Social Eatz, Midtown East - She says...

I picked Angelo Sosa as a front runner to win this season's Top Chef All-Stars. So when he lost a few weeks ago, I lost my bet and the free dinner that came with it. Still, from what I saw of his food on the show, I was eager to try it. I missed out on Xie Xie, but luckily my Daily Candy subscription told me of his new restaurant, Social Eatz. Only a block away from my work, it seemed like a good post-workweek dinner, and so we went.

I may have been a little too excited about trying the chef's food, so we started out with all three appetizers on the menu: the spring rolls, chicken wings, and ribs. The wings and ribs were fine, but I was most pleasantly surprised by the spring rolls. The filling was yummy, a good textural combination of ground pork, shrimp, finely shredded veggies, and what I think was shredded wood ear mushrooms. The wrapper was thin, not too greasy, and nicely crispy. The best part of the spring roll app was the dipping sauce...a delicious puree of what tasted like guava or pineapple. It was sweet and spicy, even suitable as a dipping sauce for the french fries that came later.

For the entrees, I ordered the bulgogi burger while he ordered the chili tilapia tacos. Both were tasty enough. The burger was a juicy medium rare, topped with pickled cucumber slices and kimchi, and smothered with kewpie mayo and hot sauce. The untoasted burger bun couldn't hold together all of the burger's juices and sauces, so it fell apart with each bite. The result was good flavors, definitely on the sweeter side, but a mess on the plate. The tilapia, garnished with cilantro and guacamole, was seasoned well and much fresher than the burger. Unfortunately, the corn tortilla shell made the overall bite a bit dry and bland. I would have liked to try the tilapia as a burger or sandwich.

The best part of the meal was by far the yuzu cream puffs that we had for dessert. Part doughnuthole and part cream puff, they were warm and fluffy with a hint of citrus. Tasty and fun to eat. Would have been delicious with a latte or a cup of tea.


Overall, the food was good but not really what I was expecting. On Top Chef, he was known for beautiful crudos, fresh flavors, and serving the perfect bite on a spoon. I understand that a burger joint named Social Eatz isn't exactly the right venue for that type of food, but I guess I was hopeful. The restaurant's theme was oddly cute...inside was trendy, loud, and very orange. If he ever opens a restaurant that serves dishes as elegant as what he showcased on TV, I'll be there.