It’s no secret that pink is one of my favourite colours (pink forks all around!)- so you can imagine my delight when I found out about Pink Elephant Thai.

Pink Elephant Thai is the newest addition to the Thai House Restaurant Group (that has been in operation since 1986)! On Alberni’s popular restaurant row, you cannot miss it- sitting pretty right across Shangri-La.

The inside is sleek and modern with a vibrant pink and white design. The restaurant has many booths (both good for two and for groups) and a bar area in the middle.

If you’re new to the Thai spread, there are suggested combination dinners that range from 2 -6 people to enjoy ranging from $46 (2)-$150 (for 6 people).

I visited Pink Elephant Thai twice in one week – once with Brian and the other with Liane, so I’m going to review both times in one post.

The evening Brian and I went, we were in the area checking out the Black + Blue launch party. We were hungry and trying to figure out what to have for dinner and I suggested we try the place out.

I immediately knew that I had to try the Floating Market since a colleague of mine was raving about how delicious it was. The deep-fried spinach was crispy with almost a ‘chip’ like crunch to it – but thankfully it wasn’t overly battered, it was mixed with tiger prawns and cashews. The dipping sauce was spicy and sweet at the same time – it’s a common ‘sauce’ used in Asia, as it seemed very similar to one my dad makes at home too.

Brian ordered the Matsaman Curry ($12 with chicken) but whoops, they made something entirely different. They apologized when they brought it to the table – Brian is really relaxed, so he didn’t care. I’m not sure which curry they brought him but he said it was really good.

I ordered the Organic Pumpkin ($14 with chicken). The presentation is really cute as it’s served in a mini-pumpkin. In the curry there are oyster and enoki mushrooms and while it may look small – it’s actually a very filling meal. It is also a bit on the spicy side (as it’s indicated on the menu). There are also vegetables served on the side – broccoli and carrots which are perfectly steamed – not too starchy and not too soft.  As with any Thai place, rice is separate – $3-4 a bowl depending on what kind you get.

Now, the day Liane and I went we went for the $10 lunch combo which is served every day (including weekends!) from 11:30-4:30pm – 4:30pm? I can’t think off the top of my head of any other place that has a lunch special till that time. We arrived around 12ish and it was busy, we ended up waiting with a lot of other people for about 10-15 minutes.

According to the website, the meal comes with chicken wings, green salad and coconut jasmine rice. Our meal came with green salad and wonton chips, which were crispy, sweet and tangy (but they should probably change that menu if it isn’t chicken wings!).

Liane ordered the Kra Poa Kook (L8) which is fried rice with ground beef, fresh chili and basil. I had a nibble and it was definitely not your traditional asian fried rice, it had a great kick to it – definitely a different taste. I really enjoyed the fresh basil on top of it.

I stuck to my favourite kind of curry- the Thai Green Curry (with coconut milk, bell peppers, snap peas, eggplant and fresh basil).  The curry was spicy (just the way I like it) and a perfect size for lunch. There was a good balance of vegetables and big pieces of chicken.

Liane ordered the Mai Thai Mistress which was sweet, pineapple-y and although mixed with rum – was not overpowering.

I ordered a Thai Iced Tea, which had a interesting colour to it (orange!) – milky, a little spicy but mostly sweet.

Food:

Service:

Value:
For lunch, it definitely is a good value at $10.

Ambiance:

OVERALL:

 

Check out their website and menu here.

 

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