Staying true to the name of the restaurant, the chefs at Pink Elephant Thai deliver enormous, bright flavours, all the while retaining the essence of each Thai dish.
During Dine Out Vancouver, diners have the choice of three appetizers and three entrees, with a pre-selected dessert. (I highly suggest dining out with others, so you can sample everything off the menu.)
Mango & Tiger Prawn Summer Roll. Photo by: Alyssa Dawson
The mango summer roll, offered as one of three choices for the appetizer, was a light way to ease into the meal; the tropical flavour of the mango and fresh taste of the thai basil was perfectly offset by the hoisin-based sauce that accompanied the dish.
Thai Spice Fish Cakes. Photo by: Alyssa Dawson
The fish cakes, a second option as a starter, were scrumptious on their own, but when combined with the slightly spicy dipping sauce, they were irresistible.
Matsaman Curry. Photo by: Alyssa Dawson
Diving into the entree courses, I was immediately impressed with the portion sizes. I was already quite satiated after the appetizers, but simply could not stop serving myself the Matsaman Curry. The coconut curry base was rich and creamy, the chicken was moist, and the onion was sweet. The cashews added a delicate earthy flavour, but I would have preferred them mixed in later in the cooking process, so as to retain a crunchier texture for the curry.
Traditional Pad Thai. Photo by: Alyssa Dawson
The pad thai was traditional, so no surprises here. Each ingredient was full of flavour and the dish truly reminded me of pad thais I indulged in in Thailand, however there wasn’t much of a spice profile, and I could have used the addition of a hot sauce like Sriracha. (Keep in mind, I like a generous amount of heat.)
Sticky Rice with Egg Custard, Mango, Coconut Strips. Photo by: Alyssa Dawson
With delicious food, generous portion sizes, and well-paced service, I have very minimal complaints. The only portion of the meal that I would not order again was the dessert; I have tried mango sticky rice more times than I could possibly count, and I felt Pink Elephant’s version was lacking in the [coconut-based] sauce department.
The authenticity alone makes coming in to Pink Thai at anytime worth it, but when you consider it’s sitting in the lowest price bracket for Dine Out Vancouver 2012 ($18), this restaurant is an absolute must now through February 5th.
As always, wishing you a stamp of culinary royalty in all of your dining endeavours! xx
