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| - I've now tried Thai Elephant three times. My first two experiences were solidly mediocre -- nothing was awful, but aside from one delicious dessert (black sticky rice with pumpkin custard), nothing stood out, either. As a recent Bay Area transplant, I admit to being a bit picky, but in my 6 months in Phoenix, I've found several places that more than satisfy my rather frequent Thai cravings (Swadee in Chandler, Thai Lahna in Arcadia, Sala Thai in North Phoenix, and, in a pinch, Thai Hut in Central Phoenix). Until now, Thai Elephant hadn't really done it for me, but since the restaurant is literally 40 feet from my office and since other Yelpers seem to have had positive experiences, I was reluctant to give up on Thai Elephant without giving it another chance.
On Friday, looking forward to a relaxing night at home, I called in an order for Pad Thai with chicken, Panang Curry with beef (extra spicy), and Spicy Eggplant with tofu (spicy, which I thought would be automatic given the name, but apparently wasn't). I got home, meted out ridiculously oversized portions of the three entrees, and sat down to enjoy my feast.
Wow. I don't know quite where to begin, but to say that I was disappointed doesn't begin to cover it. The Pad Thai was about on par with the Taste of Thai boxed dinners you can pick up at the grocery store, only less flavorful; marginal at best, but edible. The chicken didn't stand out as being of particularly low quality, but the noodles were some of the worst I've had at a Thai restaurant (some bites were underdone to the point of being crunchy, while others were seriously soggy).
Sadly, the sub-par Pad Thai was the high point of the meal by a wide margin. The Spicy Eggplant was a bland stir fry of soggy, overcooked vegetables and limp tofu. The tofu appeared to have been fried as a large block and then sliced, and a few small pieces of eggplant were thrown in for good measure. The Panang Curry with beef was even worse. Though I ordered the dish "spicy," the curry tasted like straight coconut milk with a few drops of red food coloring thrown in. The beef was the last straw for me; it very may well have been the worst quality, most gristly meat I've had at any restaurant I've ever been to. I tried several pieces, and all were similarly inedible.
I really, really want to like Thai Elephant, but after the experience I had, I don't know if I can bring myself to give it another chance -- especially since I've found so many other good Thai restaurants in the Valley and since the second-worst Thai meal I've had since moving here was at Thai Elephant's sister restaurant, Thai Basil in Ahwatukee.
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