Thai Elephant - The Elephant in the Room You Want

It's been a very long time since I've been to Thai Elephant on 31st Street in the Ditmars neighborhood.  Frankly, I haven't had Thai in quite a while, and the night after our Queens Swap was as good an opportunity as any.  Meg, Tom, Dan and I decided to give it a try (we were all ravenous!) - and for some, it was a new experience while for others a really pleasant do-over.  Here's what we had:

Thai Buffalo Wings - Since it was technically football night, wings were very appropriate.  We all dug in with gusto into these crispy looking things, which were quite tender and tasty. I especially liked the sweet chili sauce that served as the dipping.  The portion was generous and we each had about two wings to tide us over.

Curry Puff - I've tried these here before and remember liking them.  Consisting of ground chicken, potato and onion, wrapped in a flaky puff pastry, it was a nice way to indulge.  While the exterior was a bit on the oily side, we still enjoyed it, as it was comforting and delicious.  Served with a chilled cucumber sauce, I loved the juxtaposition between hot and cold, refreshing and savory.

Tom Yum Soup - This is one of Dan's favorites, and I of course had to have a bite too.  I loved the flavorings in the broth, as the overall effect was a bit spicy but in the most pleasant way - really heating up your palate for the next course.  My favorite aspect of the soup were the beautiful mushroom chunks that added an element of earthiness and texture.

Thai Cashew Nut Chicken - A new dish for me, I loved the sound of it, as it was a mixture of sauteed cashews with onions, bell peppers, celery, carrots and mushrooms.  The whole thing was then tied together with a pungent chili sauce, which I asked to be prepared on the mild side.  The best part for me were the cashews of course, and once enveloped in that smoky sauce, they took on a different quality, almost as if they were roasted.  The dish came with a side of rice and therefore besides containing lots of filling ingredients, the rice rounded it out completely.

Other Dishes -My dining companions loved their dishes, each one of them getting something different.  Meg's duck garden salad looked and tasted spectacular, the duck was nice and crispy and beautifully cooked.  Dan ordered a classic Pad Thai, which he enjoyed (I didn't taste it though) and Tom got a beautiful dome of fried rice, with which he also seemed pleased with.

Service and Cost:
I'm happy to report that service was attentive and prompt, but also nice and laid back.  After a busy day filled with fun activities (which still exhausted us nonetheless) it provided a great respite.

Costs are affordable and include:
Appetizers - $4 - $7
Salad - $5 - $8
Curry - $9 - $15
Noodles - $9 - $15
Fried Rice - $8 - $10
Vegetables - $9 - $10
Entrees - $9 - $15
Sides - $1 - $5

3 Mmmms

Thai Elephant - 21-09 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.204.8827
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.thaielephant-astoria.com 

Thai Pavilion - I Could Do Without It

Thai Pavilion - 23-92 21st Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.274.2088

N/W Train to Astoria Blvd

www.thaipavilionnyc.com

I enjoy Thai food and Astoria has some good options with Wave Thai, Thai Elephant, Bangkok Tasty and others.  In addition to these restaurants, I've also heard good things about Thai Pavilion, which now has two locations--one on 30th Avenue and the other near Astoria Park.  I recently visited the latter location with mixed results.  While I wasn't completely disappointed, I'm not rushing to go back.

Atmosphere:
Located on the ground floor of the large Pistilli building on 24th Avenue and 21st Street, Thai Pavilion is neighbor to Da Franco Italian restaurant.  The two establishments are so different that they're not competitive.

The space at Thai Pavilion is really expansive - I think a little too much so, given that it's never full.  There's an outdoor area to sit, which is nice, especially on a warm day like today.  Interior decor is modern and simplistic but a little devoid of character.  I like when Asian restaurants insert their own cultural touches into decor, whether it's through art, music or little embellishments such as good luck charms and symbolic figures.  Sadly, this location had none of that.

Food:
I'd call the food mediocre - while there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, it just didn't excite us.  I was sorry this was the case, as I usually really enjoy Thai food.

Vegetable Dumplings - We ordered these as a starter and looked forward to them.  They arrived piping hot in their full fried glory.  While they looked impressive, with a crunchy crust, once we bit into them, Meg and I both thought they were too oily.  Of course, I know that when you get something fried, some extra oil is normal but this was too much.  The inside of the dumpling was really good, filled with scallions and slightly sticky dough.  We each had a small bite but couldn't finish it because of the excessive oiliness.

Pad Khow-Pod - My main course was a stir fry dish, which I ordered with chicken.  It consisted of a mixture of sautéed baby corn, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers.  The veggies were really delicious and I especially loved the baby corn - it's one of my favorite ingredients in stir fry and I think it goes great with soy sauce.  My only complaint was about the chicken (ummm...the main ingredient).  It had a weird aftertaste and I question the quality.  As a result, I left most of it on my plate.

Eggplant Dish - Meg went all vegetarian and ordered an eggplant stir fry with chili, garlic, onions, basil leaves and bell peppers.  Our waiter warned her that it's a bit spicy but she didn't mind.  While I didn't try her dish, she said it was just mediocre and the eggplant was a bit tough. 

Service and Cost:

Our server was nice and treated us well.  I liked that our appetizer came out quickly, and the entrees were brought out in good time as well.  Once our other friends showed up for cocktails at the end of the meal, we weren't rushed out to leave.  It was nice to know that we can just chill and hang out as long as we wanted.

Costs are very reasonable, as is the case with Thai restaurants:

Appetizers: $5-$8
Salads: $5-$9
Stir Fry: $9-$12
Noodles: $7-$9
Lunch Special: $7-$9

1.5 Mmmms