Finding really good Thai food is a problem. There are many who serve it, and most are fine. Few stand out – which is why it was so satisfying that a visit to Somerville’s Ball Square turned up The Blue Elephant.
In the space that was formerly House of Kebab, The Blue Elephant has opened with some padded wall benches, stylish throw-pillow accents and fitting decor on the walls for a simple but homey and inviting feel. It has an all-day menu with lunchtime portions and prices – even during dinner hours. Nearly everything is capped at $16. Only two luxury dishes exceed that: a crab fried rice for $20 and a Thai Chili Fish, marked as a special, for $25.
As you might expect, there’s pad thai, pad see ew, chicken satay and basil fried rice. There’s also pan-Asian fare such as pho, gyoza and crab rangoon (an American pupu platter invention of Trader Vic’s, the Polynesian-themed chain founded in the 1930s that claimed to also invent the mai tai). The dishes that dazzle are the uncommon curries (pineapple, avocado and mango variations) and appetizers such as har kau (shrimp dumplings), hoi jor (deep-fried crab nuggets) and Pandan Chicken – the reason to run to The Blue Elephant.
Pandan is a plant with big fragrant leaves like a lotus or banana tree. The grilled chicken nugget inside each rolled leaf is a highly seasoned ball of dark meat, the most juicy and flavorful mouthful of poultry you might ever taste – no lie – and perfectly golden brown on the outside. On my last visit I paired it with the crab fried rice, remarkably light and fluffy with vegetable bits (peas, carrots and onions) that were not only al dente but appeared to be freshly added. Some fried rices can taste oily; there was nothing oily here. And the portion was large enough to be dinner and the next day’s lunch.
Going with others allows for the sharing of large plates and sampling of various flavors: a yakisoba, stir-fried Japanese yellow noodles in a spicy tonkatsu sauce; the Crying Tiger Salad, greens with fish sauce and flank steak; and the Blue Elephant Magic Sticks, a fried egg roll with chicken, glass noodles and cabbage. The avocado and pineapple curries await on future visits, as does a classic mango sticky rice for desert – for $3.
At the time of this writing, Blue Elephant is an alcohol-free dining establishment.
The Blue Elephant, 719 Broadway, Ball Square, Somerville
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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