Browns Social House review. July 1st 2011, Canada Day Brunch.

Brunch;
Wife - Prosciutto Eggs Benedict .
Myself - Steak and Eggs.

Dessert;
"Two Timing" Pies

The entrance is set kind of out of awkwardly off to the north side, and has very unique "saloon" doors which open into a patio on either side, before the actual entrance. Right inside the entrance to the building itself is the hostess station, which is easily missed (yup, I walked right by it.)  The decor is on the darker side, with "stone" paneling on the wall and dark chairs, however it also has 2 of 3 walls filled with windows that offset the darker design making it feel warm instead of dark.

We came at noon on Canada day, and we were seated right away. Our server (Sherell) was also there promptly to take our drink order, and although the dining area was not at capacity, there was still a number of tables occupied. And of course she was also very prompt when we were ready to order, which also arrived very quickly. (Order taken at 12:10, arrived at 12:25). 

My meal: Steak and Eggs with  Breakfast potatoes and toast.

I always ask for my steak "on the rare side of medium rare", and it was done exactly as I like it. The breakfast potatoes were a good size, and done till they were golden brown and crispy. The eggs I ordered scrambled; they were soft, and light, exactly what you should expect. 

My wife's meal: Prosciutto Eggs Benedict.
The eggs were slightly overdone, but that was the only issue with it. The hollendaise is made in house, and had a bright lemon taste the lightened a normally heavier sauce. The spicy tomato chutney under the eggs was an excellent surprise flavour that definitely added something special to the dish. 

Desert: "Two timing pies".

Which comes with a smaller versions of both the Key Lime Pie, and the Chocolate Pecan Pie. 

The Key Lime Pie; I found the the filling had a pronounced lemon flavour, and a more subtle lime flavour, which I expected to be the opposite. The crust was very nice with the addition of coconut to it, which gave it a little chewiness, and was a nice accent to the tartness of the filling. Although i was not blown away by the "key lime" in the filling, it was still a refreshing and enjoyable desert.

Atmosphere:

6 out of 10.  The front door is almost hidden, and going in is confusing. The Hostess stand is relatively hidden. The Decor is quite dark, but it is reminiscent of a gentleman's club, or an old school lounge. This might be more obvious at night, rather than during the day, but in the daylight it didn't feel too confining.  One other thing I noticed was the noise level, which seemed to be a bit more raucous than I would have expected in what appears to be a more upscale establishment.  However this may be due to the way it has been marketed, in which encourages drinking (even for breakfast) which makes people automatically louder.

Food:

9 out of 10. Good food, well done. The Tomato chutney and Hollandaise with excellent, and the only issues were minor. (I would have liked to have seen some salt and pepper on the steak prior to cooking, and My wife's eggs were slightly overdone.

Service:

8 Prompt, courteous, and friendly.  One of my "pet peeves" at any restaurant is to have to ask for a refill on my drink, and to really impress me, don't ask me if I'd like a refill, just bring one.

Overall;

7 out of 10. Location of the entrance is where Browns loses most marks for me, and the noise level made it difficult to have a normal conversation with the person across from you.

Here is their website;  Browns Social Club.

And their menu; Browns Social Club Menu pdf. 

It was too busy by the time we left to take pictures of the interior and entrance (which faces the back of Visions.) Sorry!

Bob 

Fusion Hero, June 19 2011. Father's Day meal. :-)

Starter;
House Special Sushi Combo.

Entrees;
Son - Malaysian Satay Noodle Soup with Beef.
Wife - Kung Pao Prawns.
Myself - Malaysian Curry Beef Brisket.

Dessert;
Deep Fried Bananas with coconut

A very non traditional entrance way, as the hostess station is located at the end of a long water wall, however this allows for a great look at the restaurant, which is very stylish and upscale. There is a pool at the bottom of the water wall, in which I thought I saw goldfish in from our table, which was just on the other side of a glass partition which also served as a guide to the hostess.

The menu is filled with a variety of items, everything from sushi to paninis, including Peking duck and Malaysian or Singapore Curries. The variety is a bit surprising as it encompasses both Asian and European cuisines, but with a selection this wide you will more than likely find something you like. Plus there are more exotic items for the more adventurous palettes.

Brianna our server has been very apologetic about the length of time it has taken for our food to come, but as it is Father's day, and the restaurant so new, AND with it also being very busy, it is completely understandable. It should be noted that this is also NOT a fast food "joint", this is definitely an upper scale restaurant where you may have to wait a bit for your food, but I considered tonight's meal well worth the wait (and with how pleasant the servers were, it was very enjoyable! Big kudos to Brianna, as well as the other ladies, even though I didn't get their names.)  :-D

The sushi combo came, and it was beautiful, as well as delicious. Served traditionally with pickled garlic, wasabi and soy sauce condiments. The avocado was refreshing, and the roe on top was bright and just perfectly salty.

The curry I had was mild, and very tasty. The beef was fall apart tender, also rich and hearty. The sides were of course rice, and a simple side salad of spinach was dressed with a nice slightly sweet dressing which made any bitterness that may have been in the spinach disappear. The rice was fragrant and tasty on it's own, but also made the perfect conveyance for the remainder of the curry sauce from under the beef.

My wife's Kung Pao Prawns was packed full of veggies, and came with a side of rice. The sauce was a medium heat which left a nice tingle on the tongue, but also had a sweetness that balanced the spice. The prawns were perfectly cooked and very tender. It was served in the pan, which was lined with what appeared to be banana leaves.

My son's Malaysian Satay noodle soup was absolutely HUGE, and had a bold coconut flavour that was complimented by pineapple and peanuts. Drew had the beef, which was very thinly sliced that kept it very tender. This may be called a soup, but you would never confuse it with something you might have a sandwich with! This was a MEAL!

For dessert we all went with the deep fried bananas with coconut (because unfortunately they were out of what I did want, the crepes.) The light tempura batter added a wonderful crunch to the soft warm banana, which was covered with coconut and a drizzle of chocolate and honey. Simply excellent!





I have to send out a big "Thank You" to Fred for opening a fine dining establishment in the North end. I can hardly wait to go back for the Peking Duck! :-)

It should also be noted the they have a BREAKFAST MENU as well, and they open at 11a.m. weekdays, and 7a.m. on the weekend! (Which also surprised me.)










Atmosphere/Decor - 8 of 10 The only thing I can see as a potential problem is congestion of "Stir Fry Bar" customers.  Other than that I love the combination of both open and more private settings, and the open Stir Fry cooking counter.

Food - 9 of 10 Just because I save the 10 (wow factor) for that meal that really blows me away. This was an excellent meal, make no mistake of that! (Hoping for a 10 with the Peking duck!)

Service - 8 of 10  I do have to consider the extra time it did take our food to arrive. But between understanding that the staff is still trying to find their groove in the kitchen being how new it is, and the staff being very friendly, in my mind it made up for any of the wait because it was a very enjoyable evening!

Overall - 9 of 10  The food was excellent, the staff friendly and engaging, the surrounds beautiful and inviting.  I don't count any wait time, because as I explained they are still very newly opened, as well as it being busy for a special occasion. And the fact that I wasn't affected by the congestion I expressed concern about.  I didn't mention cost anywhere, but it is definitely worth saying that there is a mix of both higher end meals and more value priced meals.  I know I will enjoy revisiting Fusion Hero time and again!

Some other images from inside. (To view any of the pictures, above or below, in full size, just click on them);