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The best orange chicken I've EVER had! Always light crispy and side of the orange sauce is just amazing! Did I mentioned all white meat?! I have continued to order this 2-3x per week! Soooo addicted to it. The egg fried rice on point! I mean i seriously can't say anything better than this place is one of my favorites!
This is a long overdue review for my favorite Thai restaurant in the area. It's rare for me to be able to say that there isn't a single item on the menu I wouldn't recommend from this place. My favorite go-to items are the spicy eggplants, green curry, and their fried rice. Thai food is a great way to enjoy loads of vegetables without feeling like you're eating mouth full of bland vegetables. Whenever I am doing my 3x weekly meatless supper days, it's the first place I get my food from. What I really appreciate about the Elephant Cafe location is how flavorful the food is without it being too greasy, watery, or sweet. When I select spicy as the spiciness level, it's actually perfectly legitimately spicy. It makes my hot tooth sing and so happy. Parking is free and plenty in front of the restaurant. Takeout orders are always ready upon arrival and service efficient and friendly. The inside decor is beautiful. Many elephant related objects are carefully displayed. It's absolutely gorgeous. I know I wouldn't mind bringing my family here as we used to love visiting Bangkok to enjoy Thai food.
Came with my mom to visit her friends in Irvine, they brought us here because they come here quite often because of the good quality of the food. Very welcoming and cozy environment as we walked in. I like seasonal food so I ordered a pumpkin curry with beef and mild spicy. Excited and looking forward to tasting my food. The wait time was a bit longer than I expected since there were only less than 5 tables in the restaurant but I did not want to criticize too soon. Took a bite and I almost clapped in the restaurant, it was SO good and flavorful. The pumpkin curry was so creamy and smooth, the spice was perfect and I even finished a whole bowl of rice which I have not done in years. So you know how good the food was. I will come back for sure but I need a ride lol really not a fan of driving.
Elephant Cafe is my favorite Thai place ever! I love a cozy, homely spot. It's best to come with a larger group and order multiple things to share because you really have to try it all. The crying tiger is especially good - the tender steak with the tangy nam jim jaew sauce hits every time. The tom kha is also amazing with its spicy, sour, and creamy broth. I love that soup is served in a fire pot so it stays warm throughout the meal. On top of the food, the service here is great; everyone is very helpful and attentive no matter how busy it gets. I can't recommend this place enough, sooo tasty and comforting :)
This place is so underrated. Such a hidden gem for great tasty Thai food. The service is great and food is delicious. Definitely recommend
My husband and I love the papaya salad here. We will come grab papaya salad as a side even if we're cooking at home. I usually order the mild and it's good but the last time was extremely spicy and I couldn't eat it. I ordered the green curry with eggplant and chicken. Was very good. I loved the flavors of the curry. It could've used more eggplant. We also decided to try the chicken skewers but unfortunately they were a very weird texture and very stringy which is unfortunate because the peanut dipping sauce they came with was delicious but not enough to save it :/ wont be ordering that one next time
Finally! We've found a solid, reasonably priced, consistent Thai restaurant in the OC. Every curry (green, yellow, red, and panang) we've tried has delicious savory and slightly sweet, creamy flavor. Chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu - regardless of protein, it's all good. The pad thai is sweeter than I'd prefer but others in my family enjoy it. The spice/heat level in most dishes can be adjusted to preference. Attentive service. Dishes come out at a great pace. Nice for a casual business lunch, family meal, and friends meet-up.
Colorful interior and friendly customer service. We went for lunch on a Sunday and were seated immediately. The food is authentic Thai cuisine and reminded me of the delicious Thai food I had growing up while traveling to Thailand. I enjoyed the meal and the dessert was spot on.
Very cute Thai place in Lake Forest- Laguna Hill area. I'm suprised with their traditional decoration inside. Soup and broth are clear, Usually when I try tom yum the broth is usually more orange color ( because of the tomato) however to my surprise, it was a perfect balance of sweet and sour taste in their TomYum . We also tried the crispy fried wonton and it was decent I was impressed with their unique ceramic bowls and plates. Recommend going here if you're in the Laguna Hills area and wants some good quality Thai Food 3.9/5
The spicy eggplant and tofu was so perfect that for the first time in the 20 years that I've been eating Thai food I didn't add any condiments at the table. Boom. And something as simple as the mixed vegetables tom yum could be such a write off other places - but here it's craveable. Chock full of vegetables, spicy, sour, perfect. The one less than bright spot was the Pad Thai which was mostly noodles and had very little egg or scallions and very little tamarind or dried shrimp flavor. That being said, the tofu was cooked beautifully and was served in a massive portion. Service is wonderful. Prices are great. Would return to keep trying more of the menu.
I've lived in South OC for so long and have always seen Elephant Cafe and was always curious about it. We got to visit on a Wednesday for dinner. We got seated right away. The restaurant has plenty of seating inside and the aesthetics is very cultured. It took a while for a server to greet us and take our order. We ordered shrimp fried rice and yellow curry. The food came out pretty quickly. Food had great flavor. I would definitely come back and try their other food items on their menu.
This Thai restaurant is so good with cool protein options like duck and crispy pork. I love to get the pad thai with combination seafood because there are lots of generous fish portions that are deliciously grilled. The papaya salad is zingy and fresh. It feels like a comfortable mom and pop Thai restaurant.
On this cold evening warm Thai food sounded perfect! One of our favorite local places is Elephant Cafe in Lake Forest. This small restaurant is on a busy corner intersection so if you aren't paying attention, you can miss the driveway to enter and then you have a long block before you can turn around. Elephant Cafe is a charming place with super friendly staff and amazingly authentic food. There are plenty of options for everyone. They even customize the level of heat on many of their dishes. Tonight the place was hopping! Booths full of customers chatting away and a constant flow of take out orders. I got take out as well and only had to wait about 10 minutes or so for our food. Tonight's menu was fried wonton, Thai Basil Fried Rice with veggies and Mild heat and Pad Kee Mao noodles with Chicken and Mild heat. We are so happy eating our yummy Thai food and watching college basketball at home! Prices are excellent too and I highly recommend Elephant Cafe!
We pass by this corner all the time and have thought it's an Indian restaurant but found out recently it's Thai. The photos of different foods displayed on the windows were not helpful. First the good: the decor is nice, the Chicken satay skewers is tasty but I wish they were more generous with the pickled cucumber slices which balance out the sweetness of the peanut sauce. The not so good: the flavors of everything else seem rather timid, as if they don't want to offend a white audience. Tom yum seafood, although generous, barely yielded any lemongrass note in the broth and definitely no galangal or lime leaves. The broth looks like clear chicken soup rather than the fiery red we are used to. No wonder they did not ask how hot we like the tom yum because they default to 0. Pad woon sen with tofu was similarly bland and under seasoned. Walking out of the restaurant we felt like going to another Thai restaurant like Siam Central down the street but it was not open that day. Sure don't get the five star reviews. read more
8 months ago
2 years ago
I am very happy with this restaurant. The waitress was really friendly. The restaurant was clean. The food was spicy. We ordered egg rolls, papaya salad (medium), crab fried rice, crying tiger, and chicken pad thai. And top it off with fried banana and coconut ice cream. I have been to Thailand, and this place food is similar to what I had there. Couldn't be more happy with how the food tasted. Definitely recommend. read more
7 months ago
Yay, we've finally found our go-to local Thai spot! I am a panang curry fiend so am always on the prowl for a place with a panang curry that speaks to me and I think I've found it with Elephant Cafe! This panang featured my preferred veggies in panang - zucchini and carrots. Other places tend to only have bell peppers with limited other veggies but I feel like the subtle sweet and starchier texture of carrots/squash amplifies the creamy, salty/sweet/spicy flavors of the panang. There was a decent amount of tofu. The curry itself was superb - excellent balance of flavors - creamy, perfect consistency. The pad thai with fried tofu was also phenomenal - bold, mouthwatering wok flavors - good portion size. Noodles were cooked perfectly with a delightful chew. The e-san style papaya salad was refreshing and intensely flavorful - strong fish flavor (they warned us when ordering), which my husband loved and absolutely devoured. The restaurant itself was cute and cozy, though we got takeout this time - will have to try dine-in next time. Staff was super friendly and quick. read more
2 years ago
The food was really delicious, it was my first time here with my family. We usually argue on where to eat, but to be honest the food here was amazing, the service was very good and the ambience of the restaurant is really beautiful and filled with Thai decorations. My favorite one here, was the seafood curry thing and the chicken skewer with peanut sauce that was very good, I would definitely eat here again. The pictures I posted is the seafood curry, and the other one is one of the desserts which is a Fried Banana with Ice Cream, it was very filling. read more
2 years ago
Food were quite delicious. We really liked their yellow curry and pad see ew. The crying tiger was a little disappointing for us however it was still good. The ambiance is relaxing as we didn't feel rushed. The only thing that was gross is the table cloth. It was very dirty- not the top as the glass was on top but the sides!! The service was really good. We really liked our waitress. read more
This place is a little hidden gem that has quickly been added to the top of my favorites. Their lunch specials during the week are the best and offer a great selection of foods to enjoy. Depending on my mood, I'll either choose the mixed veggies with chicken or one of their curries. The restaurant is nice and cleaning, it offers an authentic Thai restaurant setting. The staff here have always been kind and they always offer the best service. I love coming here to have lunch and sometimes I grab it to go as well. I highly recommend this spot. read more
1 year ago
Ordered a crab fried rice for delivery. It was really flavorful. Also, they don't use imitation crab which is a plus. Only thing is I ordered for condiments and utensils and only got 1 soy sauce (not needed) and 1 sambal (not needed since I got medium spicy) read more
2 years ago
My family and I have been coming here for years and always rave about it. The food is always super flavorful and they have really good portions. It also has really comfortable seating: many booths and calm ambiance. It'd say it's the best Thai place in the area!!! read more
11 months ago
2 years ago
I visited with a friend for dinner. The seating was quick on a Monday evening. The place is very cute and the staff seemed very friendly and warm. We ordered Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles) and Massaman curry, both medium spicy with tofu and veggies. The portion size is huge, and I think it would have been enough for 3 people. Pad Kee Mao has loads of veggies and very generous amount of tofu. The veggies included were carrots, bell pepper, baby corn, green onions, broccoli, and sprouts. I really enjoyed eating this one. The best part of drunken noodle was that it wasn't very oily. The curry came with a side of white rice. Just like noodles, the portion again was huge and loaded with veggies. I really liked the crunchiness in the curry from the peanuts and was wondering if next time I can ask for more peanuts. I will surely visit this place again and recommend this to everyone. read more
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I wanted something nice and low-key for my birthday this year and was craving a good yellow thai curry. My husband looked around on Yelp and saw this restaurant pop up locally and thought that we would give it a try rather than our usual spots. I am so glad that we did because their yellow curry definitely hit the spot for me. The consistency of the curry was perfect (not too thick and not too watery, just the way that I like it) and quite flavorful. I also tried their cute money bag appetizers, which were little fried pastries filled with ground chicken and peanuts. As you can see from my photo, the presentation for them were quite adorable. Both dishes that I would definitely order again. Between their friendly service and wonderful thai food, we will definitely be back! read more
3 years ago
We have been returning customers a few times now, this review is just long over due. There are many Thai spots in the South County area and this one just hits the spot! It feels very comforting, inviting, and authentic. Every time we return, the experience is always consistent, the staff and especially the dishes. Pricing is fair and servings are generous. We've ordered several items on our visits from your typical Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Pad Kee Mao, crunchy belly, yen ta fo noodles soup, Thai boat noodles, and more. All dishes tastes fresh, authentic, and freshly made with quality ingredients. My absolute favorite is the Boat Noodles. The thick rice noodles are made in-house with fresh broth (not frozen) and plentiful beef protein. Same in-house noodles are used for Pad See Ew and Pad Kee Mao which are both really amazing here! I love that they use Chinese broccoli vs regular broccoli in their Pad See Ew and Boat Noodles, as it should be! We love returning here as we know we'll be fully satisfied after every meal! Can't recommend this place enough! read more
1 year ago
All I wanted was a sunny sideup egg for my Pad Kra Pao. The service was fine. The ambiance is outdated. read more
This restaurant really inspired me to write a review! Nice decoration inside with warm atmosphere. Great lunch special portion for about $10 that included salad and a bowl of sour soup. We got Pad See Ew and Yellow Curry for the lunch special, and Crying Tiger for the entree, all tasted amazing and flavorful. Also got sweet sticky rice with mango for the dessert. We were a little bit surprised at first since the portion was small, not as huge as in previous reviews on Yelp. It was more on a sweet side too. Honestly, we thought the Thai tea was sweet, but after having the sticky rice desert, the tea tasted bland. But that was near the end of our meal, so it did not affect our taste bud too much. The wait staff was very friendly. Also, the waiting time for the food was not too long, which was perfect for us to visit during our work lunch time. First time visiting, but will not be the last! read more
5 years ago
Craving some Thai food?!? Look no further. We came in for dinner last night and was greeted with smiles and great energy from our server Andy. Dinner consisted of Roasted Duck Curry (a MUST have), a refreshing Papaya Salad, and delicious Pad See Ew. Do yourself a favor and dine in for a meal! read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
4 years ago
Food: really good. Fresh. Everything was delicious and tasted like authentic Thai food. We often order to-go here, but decided to sit-down for once and don't have any regrets. Proportions were perfect Service: fast & friendly, what more can you ask for? Perfect balance of attentive but not overbearing. Food came out quicker than expected which was awesome since we were hungry. Atmosphere: ample space indoors between one table/booth to the next. Felt a bit dark though but maybe it's because the decor is dark. read more
2 years ago
Recently ordered for delivery through Uber eats. I was surprised to find Their prices are very reasonable compared to other Thai places in the area. Portions are not bad either! Tom yum soup: Chose vegetables instead of meat or seafood. For the "bowl" size they filled the container all the way up with lots of yummy veggies. There was leafy Chinese broccoli, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, baby corn, white onions and mushrooms. For spice level I chose spicy on accident when I meant to choose medium. Boy is it spicy!!! They use actual fresh Thai chilis, cut them up and cook them into the soup so there is spiciness and chunks of chili's in every bite! I was able to eat it bc I can handle a considerable amount of heat but I was almost struggling. If u cannot handle much heat DO NOT GET SPICY. The broth was really good! Beef Panang: I actually liked this but my opinion is that it isn't as authentic but the flavors worked well together. Their curry is a creamy, coconuty taste and the beef cooked pretty good. It was a TAD bit tough but still enjoyable. Glad we got to venture out and try a new Thai place other than our usual place. A plus is that this place is cheaper too! read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Really really good curry. I was a little skeptic since I saw orange chicken on the menu, but the food quickly changed my mind-- except that the meat was too little. Both Curry(green curry with beef, roasted duck curry) were so good. The rice was very very mushy though. The top part was almost like a paste while the bottom was hard rice but still edible. Other than that, I have no complaints. The thai tea was very rich as well! Well done elephant cafe! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
Nice place. Vegetarian food too very good. Place little small but good service. Veg option Pad Kee Mao, Pineapple curry and many other. Try the tea too. read more
2 years ago
Awesome place for Thai food lovers. Tom Yam and Tom Kha are really very very close to the one in Thailand. Mild/medium spicy however is American spicy, not Thai spicy (medium spicy in Thailand will be hot in this place). For those who've been to Thailand it will be great to have really Thai beer, they have it all - Chang, Singha, Leo - such a great thing to feel yourself back to Thailand! Place is very nice inside with a lot of elephants and Thai decorations. One the other side, they don't have all the thing a from the menu available and the waiter messed our choice of ice cream served vanilla instead of chocolate. Bottom line - highly recommended for Thai food lovers. read more
3 years ago
I ordered the pork pad thai for $13.95. It's ok not the best pad thai I've had. Portion was smaller that I thought. The taste is mid and the noodles are a bit too soggy, I normally like pad Thai for its bounciness in the noodles. read more
More info about Elephant Cafe
23384 El Toro Rd
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Directions
(949) 472-3100
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http://www.elephantcafelakeforest.com
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Can they prepare chicken dishes using dark meat?
Do they have vegan options?
Yes they do. The food is delicious and cheap considering it's location in So. OC. My wife and I are foodies and have been to numerous Thai restaurants all over LA and OC counties to include little Thailand in LA. This restaurant is as good as the…
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