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2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V)
Uptown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6)
Downtown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6, B, D, F, V)
"Their $28 prix-fixe lunch offers fantastic value, my co-workers and I had a fabulous time dining here! Although the food is prepared by the…" read more »
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Since I'm not allowed to give half ratings i'll give it a 4, really a 3.5 though.
interesting decor, tables were really close together, wait staff was really friendly. I was excited to come here with a friend for his birthday this week after reading the reviews and looking through the menu.
started off with the salmon tartare, which was amazing! we ate ever bit of it. had very fresh lime and cilantro flavors. for entrees he had the beef salad and i had the duck confit. the beef salad he said he really liked. my duck confit was not so bad, minus the parts that were a little a dry... overall a good dining night with green tea icecream to top it off.
oh yeah on the downside-- for credit cards they only take AMEX. so for those who only carry master card and visa, like myself, come armed with cash!
People thought this was:
TREKKING through the JUNGLE of East Village gets really tiring sometimes! Especially when its hot and muggy outside and you've just been running all around town and just sitting down to your first meal since 9am.
TREKKING.
Small place, worth the trek. It's really a very very adorable little restaurant with an open bar area in the front and smaller tables at the back. The atmosphere is really kind of romantic - and in the heat of New York weather, really does feel a bit like you're at some tropical-ish Thai hangout. The red interior, and crushed red velvet and leopard seats make you feel a little...rrrrrwwwwaaaaarrrr.
Yeah baby! ;p
The food also was not bad at all. I had the tilapia and the friend had the duck confit with grilled lychees. Both were super tasty - my tilapia was a very good size cooked very well. The tilapia was soft and tasty, and the sriracha gave it really nice flavor. There was also some sort of fruit/vegetable medley that went well with the fish...the duck was alright, a little dry, but the grilled lychees were really tasty on the side. My friend didn't care for the sweet potato mash, but that was good for me, since I got to indulge in the tastiness! ;)
My lychee martini was also large and in charge of my drinks quota and for the 8$ i paid, it was worth it since it was pretty darn alcomaholic! I likes! Not the best lychee martini ever, but good enough!
This is definitely a nice fun place to stop by for dinner and drinks if you're ever in the area! :)
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Yelp did not disappoint - went here this past Saturday night for dinner, armed with a trusty http://restaurant.com coupon. Walked in their with bad intentions of dismantling their duck confit. There was no wait at 830pm on a Saturday night, but found out that they were out of duck confit (And also their credit card machine wasn't working).
For some reason, their regular duck entre was available, which was absolutely delish. Their tilapia was also pretty good - but nothing too spectacular. Appetizer was their salmon tartare, which came wheat thin crackers (kind of odd). Otherwise, the tartare was delish too.
Overall, would definitely come back again. Service was top notch, food was amazing, and overall a good dining experience. Just a note - there were a good amount of people waiting for a table by the time we left at 9:30pm.
Started off with a Miss Saigon. Twas yummy.
Started off with spicy french fries because we love fries. These were not spectacular. We asked the guy what was in it...and he told us - you know..spices and stuff. I found it a rather amusing response. Good one. Anyway, it was pretty much shoe string fries with hints of the curly fry flavor.
Beef salad. It was good, but I felt a bit overpriced. $20! It was salad with a few pieces of steak. Sorry...it was good, but not THAT good for an Andrew Jackson.
Duck confit. Also $20, but was tres manifique. It came with mashed sweet potato, veggies, and there were lychees hidden under the duck. It was quite delightful.
Pad thai. Good balance of sweet, salty, and sour. I really enjoyed it.
Strawberry creme brulee for dessert. I ordered it, but I would pass on this next time. It's basically creme brulee with hidden strawberry jam. Not a fan.
Space is a tad "cozy". We had a pretty tiny table with lots of food, but this place is really good. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Nice ambiance and decor. I'd definitely come here again.
Cash only - I assume because there's an ATM machine parked right outside the restaurant.
The Elephant is a tiny little place; crowded, loud, and if you sit in the same chair as me, you feel as though it's going to buckle under you. The waitress will reassure you that it's just like that, and it's perfectly safe. I pity the person who finally breaks it. Fatty.*
Although the food is billed as French/Thai fusion it seems as though there are French options and Thai options. As a general warning, I would err on the side of the French choices. Not that the pad thai and the like aren't tasty -- in fact, everything we ate was delicious (as has been reported, the duck confit is a winner) -- you are just getting Thai food at French prices. And nobody wants that.
______
*Just kidding. As I'm in the process of becoming a fatty, I feel like I can say that. Like the dentist who converts to Judaism for the jokes.
People thought this was:
The drinks are amazing (my fave is the african elephant) and the dim lighting is just the right touch of not too bright. The food is delicious from beginning to end (dessert included) and the locale is unbeatable if you're a brooklyn biker. It only takes me 15 minutes to get there and it's worth the exercise. I had the chicken curry and it came with a plate with a scoop of rice, chunks of mango, crushed peanuts and think slices of banana. I never would've put those things together but once you start mixing the curry in it's amazing! From what I understand it's under new management this year and I think they're doing a swell job!
I definitely recommend!
Had only a short wait for three people for dinner on a Saturday night around 8:30, which isn't too bad. A little cozy close-together with the other tables, but well-thought out decor complemented the warm night outside.
The drinks (and visual layout of the drinks menu) were creative - I had an "African Elephant" (can't remember what was in it, but was it tasty!) and my friends had an "Original Elephant" and some other Elephant drink.
Our seats were in the back by the kitchen, and trust me - everything on the menu looked delicious as it traveled by our hungry table.
They shared the summer rolls for an appetizer and both got the tilapia for an entree (both were given high marks) and I got the duck confit, which was top notch (I restrained myself from picking up the bones to gnaw off the last little bits of meat).
The only things that would have raised it to 5 stars would have been a slight improvement in the service - which wasn't bad, just could have been better. It has been recommended by my resident friend's foodie med student, who said it was his favorite restaurant in the city. I would not go that far, probably my favorite French-Thai fusion place. In the Village.
On the suggestion of a friend I found myself in the ultra trendy/ sometimes trashy East Village for dinner. Elephant is tucked away on a quiet street but the bright color and aura of the restaurant calls beckons you there. I left right after work and so was a half hour early for dinner. Good thing though because they have a two for one cocktail deal during happy hour (5pm - 8pm).
A sucker for fancy named cocktails, I immediately ordered a Wounded Elephant. What is that you may ask? I have no idea. The bartender made it below the bar from huge glass containers of colored alcohol. I think there was a lychee fruit in the bottom. When the clear drink was done, I thought, the bartender said "And now we wound the elephant" while pouring in a red liquid. Blood I get it. Very tasty.
Between that and dinner, as more people trickled in, I went through a margarita (decent), mojito (very real sugar) and a Phuket Sunset (I love Kahlua).
At our leisure we were seated in the back of the restaurant where the fabulous décor and lighting kind of swallowed us whole. We were all so happy, the conversation was so easy, and we just loved the menu (food menu only, the cocktail menu was very confusing).
For the table we had one order of Summer Rolls and another of Pork Dumplings. Both were amazing. The flavors were perfect and the dumpling and roll casings were just the right consistency and texture. Seriously haven't had as good of a Summer Roll ever.
It only got better. I ordered the Pad Thai (someone has to) and even though I'm not a huge fan of shrimp, I ate all of it. It was really great. I also got biked of the Chicken in Curry sauce and loved it too.
The dessert list wasn't that fabulous so we ended the meal but stayed on in the neat space for another hour (without being bothered) and talked. Mmmmm. So good.
Wowie - I can't wait to go back. There were four of us...on a Saturday night. We called an hour ahead to make reservations and had no problems getting a table.
The place was small, but cozy and lively...perfect for a group or a date. I had the duck confit....mmmmm...drool. It was really filling, too, with sweet potato mash on the side. I didn't even finish mine, but boy did I try.
My dude friend had the sea bass...it was amazing. I remember taking a bite and not having to chew because it just mmmmelted in my mouth.
Did I mention the waiter was hotness? OMG. And he was giving us instructions and said "blah blah blah" in his French accent. How cool is that? I've never heard "blah blah blah" sound so appropriate and informative. I knew right away what he meant....and nodded enthusiastically.
PS - they only accept Amex or cash.
This is definitely going on my list of go-to places...blah blah blah. You should try it.
People thought this was:
Like someone else said, the food isn't really a fusion of Thai and French, but two cuisines sitting next to each other on the menu.
The duck confit is as good as you all make it sound; the grilled lychees were a nice touch. The mashed sweet potato is essentially butter (in a good way). I'd recommend it.
The green curry chicken was OK, but not as aromatic as good curry should be. Luckily the chicken was tender. Liked the mango chunks on the side.
The chocolate tarte a la mode was so decadent! mm.
The service was nice, however, I don't know who it was, but 1 staff member would always leave a trailing smell of pot behind him. Oh well, it didn't really affect my dining experience, haha. Because I used a http://restaurant.com certificate. Love those! Good deal!
People thought this was:
This place does NOT accept credit cards. Most places that are cash-only (especially pricey sit-down restaurants) will mention this multiple times on signs near the door, in the bar area and at the bottom of their menus. Not at The Elephant. We walk in, nowhere is there a hint that they can't accept credit cards, sit down, and order our meal. It's quite delicious, with my companion exclaiming it's the best pad thai she's ever had (and she is from London which has some top-notch Asian cusine). Portions were a little small, drinks were expensive ($10 for a cocktail that was about 4 oz), but still very tasty and delicious. The cocktails were made with fresh fruit, which was a real plus.
The bill comes, and we pull out our credit cards. The waiter stops by and mentions that they cannot accept credit cards. One of us has to make a run to the ATM to get enough cash to cover the bill. Read the other reviews. Their credit card machine is always "out of order". They don't accept cash. Period.
Having been here before and had a great meal, I recommended it to friends last Sat. Sorry that I did.
Ordered a cocktail at the bar and they didn't have the ingredients for anything I wanted, their card machine wasn't working and then strangely was but only Amex. No wine list and only three bottle options available. The worst thing however was the chicken in the Thai chicken curry - grey and disgusting.
My friend complained about the chicken and we were given a small glass of something on the house at the end of the meal but didn't make up for two of my friends being unable to eat their food. Not going back.
I am a hardcore thai food junkie and a stickler for authenticity, so I was surprised to find that I actually really enjoyed this place. Both the food and the decor seemed to illustrate the paralells between thai and french culture that had previously gone unnoticed to me. I ordered the tom yum soup and then the salmon dish, both of which were delicious although the tom yum could have been spicier. I also thought it was weird that the waiter seemed confused by my (correct) pronunciation of tom yum, so they lost a few points for authenticity for that... however, the fact remains that the food tasted good and I am not one to complain about that.
Came here mainly for some apps.
Loved the curry chicken (chicken was really tender!) and the salmon tartare.. could've done without the cold noodles
I can't rate on all the food here but I would definetly come back because of the ambiance! it's nice, cozy, and not at all crowded on a Thurs night. Service was also really great!
People thought this was:
This place is a gem. I am usually not a big fan of french thai fusion, but the Elephant really does it well. The duck confit is a must try (the grilled lychees+sriracha sauce that comes with it was such a pleasant surprise).
People thought this was:
There's nothing like butter in the gut to warm a gal's heart.
Food here is decadent and glut-inducing, but so good. Spicy sriracha sauce drizzled on salmon tartare (order it!). The lychee duck confit was sweet, juicy and the mashed sweet potatoes was smooth, rich. Heavenly spirals of sweet potato crunchified each bite of the pork chop. It reminded me of Ivo & Lulu's (except w/ Asian veggies and flourishes), but more satisfying.
The waitress didn't blink an eye at our http://Restaurant.com certificate and was attentive w/o being overbearing. Dim lighting and hodgepodge decor made for a warm, inviting atmosphere (think: KitchenBar (Park Slope), Barramundi (LES)). I think our reservation also helped win us one of the beautiful mosaic tables in the center rather than be crowded into one of the side tables. 4.5 stars - half a point off for the buttery guilt The Elephant made me feel afterward.
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I loved this place. Came here with my best friend and was seated a bit too close to the bar. The bar seemed to be racking in a lot of action. I was worried bc I thought it might be more of a happy hr place than a dinner joint. The food spoke for itself.
We ordered the duck because it was highly recommended by the owner. My friend had a sliced up version, while I ordered the lychee duck confit. I didn't bother ordering it medium rare, but what I got was just perfect.
I wanted to lick the remnants of my sweet potato side off my dish: TEXTURALLY AAAAA-MAZING(I'm singing these words). And the Asian vegetables here are so delicious! Give me some more of the green please!
I would stay away from the dumplings appetizer though bc there wasn't much inside and the flavors were so-so. Everything else was top-notch, I say!
We used a http://restaurant.com certificate here, but I would've paid the full amount for this food.
The Elephant is worth every pound.
This place was excellent, the only downfall was the $25 gift certificate I used got an automatic 20-25% tip added to the bill. It wasn't a nice surprise.
The bartender was awesome and entertained me while I waited for my date who was an hour late... the elephant martini was delicous, and blue.
People thought this was:
My new favorite thai rest.
Thanks to my roommie
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DONT come here for poshness. DO come for the food.
DONT come here if you are claustrophobic. DO come for the food.
DO order the Sea Bass!!
Get my drift.... the food is amazing! SEA BASS... SEA BASS... SEA BASS!
That should be your first meal here.
People thought this was:
This place feels like you're visiting the French - Caribbean or French Polynesia while in New York. If New York had a "chill" but "lively" place, this would be it. It's almost always packed - but nobody is antsy, because time flies when you're speaking island French with the bartenders, or sipping "Pink Elephants" with friends while waiting for your table.
I always get the SeaBass (Jenny B. also enjoys), which comes wrapped in banana leaves, and almost steaming with sweetness. I also get the papaya salad, which you can eat with chopsticks if you want! Located on 1st and 1st, in the heart of the E. Village, this place is always bumping - and there is very little press about it! A New Yorker introduced me when I first arrived in Manhattan, otherwise I'd never have discovered it. Their liquor license was recently revoked, so it's a pending 5 stars, but I'm told they've got it back now.
People thought this was:
Usually hit this place at least once if I'm visiting NYC. Good food. Good drinks. Friendly staff. Cheap.
Small one room dining area, with long communal tables - you may make friends on crowded nights, maybe even share some food!
This particular night was during the heat wave, and the air wasn't working and they're in the process of renewing their liquor license... So no sangria - which is really kick ass here. We were the only patrons, and when we left there were two other tables. It was a Monday night, but I hope they get their liquor license soon because that's probably affecting business...
We still sat down to eat. My friend/ business partner Jules had the chicken pad thai and polished the plate off, I had the chili chicken off the vegetarian menu - seitan pieces in a chili coconut curry sauce. Pretty darned good.
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Please don't believe their website.
We trekked through the rain today to try The Elephant - only to find they weren't open for lunch. :(
I'll revise my review if I eventually get to eat there... but I was seriously sad to be soaked for nothing.
This is a most bizarre restaurant. Definitely not your usual run-of-the-mill Thai restaurant (you know, the ones that have pad se yu or pad thai for most of their menu items). Take that as you will.
When my friends and I first arrived, I thought for sure that it was going to be a one- or two-star rating. The place felt more like a Caribbean themed restaurant, with Jamaican-flavored music playing and fruity beach drinks on the menu. We ended up waiting an intolerable amount of time to get served, to get our food, to get our check. The prices on the menu also seemed overly steep for Thai food (~$13.75 for pad thai??).
The place turned out to be okay though. The food was actually quite tasty, and the portion sizes were ample. What sets this place apart from other Thai restaurants though is its vegetarian selection. They have a unique vegetarian menu of dishes that ape non-vegetarian dishes, down to the meat. That is to say, those dishes have imitation-meat.
Okay, so imitation-meat doesn't sound good on paper, but it is surprisingly good. There is a whole cuisine in Asia based on making vegetarian food (usually tofu) imitate meat (revolving around Buddhist lifestyles), and sometimes the results are quite impressive. For example, the imitation duck made out of tofu looked exactly like duck meat, right down to the fake duck skin.
While I feel that vegetarian food can never be as good as regular food, because it's only trying to imitate regular food, which at its best can only be as good as regular food, Buddhist-influenced vegetarian probably comes closest to the creation of a true vegetarian cuisine. The fake meat has its own distinctive taste that is quite good, almost good enough to make you forget that you are supposed to be eating meat.
Personally, I'm kind of sick of the usual Thai food take-out, so the change of pace presented by Elephant was quite refreshing, even if it wasn't spectacular.
People thought this was:
I will miss Mamadou and his luxurious Lychee Martini's but alas the beautiful coast beckons....
I have been a regular since January, to be honest the reason I used to go is for the booze my friends boyfriend served... one night decided to have a meal...food in general not so bad.
The salmon tartar is very very good, and their Mu Shu pancake is a great deal. It is a small spot and tends to fill up fast with a rather french /euro crowd.
Was there Friday night and ran into my old bud Natalie Portman, miniscule, and quite affable, she revealed to me that she loved the Pad Thai.... well rock on Natalie...and chow on those noodles.
People thought this was:
I've eaten at this place about 6 times now. The food is definitely fusion but some dishes are authentic on its own. You'll find some Thai dishes, some Vietnamese and some French dishes.
I like the food in general but nothing I crave for. I come here for the experience and to bring my friends to a place a little different than the usual. For authentic Thai food, we cannot rave more about Sriphaphai's in Queens. now that's a true jem!
Typical French service and French seating (they pull the tables out for you to get in). Service is ok, short staffed so you'll be waiting on them and not them waiting on you.
The drinks are good and Sangria, easy to drink and you actually taste the wine.
For French food, we go around the corner to Lucien's. We lunch there often so made friends with Lucien himself who is usually hanging there with an artist friend or wine guy Richard Coolen.
Been past this place a zillion times (eating at Prune or Boca Chica), but never inside. This was an impromptu pleasant surprise. A group of us went there last night after an event, and it was just right. I was actually pretty jealous of what other people ended up getting because I didn't really inspect the menu that carefully and just ended up ordering some small dishes.
The atmosphere is definitely homey, and the reggae was playing to a pretty small (it was 11:00pm on a Tuesday night, after all) but very international and diverse looking crowd. I hear there are supermodels there. Ha.
I ordered the Cold Noodles and Pork Dumplings which were both good. I'm a little snobby about my Cold Noodles, and these were, I'd say, about a 6 on a scale of 10 (angel hair style pasta for this dish is just wrong), but they were decent, and the dumplings and sauce were extremely tasty. I also tasted the Moo Shu which looked absolutely amazing and tasted great. It's served with healthy portions of hoisin sauce and hot chili sauce. I did not have the Pad Thai but it looked delicious and judging from how fast it disappeared, I'll be back to try it. I love Pad Thai. Yummm.
I'd recommend this place. It's cool. It's casual. The food is great.
People thought this was:
Good Thai food in a nice atmosphere and good location. This tiny restaurant also has a pretty good vegetarian selection. There can be a long wait but it is worth it.
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It's 1948 and you're stopping through a remote South Asian trading outpost (Tinh Ha Nam? Tinh An Giang perhaps?). You're hunkered down at the bar, getting loose with a grim French businessman, a mysterious elderly Thai lady, and a foppish American wearing a loud print shirt.
Yes, I have an active imagination when I drink.
Excellent little bar for people watching-- great lychee martinis. Tasty, moderately expensive food.
Bring your over-active imagination and some fabulous, extroverted friends.
People thought this was:
After reading several reviews on Yelp, I decided to try this place. I love Thai food so I was excited. The place is small and cozy and the atmosphere is great. The food was decent but the service was terrible. My friend had the pad thai which she commented to be flavorless. I had the egg noodle which was good, but not fantastic. The lemongrass key lime tart was pretty good. The service was the worst part of the meal. They brought out our appetizers at the same time as our entrees and came by to take our plates before we were done eating. My favorite Thai restaurant is still Topaz -- great food, service and awesome desert.
Oh, they also don't take Mastercard. Weird.
For all the hype, the food is just ok. The place is sorta cool, although I must say that sitting against the wall and having the waiter push the table against me as far as he could to make sure there was room for the wait stuff was a bit too claustrophobic for me, especially taking into consideration that there were people sitting literally 1 foot from me on either side.
As the reviews here say, this place is French and Thai, not fusion, not French-influenced Thai food or vice versa. It's either or. As in either duck or Phad Thai. Either lamb or moo-shu
I had the moo-shu and my husband had the phad thai. Both were ok. They both lacked spiciness and just taste in general. The moo-shu came with three different kind of sauces, which slightly made it more tasty.
At around 17 bucks per plate, I'd say skip it if you're looking for good food.
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Four stars, not for the food (which was yummy) or the decor (think crowded) but for the brilliant mix of people. My friend introduced me to this place (his local haunt from what I can gather) and maybe it's just me being very square and uncultured but I LOVED that nearly everyone spoke french no matter what part of the rainbow you were from.
Even before hearing a single mot or "mais non" being uttered, you felt like you were transported to an unassuming Paris cafe. Woven chairs and tables on top of one another, and spilling quietly into the street but just enough to stay in the safe shade of the awning above. - You literally squeeze into your seat. (Doesn't sound like a comfortable dinning experience does it? Well it's not, but it sure is LIVELY and fun.)
The food is more or less authentic. It's not what you get in Thai Town (Hollywood, CA) but it's better then most other places. The staff are relaxed and nonchalant (not to be mistaken for snobby - b/c they are actually very affable.) Try it! (But on a day when you're feeling footloose and fancy free.)
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Granted, I have not been here in a few years. But the times we did come here it was always lots of fun, with very tasty food. Of course, I'm no Thai expert but it tasted good to me.
The first time we came here, it was a pretty large group. I think there were 15 of us. We were all there to catch a movie at the Anthology Archives around the corner, and this was the perfect place. Very gracious in their service, and the fact that they bent over backwards to cater to our every need was great.
I had the moo shu chicken, which was great. This was my first time eating it, so my friend Alex had to show me how to eat it, how to put the chicken in the roll, etc. But thanks to him, I'm now a moo shu chicken addict.
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I didn't see any models, but then, we had little time to linger. Though R. had only made reservations that morning, we were ushered right to our table on time -- 8:30 on a Saturday night, no less.
I started with the 'Wounded Elephant' cocktail -- a drink with such a gruesome/descriptive name could not be passed up. Vodka, lychee juice and a lychee with a splash of cassis.
We shared the green papaya salad (nice), I had the tiger shrimp with asparagus and rice and a very authentic Thai dipping sauce (delicious; R. identified fish sauce as the key ingredient); he had filet mignon he swears was nearly as good as the last time he'd dined there. Mushy molten chocolate cake was a solid showing, but not award-winning.
It was cozy-loud, bright and fun. A little hectic for my taste, but if someone suggested it again, I'd say yes without hesitation.
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I am not a thai food fan (normally), so I was hesitant when my dinner date suggested this place. To keep things happy and joyful, I figured I'd just find something on the menu that I'd like. Surprise, surprise - this place is ridiculous! in a good way.
I had the green curry chicken - and when the waiter brought my meal over, I thought it was some kind of mistake, because he brought me a bowl of greenish broth, and another plate of rice, bananas, nuts, and something else that i forget. I was confused, but decided the best bet would be to just mix everything together and pour the saucy stuff on top. It was the most flavorful combination I've ever had, I couldn't believe how great everything tasted together. It was a perfect mix of sweetness (bananas), salty (chicken/nuts) and spicy (green curry sauce). I will definitely order that again next time.
My friends ordered the pad thai and they were both obsessed. Apparently it is delicious.
The main event, though, was the warm chocolate cake - my friend told me it was orgasmic, and sure enough, when she tasted it, she let out a squeal so loud that people from other tables looked over. Hahaha - best reaction to food I've seen in awhile, maybe ever.
This place is cute, low-key, inexpensive, and delicious. Go here. That is all.
People thought this was:
The food was nice. Appetizer of calamari (not fried) was fresh and promptly served. Duck confit and rack of lamb entrees were well prepared, and certainly done in French style. Did not see much of a Thai influence with these particular dishes, though that may be because of what was ordered.
Pinot Noir ordered was nice, served at a great temperature, and at an appropriate price (under $30 for the bottle).
Be warned that this is not the place to go if you have a large group or appreciate space. I had elbows digging into me and people leaning/talking closer than I would normally prefer. That being said, it was a Saturday night at about 9pm, so what can you expect from Manhattan?
All in all, pretty nice but not a favorite. Also with how crowded/popular they seem, maybe they should consider moving into a bigger space?
People thought this was:
Off the top:
CONS
-17 dollars for pad thai
-17 dollars for moo shu chicken
-enough space to have a large bedroom in
Otherwise it still gets four stars. First person we meet: bartender, who also DJs from his iPod...Outkast, Mos Def, prog rock, awesome. His drinks are strong, and my lovely lady friends Wounded Elephant came with an orchid picked fresh off the stem.
The service is sparse because it's so packed, but I'll say this, my water glass was NEVER EMPTY and she smiled and was very sweet. The reservations guy was a barrel of fun, he was dancing to music and joking with us.
What made our experience good was that we met another couple at the bar that was friendly, then we ended up sitting next to them, sharing a table. They were cool and told us which dishes were dope.
My pad thai was worth 90% of the 18 bucks I paid. 5 LARGE perfectly cooked prawns that tasted AWESOME as I picked them up by their tails out of my noodles. THE PAD THAI DIDN'T SMELL LIKE FEET. SOMEONE RING THE ALARM.
My date order moo shoo. Which is spicy, savory chicken with an onion relish, bean sprouts cucumbers and like...a tortilla lol. All separate, with sauces so you can combine as you like. She loved it.
We had a BLAST, it was strangely intimate for being so crowded. Don't come to have a private conversation though, as you sit next to total strangers.
PS...if you "FORGET" your ID at home, don't worry, they weren't asses. Just dress nice.
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I love the food here and I've been going to Elephant for years. Yes, agreed, it is a place where the beautiful people linger and the energy is generally quite festive.
That night I had the shrimp dumpling in coconut curry and the sea bass. The presentation was superb and the complexity of the tastes left me satisfied. At certain bites, the dumplings tasted a bit too sweet, but they indeed whetted my palate. The sea bass was perfectly steamed and succulent. The lychee martini, or "wounded elephant" as it's called there, was exactly what I needed after a long day, and just strong enough but didn't exactly wound me either.
The only thing about Elephant is that I can't stand how cramped and claustrophobic it can get. Last time I was there, and like each time I visit, I was trapped in by the table that must be pulled out in order to sink into the booth. If you need to use the loo in the middle of the meal, then it becomes an ordeal and inconvenience to step out. the host has to be summoned, my friends have to move out of the way, etc. There are other avenues where being a spectacle might elicit more mirth.
At one point we changed tables because we had another friend join us. The host was very kind and moved us which I appreciated. But when I sat down, because it is so cramped, my bum (which is round and shapely, but not particularly big on my 110 lb frame) jostled the table on which my martini rested, knocking it to the floor, spilling my drink, cracking the glass and splashin a bit on the patron next to me. Sheesh. Then the handsome host, rolled his eyes and cleaned up my mess. All I could do was apologize profusely, but jeez, I know the owners want to jam as many people in there as possible, but how about a little elbow room?
I would definitely go back, but I think only with one other person who doesn't mind being too close for comfort. Or being too close to me and my shapely "mind of its own" bum.
People thought this was:
It's small but beautiful. Great food, and such that you may want to take a picture with it before you get down to eating. Having lived across the street from it for years, I know it used to draw throngs of people on the weekends, but it's also a great spot for birthday parties, and primers before a night on the town. Nice, down to earth staff too.
5 stars because I've had great times with friends and family of friends every time I've stepped in here.
Where to start? The food? The wine selection? The atmosphere? The music? The crowd? Mamadou?
I've been there on Monday's and Saturdays and every other night of the week. Always a good time. Whether it was a friends birthday dinner and chatting to pretty older girls at the table over, or just me and a buddy singing along to La Boheme with the bartenders after the bar had closed down, this place is je-ne-sais-qoui
People thought this was:
Live Music and Wine Specials!
Brooklyn, NY
Lunch and Pre Fixed Special
Neighborhood: Theater District
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: French
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Category: Thai
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