I was in a bad mood after a crappy week at work. But dinner at Social House turned my mood around in a hurry. Four of us headed out on a Friday night to get some sushi and decided to stop here. We never had the chance to check out Social House when it was located at Treasure Island, but were glad it was able to open elsewhere because the food was amazing.
There wasn’t a bad dish among the ones we tried.
Yellowtail, crispy jalapeño, garlic dust, cilantro ($22) – Many Japanese restaurants do some sort of yellowtail and jalapeño dish, but this is the best one I’ve had. Ever. Not only was the fish delicate and fresh, the jalapeño had some sort of tempura fried crust to it that added a unique texture not normally found with this dish. My favorite dish of the night.
Tuna tataki, shallots, garlic, thai birds, ponzu, sesame chili oil ($22) – Six slices of lightly seared tuna. Another delicious dish with the perfect amount of sauce and garlic.
Salmon, wasabi creme fraiche, lemon soy, garlic dust, chives ($22) – Normally, I’m not a big fan of salmon. But, this was unbelievable. Mild in taste with a hint of sweet and spicy from the creme fraiche and soy.
Citrus peel miso cod, bibb lettuce cups ($12) – 2 pieces of cod sitting atop lettuce. Yeah, it’s pricey, but damn… it was good. The cabbage and lettuce was a welcome addition of chilled and crunchy textures that complimented the sweet flakiness of the fish.
Shrimp, spicy tuna, avocado battera box roll ($20) – Delicious. All the ingredients worked well together. I especially liked the tiny rice crackers along the bottom of the roll. Each of the six pieces of the roll were fairly large, making it difficult to eat in one bite and if you took two it would fall apart.
Seared albacore, spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, avocado, garlic ponzu ($20) – Fresh and tasty. So good we ordered two.
Spicy tuna roll ($12) – I didn’t have any of this, but my friend loved it.
Tamarind short ribs, cous cous ($18) – Two hearty chunks of meat stacked on top of a bed of cous cous. Tender enough that we didn’t have to use a knife. Rich and earthy with hints of sweetness. There was plenty for our party of four to share, but I could have easily devoured the plate on my own.
Coco-nuts with lychee filling – Most of us were full but I still had room for something sweet. There were seven little doughnuts in this order. Each with a lychee filling that exploded in your mouth after taking a bite. It was sweet without being overpowering. A perfect end to an amazing meal.
If you’re turned off by modern/fusion Japanese cuisine this isn’t the place for you. While they do offer traditional nigiri and sashimi, the menu is filled with items and ingredients that have an Indian, Filipino, and southeast Asian spin to them. The executive chef, Joe Elevado, is a former Nobu chef so you can expect that same Nobu level of creativity and execution.
The location isn’t the best — inside Crystals where there’s very little foot traffic. There’s no need to make reservations before 8 or 9 because the place was dead. When we got there at 6:30 there was only one or two other tables that were occupied. The interior is long and narrow with a modern and sleek Japanese feel. There are several intimate and cool spots to eat, like the row of booths running down the center of the room that provides a spot to see and be seen (if there were more patrons).
As with all places on the Strip, expect to pay a premium. Social House may not be outrageously expensive, but it isn’t cheap. We spent about $95 a person for 10 dishes, wine, beer, tax and tip.
5 Stars
Crystals
3720 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89158
(702) 736-1122
