VanFoodies.com

Life has been busy so I didn’t really look into Dine Out Vancouver until there were only 2 weeks left. There were a few interesting, attractive menus but many came from restaurants that I’ve been before. Since I don’t dine out very much these days, I wanted to use the opportunity to try some place new. Then I spotted a good deal at Social on Commercial Drive. Social has only been open for a few months, back in October 2020 in midst of the second wave of COVID.

Social offers a 3-course menu for only $25, and it’s available for lunch or dinner. Sure, you don’t get to choose your appetizer or dessert, but there are 4 options for entrees, including trout and 8oz sirloin baseball steak. I thought that’s really good value for your money. On their regular menu, the trout would be $28 and sirloin baseball steak costs $36. I decided to take Mama Lam there for lunch.

Food

For appetizer, everyone gets the Crab Arancini. I like that it has a very thin crust and it’s fried to perfect crispness. The risotto had a decent texture, but there wasn’t a lot of crab meat visible but you can definitely taste the ocean. I thought the taragon mayo was a bit too salty for my liking so I didn’t use much of it.

We ordered two of the four entree options. The Pan Seared Steelhead Trout was my favourite of the two. The skin was super crispy, and meat was moist. It was seasoned well. The mashed potato was very creamy and buttery.

The 8oz Sirloin Baseball Steak was of generous portion. It’s a leaner cut of steak but it was quite tender and flavourful. I ordered medium rare and it was just a little bit over but I wasn’t bothered by it. I liked that the two entrees had different side vegetables – some restaurants may use the same sides to save on prep work but not here, which I appreciate.

The Salted Dark Chocolate Tart was the perfect end of our meal. It wasn’t a big tart but considering the big entree we just had, a few bites were just the right size of dessert for us. I could taste the salt between bites of decadent dark chocolate ganache.

COVID Measures

• We were asked to enter our contact upon entry
• Hand sanitizer was available at the entrance.
• Menu was available via QR code at each table.
• Server and kitchen staff were wearing a mask.
• Tables were far apart. Partition was installed where needed.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was happy with the meal. $25 is a steal for 3 courses, especially with steelhead trout and steak on the table. The portion size is substantial and we were very full afterwards. Social is more a casual affair and they have a second floor patio. It would be a great hangout place with friends when we can get together again.

Social
1812 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
604-251-5565
socialyvr.com