Breaking the Chain: White Elephant

I’m starting a new blog series called Breaking the Chain. There are so many chain restaurants out there in the world that you can eat at anytime, and anywhere. I’m breaking the chain and focusing on local eateries and how they stand apart.

Local doesn’t mean only around my area – it means small establishments that are giving it a go on their own, and producing quality food that rivals, and more than often, beats the taste of large chains that manufacture their foods without giving it a second thought. This will include mom and pop places in Arizona, California, Washington and other places I travel to.

My first break: White Elephant.
I discovered this lovely little Thai restaurant about two years ago when I was taking classes down the street. The owner, Nok, is a sweet woman who goes above and beyond to ensure that her guests are served the best tasting, freshest food possible.
Case in point: I ordered a Thai iced tea and asked if they had any soymilk to substitute for the evaporated milk (dairy-free Lent!). They were out of soy, but our waiter ended up running over to the local Whole Foods and bringing back soymilk so I could enjoy Thai tea! I was in shock! Seriously, AMAZING customer service!
My roommate and I ordered the Tom Kha Gai – a coconut milk-based soup with chicken, mushrooms, lemongrass and galangal root. They lit the hot pot as it got to our table which kept the tangy, savory soup warm while we slowly sipped it.
We also split the pineapple fried rice. We requested that it be made with brown rice, and cooked with as little oil as possible. Instead of grumbling over our substitutions and requests, they brought out the most beautifully presented dish I’ve ever seen. The nutty brown rice was encased in half of a pineapple shell, and studded with tender peas and carrots, juicy raisins and chunks of pineapple, succulent shrimp that were perfectly cooked, and crunchy cashews.

After our meal, we were STUFFED!
Or we thought we were… Then Nok sent out a complimentary dessert of sweet rice and mango! Over the years, she’s learned that this is our absolute favorite dessert, and was kind enough to top off our amazing meal with tender, ripe mango and sweet coconut-scented rice sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Okay, NOW were were stuffed!

White Elephant is located at 668 N. Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks, California. If you want a delicious meal that you know is made on site and not pulled from a freezer and reheated, check this place out – and tell Nok that Becki says hi! This is my absolute favorite Thai restaurant in the Pacific Coast time zone, and believe me, I’ve tried them all!

Is there a local eatery that you absolutely swear by? Please feel free to Break the Chain and write about your favorite one! Let’s support these mom and pop establishments!

9 Comments

Filed under local cafe, pineapple fried rice, thai food, thai food makes me happy

9 Responses to Breaking the Chain: White Elephant

  1. Mark

    Try Kakzin Thai in Tarzana. It’s by far the best Thai restaurant I’ve found. It is family owned for over 15 years. I think grandmom is in the kitchen cooking!
    For coffee, go to Coffee Roaster in Sherman Oaks. For the last 20+ years, it has been roasting coffee fresh daily. It also has a high quality tea selection. About 10 years ago a Starbucks moved in on the opposite end of the block. Coffee Roasters sales have increased since the competition moved in.

  2. Let’s meet up and go here! Andy and I love, love, love Thai food!

  3. Amanda and I have a favorite Thai place in Simi called Thai Cottage. And there is an amazing taco shop down the strett from our apartment called El Paseo. The people that run it are amazingly nice and make the best food. Love Thai, love Tom Kha Gai

  4. First of all, I LOVE the idea of this series. Yay for small restaurants and boo to chains. They have their place in this world but I try to completely avoid them. I ate at my first Persian restaurant yesterday and it was amazing!

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