Black and Blue as part of the Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2013, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Society in Yaletown. I also have posts for:
One of the cool things about coming here is that Kids Eat Free on Sundays. They have to order off the kids menu, but that's normal. To make the Grilled Cheese and Fries a bit healthier, we asked for some carrot sticks on the side. And this is what came...hmmm...we wanted carrot sticks AND fries. Not to worry, we mentioned it to the staff and they said they would bring out some fries in a bit. The grilled cheese was better and bigger than I expected. They don't use processed cheese here, not even for the kiddies. This gooey factor from the aged cheddar was high here. And yes, this is available on the adult menu too.Here we go, some freshly made fries, served along with their housemade ketchup. They were very lightly salted with just enough grease to give the outer edge a crunch. More than enough food for most kids. We decided to get an appetizer to share, but something on the healthier side. We ordered the Root Vegetable “Nachos”. Essentially, this was like a nachos made with Terra Chips, instead of corn tortilla chips. Drenched in mozzarella cheese and topped with sour cream and guacamole, the root vegetables were just a touch too greasy for my liking but I did like how the slices were very thin and delicate.One of our entrees was The Fishermen’s Fry with a combination of salmon and cod, as well as some shellfish. All were battered and fried, looking like little fritters. On the bottom are some more fries and there is plenty of tartar sauce too. These had a really good crunch but again, just a touch on the oily side.For our other entree, we went for the Meat Sweats Burger. Why is it called meat sweats? Well, in addition to the burger patty itself, the toppings include bacon, and pulled pork. Add some cheddar, onion rings, and a fried egg, and you've pretty much set yourself up for the messiest burger in town. I asked for the pulled pork on the side, because I couldn't imagine how high this meat tower could be. In the end, I chickened out of eating the "proper" way and deconstructed it even further. I took out the onion rings and just ate it like a bacon cheeseburger, with a fried egg. The pulled pork had a nice smokey flavour when I did get around to it, it actually went really well with the fries. The patty was juicy and the bacon nice and crispy. I don't know if it's possible to eat this thing stacked as they planned, but even the way I did it, juices are running down your arms. You can actually add a fried egg to any of the burgers and I highly recommend it, the yolk gives the burger a juiciness that is totally unique.
Take Note:
Even though there is a deal for kids on Sunday, it's not too crazy or noisy
Entire food menu is 50% on Tuesdays
The appetizer platter is a great way to try a bit of everything
From now until October 27, Yaletown is hosting their Taste of Yaletown event. With over 20 participants including: Glowbal Grill, George Lounge, New Oxford, Hamilton Street Grill, Society, Yaletown L’Antipasto, Caché Bistro, Killjoy, and Minami, you just know there will be some good eating! They were all packed into one location, MINI Yaletown. As part of the event, you get to take home recipe cards of many of the items offered, as well as have chats with the chef about the dishes they are serving. The first dish I tried was a Crispy Duck Confit from George ($25 menu), complete with crackling. There was also some deep fried vegetables and some truffled brussel sprouts on the plate. The duck was really moist and the skin was extra crispy, quite a feat considering this was laid out buffet style and not made to order. I found some of the vegetable a bit oily, but that is likely due to the dishes sitting out. From Cache Bistro ($35 menu), this was one of my favourites, a little Pulled Pork Cornbread Slider. This was melt in your mouth pulled pork and the bun and almost a brioche feel, definitely not your average corn bread. The sauce was sweet but with a great smokey flavour as well.
The offering from Glowbal Grill ($35) was pretty tasty too. It was a Canadian Prime Rib-Eye Medallion with some roasted root vegetable, and a very (almost overly so) generously pat of cafe de paris butter. The beef was cooked to a perfect medium rare, but I found the veggies a little bland. The pat of butter on top didn't melt as expected and ended up being left on the plate. I'm sure in the proper setting, the butter would have melted onto the steak and probably helped to season the vegetables too. This Bison Flat Iron Steak Crostini is from Hamilton Street Grill ($25 menu), and was really quite tasty. The marinade had some rosemary, juniper berries and black peppercorns. Topped with a bit of pecorino cheese, this was an excellent amuse bouche. The actual menu has this as an entree, sans the crostini. And onto my hands-down, standing ovation favourite of the night, something that involves a torch! This is the famous Salmon Aburi Sushi from Minami ($35 or $45 menu). You've got salmon on top with special miku sauce which gets a great sear after being torched with some charcoal. You see the salmon on top, but there is salmon in the middle too! And all topped off with a sliver of jalapeno for a kick of heat. Folks, this tastes better than it looks, and it looks pretty darn good!
Accompanying the aburi sushi was a Beet Salad with some Figs and Creme Fraiche. The salad was refreshing and was nice and light. I am not normally a fan of beets but the this little portion was just right for me. The fig was very sweet and I liked the mixture of the two together. A close up of the Salad and Aburi Salmon. What a great couple! And my final dish of the night was also from Minami. Served as two courses on their Taste of Yaletown menu, this was the ultimate surf and turf on a plate. On the left is the Soy Braised Angus Short Rib, ontop of a Yukon potato puree. On the right, is a piece of Saikyo Miso Baked Sablefish, cooked to a perfect doneness. Saikyo miso is a white miso that is more rice based than soy based, so the saltiness factor is lessened, making it a perfect marinade for delicate fish such as sablefish. The potato puree was butter smooth and the greens on top helped give the dish flavour. Of the 9 restaurants that participated, I enjoyed Minami the most. However, there were many restaurants that didn't take part in this premiere event, so be sure to browse iYaletown's website for all participating restaurants. With these prices, it's a good time to try something new or revisit an old favourite.
Take note:
Taste of Yaletown on now until October 27
Images shown are for sample sizes and not indicative of real portions served
Glowbal Passport Quest. As part of the promotion that Glowbal Group ran in February - March 2012, I visited all seven of the restaurants. Here is my post of Society. I also have posts for: Glowbal Grill Coast Italian Kitchen Trattoria Sanafir Black and Blue
If Kobe meatballs are synonymous with Italian Kitchen, then these little Deep Fried Macaroni Balls share the same iconic status here at Society. Of the three of us, one of us was actually going to order Mac and Cheese as our main, but with these babies to start, maybe things will change...
One thing that did catch our eye was the Lobster Shepherd's Pie. Beneath this mashed potato crust was a few chunks of lobster, and a lot of celery and carrots. The texture was creamy but the lobster to veggie ratio seemed off. It will fill you up, but won't thrill you. (*note: this seems to be off their new menu now.)
For me, I always associate Society with Burgers, see my post from a 3-hour lunch there last year. And this visit was no exception. I ordered their burger, but added a fried egg (see the runny yolk?) and also asked for sauteed mushrooms. Although it's not listed on their menu, if you ask for it, the chefs are fairly accommodating and will try to satisfy.
And although we did get the Mac and Cheese balls to start, one of us couldn't resist getting the BIG Mac and Cheese entree. And if a platter of mac and cheese wasn't enough, they really carbo load you with a slice of garlic bread too. Served with a nice gratin on top, this mac and cheese is rich and unctious. Unless you are really hungry, this would be hard to polish off in its entirety. The slight truffle aroma comes and goes, but the creaminess of the cheese and the comfort food factor is what really makes this dish great.
On a lazy Friday last month, B and I made our way to Society in Yaletown for a slow lunch. He's never been the the only time I ate there was last year for a birthday dinner. It's high time to revisit!
We started off with their Kobe meatballs...a truly signature item of the Glowbal Group. Nicely spiced and served on a bed of olive oil and marinara sauce, it's definitely not your average ball. These were just a touch spicy, and so good! Eat it while it's hot!
Known for comfort food with a twist, the next item we tried were there Macaroni Balls. Al dente macaroni mixed with a white cheddar sauce with a hint of jalapeno, all rolled into a batter and then deep fried. It's like a mac'n'cheese explosion in your mouth!
As with the Kobe meatballs, these are not one-biters. I've cut one open here to show the creaminess of the sauce and the whole pieces of macaroni nestled inside. Oh, these are addictive!
This was our main course...It's a combination of their Loaded Prime Rib burger and their Bacon and Egg Burger. We took the prime rib burger as a base, and added a fried egg. But since we were sharing, we decided to add two eggs. The burger was pre-cut in half for us, and the eggs were resting so delicately on top.
Can you see how these eggs are just runny enough. We had to eat it fast, after taking all these photos, because that egg yolk is threatening to burst all over the plate.
Here is the close=up of my half...a nicely toasted by, prime rib patty, cheese and a fried egg on top to make it all better. This was amazing! Many thanks to the staff who humoured us when we asked for this monster!
So...after all that...who's ready for something sweet? Well, apparently, we were looking to OD on sugar. Look at that plate! There are cupcakes, mini donuts, macaroons, mini chocolate milk shake, ice cream sandwiches, and caramel corn.
Oh, did I forget to mention the cotton candy the size of my head!?
Actually, it's bigger thn my head... The staff here are really eager to please, the food here is amazing and the dessert platter will cure whatever the hell you're suffering from...depression, PMS, migraines, hangover...you name it.
To make the Grilled Cheese and Fries a bit healthier, we asked for some carrot sticks on the side. And this is what came...hmmm...we wanted carrot sticks AND fries. Not to worry, we mentioned it to the staff and they said they would bring out some fries in a bit. The grilled cheese was better and bigger than I expected. They don't use processed cheese here, not even for the kiddies. This gooey factor from the aged cheddar was high here. And yes, this is available on the adult menu too.
Here we go, some freshly made fries, served along with their housemade ketchup. They were very lightly salted with just enough grease to give the outer edge a crunch. More than enough food for most kids.
We decided to get an appetizer to share, but something on the healthier side. We ordered the Root Vegetable “Nachos”. Essentially, this was like a nachos made with Terra Chips, instead of corn tortilla chips. Drenched in mozzarella cheese and topped with sour cream and guacamole, the root vegetables were just a touch too greasy for my liking but I did like how the slices were very thin and delicate. 
One of our entrees was The Fishermen’s Fry with a combination of salmon and cod, as well as some shellfish. All were battered and fried, looking like little fritters. On the bottom are some more fries and there is plenty of tartar sauce too. These had a really good crunch but again, just a touch on the oily side.
For our other entree, we went for the Meat Sweats Burger. Why is it called meat sweats? Well, in addition to the burger patty itself, the toppings include bacon, and pulled pork. Add some cheddar, onion rings, and a fried egg, and you've pretty much set yourself up for the messiest burger in town. I asked for the pulled pork on the side, because I couldn't imagine how high this meat tower could be. 
In the end, I chickened out of eating the "proper" way and deconstructed it even further. I took out the onion rings and just ate it like a bacon cheeseburger, with a fried egg. The pulled pork had a nice smokey flavour when I did get around to it, it actually went really well with the fries. The patty was juicy and the bacon nice and crispy. I don't know if it's possible to eat this thing stacked as they planned, but even the way I did it, juices are running down your arms. You can actually add a fried egg to any of the burgers and I highly recommend it, the yolk gives the burger a juiciness that is totally unique.
