Social House settles into new digs

After Social House walked the plank at Treasure Island last summer, its vessel was seized. Well, not really. Treasure Island -- which changed hands from MGM Resorts International to hotelier Phil Ruffin shortly before -- owned the space and fixtures, some of which now serve another Pan Asian restaurant called Khotan.

Social House owner Pure Management Group decided to enact subtle decor changes when rebuilding at Crystals at CityCenter, 3720 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Elements of its old "newspaper" room, for instance, figure in prayer wheels adorning the front of the new digs, which opened June 30.

"We tried to keep the same elements that we had over there without overtly taking the same things, because inherently, it's still there at Treasure Island, just under a different name," says executive chef Joseph Elevado, who opened both Social Houses and before that served as master cook at the New York and Las Vegas Nobu locations.

Since the menu was all Social House's, there was no question but to duplicate the flavors and textures popular with its celeb-heavy tourist clientele. Most of the same Pan Asian dishes are reprised, divided again into hot and cold on the menu and served in the same family style. The only slight tweak comes from Elevado's native Philippines -- dishes such as crispy pata and barbecue pork tocino ribs.

"I wanted to change it a little bit and do some stuff that maybe people have never tried before," Elevado says.

Social House -- which seats 240 -- is open 6-10:30 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 1-11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations are recommended.

Signature dish: Salmon sashimi with wasabi creme fraiche, $19

Soups and salads: Miso soup, $5; tuna tataki salad, $22; cucumber sunomono, $7

Entrees: Steamed seasonal fish, $24; snow crab dynamite, $22; spicy Thai pork in bib lettuce cups, $8; barbecue pork tocino ribs, $15; crispy pata (crackling pork shank), $24; mini Kobe burgers, $24

Desserts: Milk chocolate cake, $10; layered parfait, $8; cocoa-nuts, $8

Information: 736-1122

By COREY LEVITAN