Browns Socialhouse
204-222-1600
I’m not a big fan of transnational chains but you can’t
always avoid them. We live in a society
where most social outings and feasts occur at the familiar and the
commercialised. Thankfully, not all
chains restaurants operate the same way.
There are some chains that serve plastic food and some that take great
care in what they present—this is the journey through Browns’s menu.
Before I get into the food, I want to throw in the caveat
that this is a “by invitation” event for food critics. Knowing that every dish will be scrutinised
to detail and reported, I’m certain the staff put extra effort to ensure that
our meals are perfect in every way. This
is not one of my usual, anonymous samplings.
The chef and staff make great efforts to describe the
restaurant’s raison d’etre and their philosophy to food. They explain that freshness is key to
everything they make and they emphasise how much detail goes into each
preparation. They warn that many of the
dishes will taste citrusy or limey since they freshly squeeze all their
juices.
The Dynamite Roll takes its origins from the sushi classic
and adds some zesty edges. Starting with
the lemongrass soy, you immediately taste some of the citrus. The sriracha mayo infuses a spicy sharpness
that adds another dimension to this appetiser.
The little extras take this Japanese classic and turn it into delicious
Asian fusion. Despite the uniqueness of
the sauces, the highlight of this dish comes from the perfectly fried and
crispy shrimp base.
If you’re a seafood fan, you’re in luck as Browns offers a
number of tasty options, including a Spiced Prawn Taco and a Lime Pepper
Halibut Taco. Both the prawn and the halibut
come perfectly cooked, moist, juicy and flavourful. Each comes topped with fresh pico de gallo
and guac, featuring huge chunks of delicious avocado. The salsa has rich tomato flavour,
reminiscent of fresh tomatoes coming straight out of your garden. The cilantro, lime and pickled onions add
great body to the taco but I wish there was a bit more to augment the cabbage—I
like the cabbage too but there’s a bit too much of it. Despite the great flavours of the vegetables
and the fish, the strength of this dish comes with the actual taco shell. Made with half corn flour, Browns fries the
shell crispy so you get the best of both worlds with the core of a soft-ish
shell with the crunchiness of a hard shell.
The taco combo comes with Mexican rice, rich and deep
tasting. The soft, velvety rice melts in
your mouth while the beans retain an al dente bite . Together with the powerful salsa, the rice
and taco combo makes an excellent Mexican entry to the menu.
Browns also serves up an Asian fusion rice, labelled the #28
Dragon Bowl. The rice tastes like a Thai
rice, underpinned by coconut milk with hints of almonds. The well-prepared teriyaki chicken adds a
Japanese infusion while the classic Chinese suey choy and bok choy round out
the dish. Some shredded cabbage and
crispy onions give texture to this creation and spicy yogurt adds a tangy
exclamation point. I find the whole
creation just a tad too salty but otherwise, this is a spectacular dish
promoting great Asian components.
If you want something more traditionally pub-grub, Browns
offers a generous selection of burgers including chicken burgers, veggie
burgers, tuna or halibut burgers, and of course, the half-pound beef
burger. The burgers come in a brioche
bun, which looks massive. Browns Chef
explains that they intentionally use brioche to look impressive and brawny
enough to balance the thick, 8-ounce patty.
However, come time to dine, the light bread shrinks down to nothing and doesn’t
dominate your valuable stomach space.
This is brilliant.
The patty itself comes thick, just cooked and oozingly
juicy, as well as seared to perfection. You
know that good meats went into this burger as it tastes beefy—it tastes like
biting into a steak. I’m happy to see
real cheese; nothing ruins a burger as easily as processed plastic cheese. To cap it off, the vegetables look fresh and
taste crisp.
The burgers come with HCDC
fries. When I first heard the chef refer
to them, I thought he said “AC/DC” fries.
I couldn’t figure out if they’re electrified or if they come a la Angus
Young. Anyway, HCDC
refers to “hand-cut, double cooked.” The
hand-cutting ensures that they’re fresh, recently cut and not frozen. The doubled cooked refers to an initial
blanching process, then fried to finish.
This does two things: first, the
blanching pre-cooks the fries so they no longer have to sit in water and get
waterlogged. Secondly, precooking means
that they need less time sitting in oil afterwards and come out less
greasy. And I’m sold—these fries taste
light, fluffy and well cooked, as well as golden and crunchy.
If you still have room, Oreo in a Jar is somewhat like an
oreo cheesecake stuffed into a jar, and it tastes exactly like it sounds. The top and bottom have crusts made with
shaved oreos and the filling consists of cream cheese, vanilla and butter. Even though the menu calls it “light,” it
tastes every bit as decadent as it sounds.
If you’re looking for something a little lighter, the
Housemade Key Lime Pie has a nice contrast of (very) tart and sweet, and yet
rich. The oatmeal bottom adds a bit of
crispiness and the topping comes sprinkled with crumbs.
To accompany your dining experience, Browns features three
special cocktails. For starters, the Cucumber
Martini uses muddled cucumber as a garnish but the essence has nice tartness
from the lime juice and an earthiness from green tea. To go with your food, the powerful Caesar gets
its body from the horseradish-infused clamato. Finally, the Bellini goes well with dessert,
tasting sweet and peachy.
Browns built this restaurant to be a social meeting
place. The chairs feel comfy and the décor
looks warm and welcoming. There are
plenty of TVs for the sports fans and the big bar in the middle of the dining
room lends to socialising. I can see how
people would want to come here after work for some relaxation but to me, the
socialising takes a backseat to the food.
Again, I want to re-emphasise that we were invited and treated very well—but
it’s still plainly obvious that they put a lot of effort and care into their
meals. The food tastes delicious and
this is one of those chains that I’d be happy to visit over-and-over
again.
****¼ /5
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