Silk Elephant

A few weeks ago, SP & I went to dinner at Silk Elephant in Squirrel Hill. It's a place we both like, we just haven't dined there in a long time. It turns out it had been 2 years since our last meal there!

It's much as we remember it. I order a variety of tapas, he orders stinky, spicy stuff I turn my nose up at, the service is fine, the food tasty, and then we head across the street to Waffalonia for dessert and maybe down the street to Te Cafe for some hot tea. Here's what we ate:

Potak Seafood Soup, spice level 5, for SP. He loves soup, loves seafood, loves spice, so he loved this dish.

Moo and Goon Steamed Dumplings (pork & shrimp) with ginger sesame soy sauce. I like these a lot, especially the sauce, so I don't share them with SP!

Silk Elephant Rice Wrapper Rolls (cucumber, carrot, lettuce, cream cheese, crab with sweet chili sauce). I like these, too, but I share them with SP. I didn't taste too much crab in them, and I don't like chili sauce so I eat mine unsauced, but they're tasty and filled with veggie so I feel somewhat good about them!

Curry, spice level 5, with seafood. I don't remember what kind he got, just that it was with seafood and spice level 5. He always orders a seafood curry and always enjoys it.

Thai Shrimp & Pork Toast with Thai cucumber sauce. Really tasty, crispy, fried goodness. I even like all the sesame seeds.

Thai Crab Crowns (Crab Rangoon). A favorite of mine. Fried, cheesy, crabby goodness.

I wish I liked the predominant flavors of Thai food/this menu more then I do because I always leave feeling a little dissatisfied and like I ate horribly for dinner (which, yes, I did). Sadly, I have never liked the flavor of peanuts (I cannot stand when SP eats peanut butter; I have to leave the room to escape the gross smell), curry, garlic, chili, cilantro, pineapple, coconut, beans. I really do like all the tapas I order, but 4-5 of them for a meal just leaves me feeling bleah.

The hostesses and servers are very nice and friendly, they ask when/how you would like your tapas to arrive (I got 2 when SP got his soup and the other 2 when he got his curry entree). Empty plates are promptly removed, clean plates provided when needed. If you like Thai food, definitely try this place. If you're like me, go for the tapas.