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Elephant Jumps, Route 50 and Gallows Road in Merrifield - Thai in the Former Cities Bakery Space at Yorktowne Center


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A husband-and-wife place in Yorktowne Center (Gallows Rd & 50) that offers truly spicy Thai food that they will deliver within two miles. Most dishes are well above average for suburban Thai. Dishes can be made Mild, Medium, Hot, or Thai Hot. And Hot actually is hot. Highlights include the Elephant Jumps Salad - shredded apples, toasted coconut, shrimp, lime juice, and peppers-, the Charbroiled Marinated Pork appetizer, and Crispy Tilapia with Mango sauce. I can't comment on the service since I've only gotten carry out and delivery. If you're in the area it is definitely worth a try, probably sooner rather than later in case they start toning down the spice to suit a larger clientele.

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A husband-and-wife place in Yorktowne Center (Gallows Rd & 50) that offers truly spicy Thai food that they will deliver within two miles. Most dishes are well above average for suburban Thai. Dishes can be made Mild, Medium, Hot, or Thai Hot. And Hot actually is hot. Highlights include the Elephant Jumps Salad - shredded apples, toasted coconut, shrimp, lime juice, and peppers-, the Charbroiled Marinated Pork appetizer, and Crispy Tilapia with Mango sauce. I can't comment on the service since I've only gotten carry out and delivery. If you're in the area it is definitely worth a try, probably sooner rather than later in case they start toning down the spice to suit a larger clientele.

This place sounds good and thanks for the good tip but I did want to mention that at least in the DC area, "suburban Thai" is much better than "urban Thai."

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Can we do without this portion of the menu? Not sure why the kitchen is heading in this direction, but it seems perfectly dreadful....

East Meets West

BURRITO SATAY CHICKEN $7.95

grilled chicken, jasmine rice, lettuce, cucumber, tomato,

red onion with peanut sauce. side of small salad with peanut dressing.

side of small salad with peanut dressing.

BURRITO GREEN CURRY CHICKEN $7.95

green curry chicken in coconut milk, jasmine rice, mushroom,

eggplant. side of small salad with peanut dressing.

CROISSANT BASIL BEEF SANDWICH $7.95

croissant stuffed with stir fried basil, beef steak on lettuce, tomato,

american cheese. side of french fries.

CROISSANT GREEN CURRY SANDWICH $7.95

croissant stuffed with stir fried green curry chicken in

coconut milk on lettuce, tomoto. side of french fries.

CROISSANT SATAY CHICKEN SANDWICH $8.95

croissant stuffed with grilled chicken on lettuce, tomato,

red onion with peanut sauce. side of french fries.

SPAGHETTI GREEN CURRY CHICKEN $9.95

stir fried spaghetti, green curry, eggplant, mushroom, chicken.

DRUNKEN SPAGHETTI CHICKEN $9.95

stir fried spaghetti, brown sauce, basil, pepper, chili, onion, chicken.

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Heat Seekers, if you're looking for maximum SHU (Scoville Heat Units), Elephant Jumps is the place for you. Tonight I ordered the Panang Beef (among three other things) and our kindly server (the co-owner, I believe) asked me how I wanted it.

"Hot."

"Thai hot?"

"No, one step below that."

I'm still in flames. This is that thin, vinegary, sweet-ish kind of heat that kicks in after about ten seconds, and cannot be alleviated by ice cubes; nothing dairy was within miles, so it's terminal.

My first impression is that Elephant Jumps is a better-than-average suburban Thai restaurant with friendly, caring mom-n-pop service - worth trying if you're near the Beltway and Route 50.

Cheers,

Rocks.

P.S. I asked my server if they could minimize the MSG, and she said she doesn't like it, and the only place it's found is in some of the sauces (some of which are store-bought) which cannot be changed.

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We got dinner here (delivery) a few nights ago. The food came quickly, which is a plus. Since it was our first time trying it, we ordered conservatively. Satay - meh. Tasted like one of those store-bought sauces, the chicken just OK. Charbroiled Marinated Pork was decent, nothing special. Spring rolls not bad. Pad Thai was perfectly acceptable, but again, nothing special. Drunken noodles continued the trend - OK, not great - but with some heat. I didn't exactly break out in a sweat, but my sinuses cleared a bit. More than I expected for something that wasn't marked with a chili pepper on the menu.

Perfectly respectable overall, but Crystal Thai remains our preferred Thai delivery option.

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I've been here to order takeout a few times, ordered delivery and finally ate in the dining room proper last night. My usual takeout dish is the Chicken and Cashew in Taro Basket, which befuddled me at first but which provides a nice crunch. But nice big pieces of onion, red and green pepper, and of course the cashews and chillis. The thai fresh rolls are a bit of a disaster since they're cut up into small pieces and fall apart too easily, so if tempted, just ask them not to cut them :) Crispy Tilapia with Ginger Sauce the other night was pretty delicious, crispy (not greasy) and chockful of ginger. My friend got the Basil Fried Rice with chicken and he enjoyed it. I've often ordered from the co-owner, who's as nice as can be, and the service is pretty good in the restaurant, albeit a bit overattentive. So for me, it's a good neighborhood thai joint in a general Gallows Rd area where the offerings aren't always enticing for takeout (an illustrious Wendy's, Chipotle, NoodleHouse, the rather meh Jasmine Garden, you get the idea) and it's not bad as a date place either.

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Had dinner there last night. I'm not a fire-eater so I stayed with hot. The watercress salad featured crispy breading over the watercress and a spicy sauce that had a bit of a bite without overpowering the rest of the salad. My wife had the crispy scallops that were nicely done and tasted very fresh. Again the sauce was spicy without frying my taste buds (we share). The cashew chicken in Taro nest was a nice combo but, compared with the other dishes, wasn't quite as spicy as the other dishes. Next time I'll try it with a bit more heat. We finished up with a croissant pudding which I'd gotten on previous occasions. The croissant pudding (variation on a bread pudding) provides a nice cool end to the meal and has a lot of flavor. The service was excellent considering the place was packed while we were there. This is a small place (about a dozen tables) and is popular on weekends. I recommend getting reservations if you go on a weekend night. Take-out is another option as I saw a lot of people coming in and getting take-out while we were eating.

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We went there for dinner on Sunday for the first time and liked it very much. My papaya spicy salad was delicious. Everything was very fresh including tiny cherry tomatoes. I ordered the chicken cashew in taro nest with green and red sweet peppers, onions, and dried chilies. The portion was huge. +1 had slightly overdone Thai spring rolls and a very interesting mixed vegetables with fried tofu in brown sauce entree with lots of brocolli.

The service was friendly and professional, and the background music featured a soft jazz violin. The best way to get there is to head south on Gallows Road and make a left turn at the light just before the Rt 50 intersection.

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I've been here several times, and I've never really been impressed. The fried watercress salad is tasty but also very greasy. I had difficulty eating it with a fork and a spoon - hard to cut the clumps of fried watercress with either instrument. I resorted to using my fingers and found out just how greasy it was. The roti green curry chicken was made with sliced breast meat, served with some very buttery tasting roti. I'm not a fan of sliced chicken breast meat in curry - much prefer chunks of chicken. The Thai spicy seafood soup with basil was very good (not really spicy but quite sour). They took the care to add in the shrimps last so they're poached perfectly.

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We go there, or get take out, pretty regularly and find it to be one of the better Thai restaurants in VA. However, for some reason it's hard for VA Thai restaurants to compete with MD's Wheaton places.

Right now, we both really enjoy Kao Thai in Silver Spring actually more than Nava or Ruan Thai.

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We had a terrific dinner tonight at Elephant Jumps -- our first time, facilitated by my parents' generous offer to loan us a car while they are off traveling. Elephant Jumps doesn't look like much when you walk in, but the food, at least on our first try, earns accolades.

We started with the grilled shrimp salad and the dumplings. Shrimp salad was served uniquely, six shrimp served in individual soup spoons in a spicy broth of cilantro, red onion, chili, galangal, fish sauce, and x-factors unknown. Sour, spicy, sharp, fantastic. I took to drinking the remaining broth from the soup spoons after I'd finished the shrimp themselves. The dumplings were well made and tasty but the shrimp was decidedly better.


For entrees my wife had the aroma chicken with coconut rice and I had the fried tilapia with mango sauce. The chicken was presented as thin boneless slices of chicken in a light curry sauce, served with a sweet chili sauce on the side and a mound of coconut rice. The wife literally devoured this plate, so I only had a few bites, but I was impressed by the general balance of the plate, particularly the addition of the coconut rice. My tilapia was not what I expected but I'm not going to complain. The fish, naked, was some of the best batter-fried fish you may find this side of Whitby (or maybe the Queen Vic). The "mango sauce" was less a sauce and more a spicy salad of green mango, cilantro, and chilis, and poured over the fish made a surprising and terrific combinatiom -- cold crunch and tang from the salad mixed with the fish fried in a warm, crisp batter, fat and vinegar and fish and crunch, cold and warm and (chili) hot.

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I recently had the pleasure of eating here with Tim Carman. You can read about it here. The special red curry with pickled bamboo shoots was my favorite. There is some good cooking here. I'll be back to try the Kanom Jeen Nam Ya. 

Congratulations, Eric - you were too good to keep a secret for much longer. :)

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Given a project I have going on at work, I've been going to the Grainger over near there regularly (a weird visit for an IT guy, but man, their customer service is *fantastic*). I think I know where I'm going to lunch tomorrow before I pick up my slip-on PVC connector!

(IT'S FOR THE ARMY DON'T HASSLE ME)

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Nice to see Elephant Jumps hasn't jumped the shark in the few years after they opened. They were all the rage then but I haven't heard anything about them until Carman's article last week. I'm glad they're keeping up the standards! I've only been once as a I have an unnatural hatred for that parking lot.

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Had a great meal here tonight. Started off with a starter on their "specials" board yum hua plee which was a delicious banana blossom salad that included shrimp, chicken, lots of onion, in a sort of sweet and sour sauce.

I followed that with kanom jeen nam ya described on their menu as "spicy tuna curry over thai style noodle, some small fish balls, some greens". Sort of a mix-your-own curry using rice noodles, mung bean sprouts, some...pickles, and some other yumminess. You mix those with an amazing fish curry studded with some tuna balls...yum!

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I've only been once as a I have an unnatural hatred for that parking lot.

Ah, but that parking lot is so convenient for drivers waiting for someone curbside (which I've done about fifty times while Matt dashes into Dominion Deli for his breakfast sandwich). What's truly pathetic is that sometimes I'm so tired (this is at 6:30 AM) that I opt for him to bring me a cup of their insipid pale-brown liquid instead of me parking and walking into Starbucks to get something resembling coffee.

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Ah, but that parking lot is so convenient for drivers waiting for someone curbside (which I've done about fifty times while Matt dashes into Dominion Deli for his breakfast sandwich). What's truly pathetic is that sometimes I'm so tired (this is at 6:30 AM) that I opt for him to bring me a cup of their insipid pale-brown liquid instead of me parking and walking into Starbucks to get something resembling coffee.

Just wondering about that lot, has that "immediate right turn" after turning from Gallows Road always been there. The one that sort of forces people from gumming up the entrance.

I swear a few years ago I was in this strip mall and it wasn't like that.

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Just wondering about that lot, has that "immediate right turn" after turning from Gallows Road always been there. The one that sort of forces people from gumming up the entrance.

I swear a few years ago I was in this strip mall and it wasn't like that.

You're correct - they installed that "immediate right turn" maybe two years ago. (At 6:30 AM it makes almost no difference because the lot is empty, and after the "immediate right turn," you can make an "immediate left turn" and plow through the vacant spaces.)

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After Don's latest review of Bangkok 54, I just thought I'd say I still do love Elephant Jumps. The kanom jeen num ya is still great, and even something as simple as pad ka na--described as "thai style stir fried chinese broccoli, chili, oyster sauce. thai style smoky finish"--is quite good. It really is smoky.

Heck, a while back I went in and just got two salads, the banana leaf salad and their fried watercress salad. Mmm.

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Had another great dinner at Elephant Jumps today. The chef had a new dish, sai oua, I wanted to try, but when I arrived he informed me of a new special. It comes in a "pinto" which is much like the Indian tiffin (pictured with sticky rice and lettuce leaves):

20149936133_5997a98ff7_m.jpg

Inside that tiffin were three great dishes:

20582996590_ce41d893e1_m.jpg

At the lower right, hung lay curry: one of their signature dishes, a juicy tender pork curry. Lower left, the aforementioned sai oua, a northern Thai sausage filled with goodness. It was drier than I expected but probably because I'm only used to sausages that have more fat. Finally at top a dish of braised choi sum with spareribs and pork belly. This was quite good. The greens were just perfect and I ended up pretty much drinking the braising liquid.

Mmm. So good!

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Even though, I'm a big fan of Sisters Thai which is nearby in the Mosaic, we still frequent Elephant Jumps. They are equally good but as TheMatt stated have a much larger selection of Thai food. Our last visit during July was very good especially enjoyed the outside seating. 

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Even though, I'm a big fan of Sisters Thai which is nearby in the Mosaic, we still frequent Elephant Jumps. They are equally good but as TheMatt stated have a much larger selection of Thai food. Our last visit during July was very good especially enjoyed the outside seating. 

Yeah, Sisters is good, I should get over to it more often now they are in Mosaic. I guess I like to go to Elephant Jumps because it seems to have some of the more exotic (to me) dishes from...Northern Thailand, I'm guessing. Probably why it often has a Lao-like taste in some dishes.

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Though I've only tried Sisters in the Mosaic District once, and I was having a very bad day, I give the edge to Elephant Jumps, at least on pad see ew. Elephant Jumps remains my overall favorite Thai restaurant in Northern Virginia. I haven't tried them all, but I've tried many, including the much-lauded Bangkok Golden at 7 corners.

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Elephant Jumps is definitely one of the best Thai restaurants in the DC metro area. It's quite an achievement that with the sheer volume of restaurant business going on in the Mosaic that it has been packed on our visits there the past six months. 

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Would someone please recommend some dishes at Elephant Jumps? Admittedly I've only been about three times - none recently - but I haven't seen anything even approaching greatness. I'm willing to believe I've ordered wrong, and am certainly game to try it again (realistically, it will be most likely be for lunch, probably as carryout, if that helps you answer).

Elephant Jumps is definitely one of the best Thai restaurants in the DC metro area. It's quite an achievement that with the sheer volume of restaurant business going on in the Mosaic that it has been packed on our visits there the past six months. 

I wonder how Mosaic is affecting Sweetwater Tavern, which was recently named one of Top 100 restaurants in the United States in terms of sales volume. It's a strange feeling: I've been here probably dozens of times (it often served as a "quick dinner" for me and Matt), but now that he's gone, there's a chance I may never come here again. That'just weird - things have changed for me, literally overnight: Already, I'm finding myself going to more mom-n-pop ethnic restaurants than I have in the past few years, and in different parts of town.

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Would someone please recommend some dishes at Elephant Jumps? Admittedly I've only been about three times - none recently - but I haven't seen anything even approaching greatness. I'm willing to believe I've ordered wrong, and am certainly game to try it again (realistically, it will be most likely be for lunch, probably as carryout, if that helps you answer).

I wonder how Mosaic is affecting Sweetwater Tavern, which was recently named one of Top 100 restaurants in the United States in terms of sales volume. It's a strange feeling: I've been here probably dozens of times (it often served as a "quick dinner" for me and Matt), but now that he's gone, there's a chance I may never come here again. That'just weird - things have changed for me, literally overnight: Already, I'm finding myself going to more mom-n-pop ethnic restaurants than I have in the past few years, and in different parts of town.

TheMatt probably knows the name of the dishes better than I do, but they have a regional specialities section. Over the last 3-4 visits have tried most of them and they were all very good and not something offered at other Thai restaurants unless it was written not in English.

I have wondered about Sweetwater Tavern as well, it used to be the place to go in Merrifield 10-5 years ago. I don't think I've been there in five years at least if not longer.

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Would someone please recommend some dishes at Elephant Jumps? Admittedly I've only been about three times - none recently - but I haven't seen anything even approaching greatness. I'm willing to believe I've ordered wrong, and am certainly game to try it again (realistically, it will be most likely be for lunch, probably as carryout, if that helps you answer).

 

T3

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Would someone please recommend some dishes at Elephant Jumps? Admittedly I've only been about three times - none recently - but I haven't seen anything even approaching greatness. I'm willing to believe I've ordered wrong, and am certainly game to try it again (realistically, it will be most likely be for lunch, probably as carryout, if that helps you answer).

As lion said, my first glance is about what's on the chalkboard (banana blossom salad, say) or what's new/special. I often head there when the elephantjumps Instagram feed has a new dish or is spotlighting something (currently, the pinto) or if the Chef's feed has something new.

But, if I just head in, and the chef isn't there for me to ask "What should I try today?", I tend to focus on the "Serious Thai Cooking" section as seen on their webpage menu. I agree with lion that T3, the gang hunglay curry, is quite good, I also like the kanom jeen numya (the tuna curry).

I still haven't gotten the anchovy sticky rice for dessert yet...

ETA: Just saw that you might go at lunch. I'm not sure if all the special dishes are available at lunch if, say, they need an all day cook, but you can always ask. They were ready at around 3, 3:30 the last time I went there. I'm guessing most could be gotten for takeout, though I suppose I'd ask them which would survive.

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As lion said, my first glance is about what's on the chalkboard (banana blossom salad, say) or what's new/special. I often head there when the elephantjumps Instagram feed has a new dish or is spotlighting something (currently, the pinto) or if the Chef's feed has something new.

But, if I just head in, and the chef isn't there for me to ask "What should I try today?", I tend to focus on the "Serious Thai Cooking" section as seen on their webpage menu. I agree with lion that T3, the gang hunglay curry, is quite good, I also like the kanom jeen numya (the tuna curry).

I still haven't gotten the anchovy sticky rice for dessert yet...

ETA: Just saw that you might go at lunch. I'm not sure if all the special dishes are available at lunch if, say, they need an all day cook, but you can always ask. They were ready at around 3, 3:30 the last time I went there. I'm guessing most could be gotten for takeout, though I suppose I'd ask them which would survive.

Perfect. Thank you, Matt, lion, and Lary. I will probably not call in advance when I do go - I'll just have a beer while I wait (this may not be for awhile, but it's now on the mental to-do list). Also, based on Matt's modified post, I may go for dinner instead of lunch - a lot of times these places have one rock-star cook who tends to work the line in the evenings.

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Perfect. Thank you, Matt, lion, and Lary. I will probably not call in advance when I do go - I'll just have a beer while I wait (this may not be for awhile, but it's now on the mental to-do list).

I edited my answer after you replied about going at lunch. My guess is most dishes would be available, but I don't know. I tend to go there for dinner since it's either after work or at the end of a weekend day. :)

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But, if I just head in, and the chef isn't there for me to ask "What should I try today?", I tend to focus on the "Serious Thai Cooking" section as seen on their webpage menu. I agree with lion that T3, the gang hunglay curry, is quite good, I also like the kanom jeen numya (the tuna curry). 

Yep, thats the section: "Serious Thai Cooking." Good stuff.

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As lion said, my first glance is about what's on the chalkboard (banana blossom salad, say) or what's new/special. I often head there when the elephantjumps Instagram feed has a new dish or is spotlighting something (currently, the pinto) or if the Chef's feed has something new.

But, if I just head in, and the chef isn't there for me to ask "What should I try today?", I tend to focus on the "Serious Thai Cooking" section as seen on their webpage menu. I agree with lion that T3, the gang hunglay curry, is quite good, I also like the kanom jeen numya (the tuna curry).

I still haven't gotten the anchovy sticky rice for dessert yet...

ETA: Just saw that you might go at lunch. I'm not sure if all the special dishes are available at lunch if, say, they need an all day cook, but you can always ask. They were ready at around 3, 3:30 the last time I went there. I'm guessing most could be gotten for takeout, though I suppose I'd ask them which would survive.

My wife and I go to Elephant Jumps for lunch whenever we're out that way on the weekend.  And we always order those dishes.  I don't think I could long go without the hung lay and spicy tuna curries

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Yep, thats the section: "Serious Thai Cooking." Good stuff. 

My wife and I go to Elephant Jumps for lunch whenever we're out that way on the weekend.  And we always order those dishes.  I don't think I could long go without the hung lay and spicy tuna curries

The Hung Lay curry is seriously good. 

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you.

Damn this was good.

T3 (Hung Lay)

T4 (Spicy Tuna)

T10 (Pad Woon Sen - not nearly as good, but not bad either)

Thank you!

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Elephant Jumps is definitely one of the best Thai restaurants in the DC metro area. 

Would someone please recommend some dishes at Elephant Jumps? Admittedly I've only been about three times - none recently - but I haven't seen anything even approaching greatness. I'm willing to believe I've ordered wrong, and am certainly game to try it again (realistically, it will be most likely be for lunch, probably as carryout, if that helps you answer). 

TheMatt probably knows the name of the dishes better than I do, but they have a regional specialities section. Over the last 3-4 visits have tried most of them and they were all very good and not something offered at other Thai restaurants unless it was written not in English.

T3

As lion said, my first glance is about what's on the chalkboard (banana blossom salad, say) or what's new/special. I often head there when the elephantjumps Instagram feed has a new dish or is spotlighting something (currently, the pinto) or if the Chef's feed has something new.

But, if I just head in, and the chef isn't there for me to ask "What should I try today?", I tend to focus on the "Serious Thai Cooking" section as seen on their webpage menu. I agree with lion that T3, the gang hunglay curry, is quite good, I also like the kanom jeen numya (the tuna curry).

I still haven't gotten the anchovy sticky rice for dessert yet...

My wife and I go to Elephant Jumps for lunch whenever we're out that way on the weekend.  And we always order those dishes.  I don't think I could long go without the hung lay and spicy tuna curries

The Hung Lay curry is seriously good.

I want to thank everyone who came to my aid when I asked about Elephant Jumps - you have a new convert!

I've visited here twice in the past couple of weeks, and have been dumbfounded at the dishes I've ordered - so much so, that I'm not even sure what I could compare Elephant Jumps to in terms of area Thai restaurants - not necessarily in terms of "quality," but in terms of being so "different." TheMatt mentioned something about it being close to Laotian, but I don't see the pattern, so I'm not sure what it is (and I'm hardly an expert when it comes to Northeastern Thai or Laotian cuisine, my experience being pretty much the same as most others' here - Bangkok Golden, Elephant Jumps, Little Serow ... I haven't even been to Thip Khao, I'm ashamed to say.

The first recent visit to Elephant Jumps was a drive-by, and I called and ordered three things from the "Serious Thai Cooking" section of their menu, two of which I'd never had before:

T3 - Gang Hung Lay ($17), slow-cooked pork curry, with a side of sticky rice. The pork is cooked for five hours (!) on low heat, and as the menu says, the serving size is small, but it's a "concentrated" dish, a filling dish, and money well-spent from where I sit (which is usually in the diner's seat).

T4 - Ka Nom Jeen Num Ya ($10), spicy curry tuna over Thai-style Noodle, some small fish balls (is *that* what those where!), and some greens.

I'm going to tell you something that may make you lose some respect for me, but I don't care because it really, really worked, and worked well: I took all ingredients from both these of dishes, and put them side-by-side in the same mixing bowl. One reason for this is that I wasn't entirely sure which condiment went with which dish, and nothing looked like it clashed, so ...in they went. And let me tell you, just because T3 is "supposed" to be enjoyed with sticky rice, and just because T4 is "supposed" to be served with Thai-style noodes doesn't mean you can't mix-and-match, because everything works so well together - even getting some pork and tuna in the same bite - it doesn't matter. Do it, play around with it, experiment - it's delicious! All of it!

T10 - Pad Woon Sen ($12), stir-fried bean thread, tomato, celery, and egg. Pad Woon Sen is a staple, weed-out dish for me, and is therefore something I have might have gotten here years ago, and in all honestly, it fell far, far short in quality compared to the other two dishes I had on this evening (full disclosure, I left it covered, and reheated it for lunch tomorrow, but I do this all the time with Pad Woon Sen, and it reheats quite well, even in a microwave). This was an average version at best, and the portion size was somewhat guarded. This was not a repeat for me, and if I was judging Elephant Jumps based on this alone, my rating would not even be in Italic (as it stands, it is not only ranked in Italic, but raised to the #2 restaurant, behind Brine, in the Merrifield Dining Guide).

---

A consistency test: Once again, it was T3 and T4, and once again, both dishes performed as well as imaginable - they were terrific, every bit as good as the first time I had them. One visit was lunch, another dinner; one was in; the other out. Both were superb, and although two dishes does not a restaurant make, the members here were entirely successful in guiding me to terrific meals, and you absolutely helped Elephant Jumps due to your posts, your influence on this post, and its subsequent raised placement in the Dining Guide. Your posts here matter, not only because other people read them and are influenced by them, but because I read them, and when I see a pattern emerge like I saw with Elephant Jumps, I get on the express train to Dinnerville, following the advice of our seasoned members, almost always with effective results - our members are *awesome*!

Thank you, everyone, for showing me the light when it comes to Elephant Jumps; now, it's time to figure out a pattern in terms of what to order - I suspect there are many other dishes that are the equal of T3 and T4, and enthusiastic wait staff, ready to jump in and help on a moment's notice. I love these dishes at Elephant Jumps, and I love the members of this website. And so it goes! Thank you!

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We were meeting up in Falls Church area with a group, a total of six of us, with various eating restrictions (no pork, no mushrooms, no spicy, limited chewing because of freshly tightened braces) and an out of town traveler that wanted something she couldn't get in her small town.  So I looked thru the Virginia Restaurants on the list her and picked Elephant Jumps.  Very pleased with our decision.

We called head since a large group, and glad we did as most tables are 2 or 4 tops and a fairly small restaurant, and by the time we were half way thru dinner the restaurant was filled.

We took the advice of the list and suggested that folks order from the special menu.  We did a lot of tasting of everyone's food.  I think the best comment of the night was 'this may not be the best drunken noodle ever but this is the best all around Thai restaurant I have ever tried'

Various dishes tried were:  Beef Steak Spicy Herb Salad, Crispy Flat Bread Shrimp, Thai Dumplings, Sen Yai Ladd na Moo Mug,  Sen Yai Pad See Ew Moo Mug, Gang Hung Lay, Drunken Noodle, Pad Thai, and some desserts including Croissant Pudding, Fried Banana, and Eternal Flame (Fried Ice Cream)

Service was wonderful, all the staff were available for refills, questions, clearing plates, We will be back!

Grandma report: well lighted, easy access, but not much spare space in the restaurant for walker manoveration so not a place for her when busy - I think she would enjoy the SenYai Ladd na Moo Mug.

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I think the best comment of the night was 'this may not be the best drunken noodle ever but this is the best all around Thai restaurant I have ever tried'

Service was wonderful, all the staff were available for refills, questions, clearing plates, We will be back!

Glad you liked it! I actually went by on Friday and had the yum pla dook fu and rama long song.

The first is the crispy tuna appetizer/salad that I'd never tried before, but now I might get it...every time, perhaps. It definitely isn't something that would travel well, I imagine, but if you are eating in, I recommend it. I'm not even sure how you make tuna-crunchy-powder-whatever, but it's good.

The second is a classic Thai dish of steamed marinated pork, watercress, and rice with an amazing peanut based sauce/curry. There was also this red sauce/condiment of some sort on the rice that looked like it would melt your face, but it was mild. The peanut sauce had more spice! Not sure what that red stuff was, but it was good!

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Stopped by again tonight so I could try the new special the chef is serving: pumpkin curry! Perfectly cooked pumpkin and pork in a thick, spicy curry. Was quite good and a fitting dinner for Halloween.

Then, for dessert I had kao niaw na pla or anchovy sticky rice. Yep. A dessert with anchovies. Frankly, if you haven't had it before, it most likely isn't what you are thinking...but it is good! The sweet sticky rice is topped with crunchy anchovies and...mystery yummy spices. It is a great combination of savory, sweet, crunch. I highly recommend it!

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We had a very enjoyable dinner at Elephant Jumps tonight. We started with the Rice Cracker appetizer on the chalk board (see photo on their Facebook page). The topping is a delicious pork and shrimp combination, medium hot with a lot of flavors going on. We also enjoyed the charbroiled marinated pork, which is very tasty and perfectly cooked. Crispy fried pompano, also on the chalkboard, was tasty and fun. We opted for two dipping sauces--one medium heat and one not hot (for me). The waitress suggested the stir-fried watercress to accompany the pompano, and that was a great recommendation. I had durian with sticky rice for dessert (now I can say I've tried it--not bad, but not something I'd seek out), and husband had Thai ice cream on sticky rice with corn and kidney beans (!).

When Elephant Jumps first opened, they seemed to be going for an American/Thai hybrid menu. These days they're emphasizing more authentic Thai dishes, to the great benefit of their diners. And because of this, Elephant Jumps remains my personal favorite Thai restaurant in Northern Virginia.

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They overhauled their menu .  We tried a couple of authentic dishes (apps), and 2 specials.  One of the specials is clams sauteed with basil in chili sauce.  The sauce reminded me of XO sauce, but much hotter.  I really liked the dish.  The other special is fried pompano.  I found it mildly fishy and the dipping sauce insufficient in terms of making an otherwise dried bland fish palatable.  The 2 authentic dishes included ricecrackers with a dip, and a salad with shrimp, chicken and a myriad of other things.  Unfortunately they're not on their website.  

 

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