Smile Elephant Thai Restaurant — Restaurant in Pasig

I recently had a delightful lunch experience at the Smile Elephant, a charming Thai restaurant that set my taste buds on a tantalizing trip to Southeast Asia. The ambiance is pure Thai charm, beautifully adorned with antique elephant decor and images of Thai royalty, a testament to the owner's Thai heritage.

The menu is extensive, a veritable culinary tour of Thailand. We started off with the Garlic Squid and Garlic Pork Spareribs. The squid was satisfactory, cooked to perfection with a balanced garlic flavor. However, the spareribs were a bit on the salty side, which was a bit off-putting.

The Green Papaya Salad was a fiery delight, albeit a little too spicy for our preference. Yet, its authenticity stood out, making it a must-try for heat-seekers.

The Pad Thai, despite its generous portion, was a bit bland and could have used a bit more seasoning to bring out the flavors - maybe I was looking for nutty and chili flavor.

The Bangkok Fried Rice was the star of the show. The umami and soy-based flavoring was a delectable treat, a must-try for anyone seeking to experience authentic Thai cuisine.

The Milkfish with Mango Salad was fresh and invigorating, with the green mangoes adding an unexpected tangy twist.

To wash down our meal, we opted for the Thai Milk Tea and the Pandan Iced Tea. Both were refreshing and complemented the food perfectly, rounding off the meal with a delightful sweet finish.

Despite a few minor hiccups, the overall experience was enjoyable. The food brought comfort, akin to a nostalgic trip back to Thailand, all at a very reasonable price. We were so full that we had to take out the remaining food.

Smile Elephant, with its authentic Thai dishes and charming ambiance, is certainly a place I look forward to visiting again. So if you're craving a Thai culinary adventure without breaking the bank, this is the...

First and last time I will visit this restaurant. We visited during lunch time on a weekday. It didn't seem busy since there were only 2 other tables occupied, with only 2-3 people per table. The table we were at had so many small ants. I honestly didn't mind too much and just wiped the table myself to get rid of them.

We ordered iced coffee, tom yum goong, papaya salad, and (if I remember correctly) chicken satay.

The iced coffee was the first item served after about 10 minutes of waiting. It was overly sweet and it had what seemed like a layer of grease floating on top. Whatever, we let it go and didn't complain.

After 10-15 more minutes of waiting, a group of around 5 came in and were seated. They ordered and after around 10 or so minutes they got their food before us. Only the coffee we ordered was served to us, so we feel the servers gave our order to the other table.

We've been waiting around 30 minutes already, hungry and frustrated. We've followed up a few times at this point. We asked the waiter over and over again why the other table's order was served before ours and his only response to us was that he will go ask the kitchen. He wasn't even apologetic and turned his back on us. We decided to just leave.

Terrible service and unclean place. Such a...

Food - 4/5 Service - 3/5 Atmosphere - 4/5

Been here 3 times, and it's just...okay. Great to drop by if you're in the area, but not something to specifically go for.

If you're looking for good value for money, the taste is really good for the price you pay. I'd estimate Php600-800 per person for a very filling meal. It's not amazing by any stretch, but it's relatively affordable. Could be a bit spicier if you're going for Thai authenticity, but flavors are on point.

Service is really spotty. You could have a great server, but most of the time, it's hard to flag them down. Ordering is less of a hassle since you can opt to do it via their ordering system, but follow-ups (and you may have to follow up for late orders, more table napkins etc.) and others was an ordeal.

Parking is...interesting. They have a parking lot...but it's a lot like playing tetris, just an open rectangle of concrete where cars are parked side by side and front to back. If you go during the dinner rush, you may be asked multiple times (I had to go out 3 times along with other car drivers) to move your car so others can get out of the parking lot.

Overall, it's a decent enough restaurant, but the service and parking are experiences not everyone may have the...