Recently, The Mancunion headed to House of Social, a stunning new food hall, events space, and student accommodation that opened in August. Their slogan, “Five kitchens. One house”, captures the essence of the concept well with a wide variety of food styles to choose from. Posing as both a food hall and a student accommodation, we were very impressed by how seamlessly House of Social (HoS) is integrating great food and community student living. Having the chance to feast on an assortment from the extensive menu, we saw some familiar faces, like Choi Wan, as well as others that were completely original, like House Of Social’s very own Dough Religion.
Credit: Lilia Hakem @ The Mancunion
The act of eating is heightened in pleasure when enjoyed with company. Unfortunately, at university this social activity suddenly can become quite lonely and many first-years and international students might find mealtimes an isolating part of the day. However, at HoS, we were greeted by the general managers of both the accommodation, Graham, and the restaurant, Jake, upon entering. The two venues, despite catering to different needs, are married in their dual effort to create an atmosphere of community and friendliness, which, for many, eliminates mealtime loneliness.
The House of Social’s design is in and of itself inviting: the warm lights and open kitchens foster an almost ambient space at a table and the gentle bustle of the kitchens make even a solo visit comfortable and relaxed. The food hall also has a small stage space for live music that continues to nurture the calm yet social atmosphere in this venue.
Not only does this venue aim to nurture a social space for students, it also has many activities and classes which include the local community. This is important as too many food venues around the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University campuses focus solely on students as their demographic, ignoring the local Mancunian communities and leaving many jaded at the gentrification of the area. Locations like the House Of Social, who are utilising their restaurant venue to encourage the integration of locals and students in a social space, play a vital role in creating a sort of social harmony in urban spaces.
The vegetarian options
Words by Lilia Hakem
As a vegetarian, I often find myself on the lookout for places with non-meat options that aren’t just mushrooms performing as various animals. After talking with the chefs and servers at HoS, my expectations were high and my belly was rumbling. Unfortunately, they were out of the veggie burger from Burger and Beyond but prevailing, I ordered the truffle tots instead.
After watching Napoleon Dynamite as a child, I have my reservations about potato tots. However, once the they arrived, my eyes opened to a new world of possibilities. The presentation of them was intense in what can only be described as a thick fur of parmesan rested on top of generous layers of truffle aioli. I put a particularly hairy tot in my mouth and it was serious. The creamy aioli paired with the parmesan made for a decadent bite. An interesting bourgeois twist on the humble cafeteria-served potato. The texture was also excellent, not too oily, not too dry, a comfortable middle creating a kind mouth feel. However, hidden beneath the creamy aioli and savoury parmesan was a slightly disappointing absence of truffle, one of the few veggie options I have tried where the mushroom isn’t even the star. Instead, the mushroom in these tots was barely an understudy.
My disappointment was quickly extinguished with the arrival of the rest of my meal: mozzarella sticks from Dough Religion and mushroom tacos from OK Taqueria.
Credit: Lilia Hakem @ The Mancunion
Often a hit-or-miss snack, my standards for mozzarella sticks is high, and I could only hope that these desires would be met with the first bite. Dough Religion was already on thin ice as I observed a key companion missing on my plate — marinara. I shook off my scepticism, though, and took a bite. Too much of a crunch greeted me and the disappointment set in. Why such harsh architecture? This mozzarella stick proved to be a cruel lover in my mouth. I withdrew, only to be met with, shock horror, a warmed middle and no stretch. I put down the snack and moved on hastily.
Next, the mushroom tacos. I sipped my margarita and braced myself for what could make or break my experience. The portion size was decent, however, I felt three tacos were in order rather than two considering the price point. The mushrooms were simple but texturally a masterpiece and the batter was not thick at all, a gentle crisp around the mushroom creating a satisfying mouth feel. The avocado salsa was the best thing I had at this venue, the perfect tang to cut through the fry on the mushroom but it also had a pleasant creaminess which complemented the pickled red onions masterfully.
The savoury portion of my meal ended on a high. But, despite the full feeling in my belly, my greedy eyes were drawn to the tiramisu on the table.
Credit: Lilia Hakem @ The Mancunion My standards for this dessert are even higher than the mozzarella sticks. I can say with confidence and certainty, therefore, that this was on the higher end of tiramisu I have consumed in my lifetime. It wasn't cheap and light, and had a decadent ricotta mascarpone blend which was cut through by sweet Marsala wine and coffee in the ladyfingers.
The non-vegetarian options
Words by Isadora Rana-Iozzi
During the visit to House of Social, I was graced with the opportunity to dive into Mughli’s devious Butter Chicken and Choi Wan’s Prawn Crumpets.
Prawn toast, I have consumed, but prawn crumpets I was dubious about. Still, I prevailed in my choice, which was helped by the kind explanation from the kitchen staff behind their new Mancunian take on the traditional prawn toast. One bite in and I was pleasantly surprised! It takes a lot to convince me past a food scepticism but the pleasant crunch of the crumpet, met by the neat, soft, and subtle prawn arrangement on the top layer of the crumpet, was very inviting, almost melted in the mouth, and got a happy-tummy laugh of delight.
Credit: Lilia Hakem @ The Mancunion
Onto the butter chicken which, of course, was accompanied by a delicious mango lassi that (like all lassis) I consumed a little too quickly. This drink was not too sweet, yet its consistency was very light and so could be made slightly thicker to preserve its ability to be savoured with the chicken.
My attention was quickly drawn to the all-mighty three pieces of butter chicken, which seemed to glow fervently at us with their stunning red shade, and were very nicely decorated by a deliciously saucy base. This dish also had a decent spice level that was still pleasant for your average girl who goes for a medium at Nando’s.
My only faux-pas was not ordering this dish with a side of naan, which would have elevated the overall meal experience, and a cheeky sauce clean up at the end was dearly missed. However, given the price point, this side could have been included with the meal.
To finish, the salted caramel doughnut was smashing, and I'm not even a massive doughnut fan. The dough of this dessert was thick but not chewy like some doughnuts, making for a nice way to end the meal. The generous custard filling mixed with the salted caramel drizzle on top made me wonder how I'd resist eating the entire batch before serving if I made these myself.
Credit: Lilia Hakem @ The Mancunion The most inviting aspect of House of Social was actually their spacious upstairs events space overlooking the central food hall, which is free for the local community to use and hire. For the price point, some of the food simply doesn’t earn its cost, which would be a potential issue for a member of the local community. But, for students at this venue, an automatic 15% off is issued to the bill, making it more reasonable. Overall, whether you’re a veggie or a meat lover, House of Social is accommodating to all, as well as generally a relaxed and social eating experience, study, and go out in the evenings.
House of Social is open Tuesday and Wednesday 8am-11pm, Thursday-Saturday 8am-1am, Sunday 8am-10pm and closed Monday.
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