Having enjoyed the food at their Cambridge location a few pre-blog years ago, we gave the Boston version a shot last night.After a long afternoon of retail we dumped the car with the valet and wandered in. No reservation meant eating at the bar, not a bad idea considering we were dressed scruffily in black like over-the-hill goths.
The menu is a choice of food influenced by French and/or Cambodia. Anne has a more cultured palate than me, but I felt intrepid so we both plumped for the tasting menu, and a plan was hatched to share the items from each course.
Our waitress was helpful and available, and after only a few minutes of conversation while sipping our Asian beers the First Course arrived.
Rouleaux I'm sure has some connotation to blood, but in this instance it is the Cambodian equiv. of the spring roll. Delicious. And the Nataing was a tasty ground pork soup. Thankfully the coconut milk didn't overpower the flavor, and the rice cakes made for great dipping.
No sooner had he put the soup spoon down, when the salads arrived. For one we went French, with a Gorgonzola and Pear salad. I picked out the cheese while Anne attacked the pears. The Cambodian Salad was a shredded affair containing chicken, carrots, cabbage and peppers. This salad was awarded with a blowhard proclamation from me of "I'd eat that for lunch every day."
For our main course we chose Khar Saiko Kroeung with Shanghai Noodles. Boneless pork ribs in a sauce that Anne found too strong, but I found to be just right. Loc Lac is cubed beef tenderloin in a light sauce over lettuce. Perfect.
So there we have it. 3 courses in probably no more than an hour. A couple of beers and a check for close to $75. Throw in a tip and a valet park, and we had change for a $100.
I'd recommend Elephant Walk to anyone who wants to taste well crafted Asian Food, and as I recall from the Cambridge site, the French cuisine is excellent too.
