kulcha and Pudina Laccha Paratha.  Naturally, I gravitated towards the garlic naan as that is my favourite.  It was crispy with a slight chewiness and full-flavoured with butter and garlic.  Now the rest of the breads were good but there was something different at the table.  Can you guess which one?  Yes, it is that big one being the amritsari kulcha topped with butter.  Apparently, there is a dedicated chef brought in from India that makes it.  This was soft and rich especially with all that butter.

Of course we had all of the desserts (thanks to Mijune) including Zaik-e-Shahi, Kesari Kulfi with Rabdi, Gajar Halwa, Gulab-e-Gulkand and Shahi Tukda.  My favourite of the bunch was the shahi tukda where the bread pudding was moist and sweet.  Nuts and dried fruit added some texture to the dessert.  I also enjoyed the gajar halwa which was shredded carrots, nuts, raisins and spices.  This was earthy and sweet and I especially liked the plump raisins.  The other 3 desserts were pretty sweet as usual but I did like the kulfi as it was creamy and aromatic.  Now as you can see, we practically destroyed the entire menu and usually that means there are more things to critique.  However, most of the dishes were on point and truly flavourful in their own unique way.  Definitely a place to hit up for Indian food in the Lower Mainland.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Curries were distinctive despite spice overlap, also had good heat
- Large portions
- Modern dining space

The Bad:
- Some appies were repetitive in flavour profile 

Social YVR

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