Social Eatz’s Burger is a Splurge Worthy Lunch
One thing we failed to mention during our look at Social Eatz the other week is that there are several menu items that are definitely worth a splurge, because let’s face it – we can’t all be cheapskates all the time (I’m looking at you Zach.) Like luncher Huck, I’m a huge fan of their tomato curry soup ($5) and I agree with our friends over at Immaculate Infatuation that the $12 Bibimbap Burger is a truly good and exciting riff of the classic Korean dish that it gets its roots from. For the lunchers that have the financial means, both of these items are worth a look.
The world is a pretty crazy place right now – whether it’s the disasters in Japan or the possible shutdown of the US government, it drives one to seek comfort food. And one of my go-to comfort foods is tomato soup, which Social Eatz makes more exotic and exciting with the use of Asian flavors, such as curry, Thai green chili, and fresh cilantro to improve upon the familiar tomato flavors. Chef Sosa’s team also coaxes a texture that manages to be simultaneously creamy and silky smooth while still light and delicate. It’s a pricey treat, but a nearly flawless bowl of satisfying tomato soup.
The bibimbap burger also deserves attention. One wouldn’t think the Social Eatz team would be satisfied with serving a conventional burger, so they strive for ambition and creativity, fusing elements of bibimbap, a Korean dish consisting of (usually) beef, fresh and pickled vegetables, and an over easy egg over rice. Additionally, much of the flavor will be derived from gochujang, a spicy sweet Korean chili paste.
This bourgeois burger, for the most part, captures the essence of bibimbap. I’d wished the slow cooked egg were a bit runnier, but the pickled carrots and cucumbers, spiked with a hit of guchujang, gave the burger and egg a lovely nuance of flavors. Like their Kung Pao Wow chicken sandwich, it’s a flavor bomb and messy as hell to eat, yet it holds an unglamorous allure that you’ll crave the next day. Although these items will cause you to break the $10 ML decorum, it’s an enjoyable misdemeanor.
Social Eatz, 232 E 53rd St (btw 2nd & 3rd Ave), 212-207-3339
Posted by Chris H. at 11:45 am, April 14th, 2011 under Burger, Social Eatz.
12 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
12 Comments
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Is that a giant bowl or do they only give you two tablespoons of tomato soup?
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it’s a fairly big bowl, I think they only fill it half way for presentation purposes and to make it feel more like ‘fine dining’. And also my photography composition skills still need a lot of work. :)
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Yeah…if I’m going to ‘splurge’ it better be really worth it. Like…for the size of those portions, that better send me to heaven and back.
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Chris hears that alot in the bedroom too
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“Yeah…if I’m going to ’splurge’ it better be really worth it.”
Actually, I use that line during first dates. ;)
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I liked it, there was something odd about the egg though. It felt like it had been thickened with gum or something…
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i’m 90% sure they sous vide their eggs for that type of consistency.
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Zach isn’t a cheapskate all the time, nor are we. He just understands that a good food blog has to have a focus. The question of when to break the $10 barrier on this site should have more to do with value than quality (e.g. buffet). Don’t tell me whether this burger is “worth a splurge.” Maybe Le Bernardin is worth a splurge, but that doesn’t mean that it belongs on ML. Tell me whether this burger has amazing value, because it’s a slippery slope down the path of $12 average-sized burgers that don’t come with fries. PS. I do admit that a bibimbap burger does sound like an amazing idea whose time has come — an ingenious blend of lowbrow East and West not seen since the invention on banh mih.
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holy %%$&* that looks good. I think I will walk there instead of taking the subway, and “splurge” the extra $2.
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Bibimbap Burger is good but check out the Hanoi too. I liked it better.
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Recently had the Social Burger (regular burger w potato bun and shredded lettuce) with cheddar. Excellent flavors. BUT, the bottom bun was completely soaked through with the burger juices after 2 bites and became a soggy mess. I had to eat the remainder with a knife and fork. It’s sad to have to eat a burger with a knife and fork.
When they first opened the $12 burger came with fries, making it not that unreasonable. Sadly I went back for a 2nd visit and it no longer comes with fries (and still costs the same $12 with side of fries costing $4.50 extra). Bummer to say the least.