April 14, 2014

Social Square @ Parkway Parade ~ All Day Breakfast, Restaurant & Winepost By MOF



It can be quite easy to walk pass the entrance of Social Square without giving it more than a notice, but take a few more steps into this new establishment situated right across Giant supermarket on Level 3 of Parkway Parade Mall, you'd find a gourmet heaven of all day breakfast and European-Japanese delights!

Opened by the same folks behind Ministry of Food (MOF), whose other dining concept includes Dolce Tokyo and AmaSoy, Social Square could be the most ideal gathering place with friends or casual dates, not just for dining, but also to socialize over delicious food and wine.


Social Square's spacious interior and high ceiling is easy to like, it's almost like having a meal outdoors with its relaxing garden setting completed with tall trees and luscious foliage. It felt like I've already made the right choice by deciding to come here. Nevermind that it can be quite a traveling distance if one is not residing in the east side of Singapore.

"There is something for everyone!" I thought as I flipped through the extensive menu. From Western favorites such as all day breakfast, pastas, pizzas, main courses to Japanese offerings of sashimi, tempura and hotpot rice dishes, the choices are so mind-boggling wide that I didn't even noticed the chicken wings, until I asked if it's on the menu.


Chicken Wings ($6 for 4 pieces)! No way can I missed ordering it lol. Using only my favorite part, the mid-joint came hot and deep-fried to a delightful crisp with well-seasoned and juicy meat. It was a very happy delicious start.

I can be easily satisfied with those wings (just stuff me with baskets of it lol!), but more food beckons. It's not too late for breakfast at dinner time, as we sank our teeth into the hearty plate of Essential British - baked beans, Italian sausage, scrambled egg on mashed potato with brown sauce and cheese on toast - and murdered the poached eggs of Smoked Salmon Benedict ($18.80) till its golden yolk oozed out and slide all over the cheese and smoked salmon on toasted bread.


Pizzas are always great for sharing when in a bigger group, even more so when it came thin-crusted with a base of tomato sauce & warm melting mozzarella and topped with sliced bacon & egg - Bacon & Egg Pizza ($14.50 for regular, $17.50 for large) or spicy salami and fresh cut chillies - Bacon & Egg Pizza ($14.50 for regular, $17.50 for large).

For pasta lovers, you'd get to customize the dish to your preference at Social Square, choosing from a selection of pasta and sauces. We had our Mixed Mushroom Pasta ($13.90) done with spaghetti in aglio olio style. Not the most exciting of combination, but safe, simple and totally enjoyable with its balanced taste and good al-dente bite.


What's adventurous in pairing was the Pan-fried Salmon Mushroom ($20 with 2 side dishes). Called me boring but I thought a classic creamy dill or lemon butter sauce would work better than the earthy tones of mushroom. The salmon could also do with less cooking time for more moisture and softness in texture.

In comparison, the much much much better item from the western menu would be the John Dees Ribeye ($18 per 100, minimum 300 gram). The lovely Angus beef was grain-fed for 180 days and aged for 4-6 weeks, before being grilled to medium-rare for our devouring pleasure. A hotstone plate is provided by the side for those who prefer more doneness in their steak. We neglected the black pepper sauce which came with it, because all it took to bring out natural flavor of the well-marbled cut was some sprinkling of salt. Highly enjoyable!


A healthy starter from Social Square's Japanese menu is the utterly refreshing Tofu Avocado Salad ($4.50 for small, $10.00 for large) which brimmed with cubes of soft beancurd, creamy avocado, fresh tomato, cucumber, sliced cabbage and crunchy almond flakes. The homemade wasabi mayo dressing gave it an addictive kick without being too overly sharp.

Deep-fried items such as Tori Karaage ($5.80 for small, $8.00 for large) – deep-fried chicken with special seasoning and Tempura Moriawase ($11.00) – deep-fried prawns and mixed vegetable were well-executed to minimum greasiness and remained crispy even after minutes of photo taking.


My heart always have a fondness for grilled eel so no surprise that I loved the comforting Unagi Hotstone Rice ($19.80). Serving piping hot in a heated stone bowl, the rice at the bottom had sizzled to crunchy burnt bits which became added textural bonus to the softness of rice and succulence of unagi pieces. A very blissful marriage tied with aromatic dark savory sweet sauce.

We rounded off the evening with some signature Japanese desserts which MOF are famed for. Yuzu Kakigori ($7.90) - homemade yuzu sauce on crushed iced, topped with mandarin orange and soft serve, as well as Matcha Imo ($6.80) – soft serve with green tea sauce, red bean paste and Japanese sweet potato are familiar favorites which tastes can hardly go any wrong.


Abekawa ($6.80) would be the dessert to go for if you want to try something different. The chunks of Japanese mochi are oven-baked, giving the usual sticky texture a layer of crispiness, before being coated with sweetened Japanese soya bean power and served with Hokkaido red bean paste by the side.

With such a wide array of food choices at affordable prices, we can eat to our hearts content without worrying about breaking the wallet. Social Square is the place to go to if you're in the convenience of the vicinity.


Thanks to Daniel and Social Square for the hospitality.


Social Square

Address: Parkway Parade, 80 Marine Parade Road, #03-26, Singapore 449269
Contact: +65 64387262
Website: http://ministryoffood.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialSquareSG
Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 11.30am-9.30pm / Fri 11.30am-10.30pm / Sat 10am-10pm / Sun 10am-9.30pm


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