White Elephant Restaurant & Bar

I ordered the chicken guay teow (spicy) take out. Loved the taste! It was light, with some veggies, and nicely seasoned (maybe lighter on the seasoning would be better).
I have to mention the spice. I got the spicy and this is actually spicy. Are you the type of person who go to some restros and order something «suicidal hot» on the menu and be like, hey, could you make it twice as spicy because your suicidal hot is a medium for me? If so you will find their spice proper, but not overwhelming. The spice is strong but has more layers to it. By comparison I have tried the «thai spicy» at sukho thai, that for example is the spice that I do not like, because it lacks any other flavor that should come with the pepper and dominate the whole plate with boring, dry heat. White elephant on the other hand offer the spice that compliment the taste of the food.
One big complaint, the portion. Way too small. The noodle is 10 dollars and I felt I could have another one after I ak done. From a business point of view it cost the restaurant 30 cents to add a bit more noodle and veg to the plate and it wouldve been so much better value. Lets face it, this restro is thai street food on queen and Parliament basically 20 meters east of the big moss park project and 10 meters west of salvation army. I am expecting their rent is cheap and I can get some good value food and if they do offer that Im willing to walk up from King often. But the reality is most of time I get my take out at the pathetic fast food place or bars on king. And this place is totally empty tonight. Not even one customer, just me getting take out. They really need to seize every customer they have and give them more reasons to come back, especially when they already make great food and I would be sad if they dont succeed.

We had an alright experience with White Elephant once in the past, but our last experience was bad enough to ensure we won’t order from them again.
Delivery took over an hour and a half and the food was absolutely cold. The phad thai was bland and dull. The corn fritters were just a pile of greasy corn niblets in the bottom of the styrofoam box — no fritters there at all! Maybe it was just a bad night, but it was terrible.

Great atmosphere! Great service! Great food! Even though the menu is not a huge menu, but the food & taste
Is so authentic! I’m glad there is more and more diversified cultural food coming to the east end of the city!

This is by far the best Thai food I’ve eaten in Toronto. Totally authentic, with awesome awesome service. Will definitely be going back :)

The White Elephant is very close to my work and I feel very lucky to be able to eat here every so often. Their pad thai is one of the best I’ve ever had. It’s very fresh and a great portion. I also really enjoy their Thai Street Noodles which I had never had before coming here. One note, the food here is very spicy (like traditional Thai food) and as a lover of spicy food, sometimes I even have to go with the mild version.
Love the friendly staff and nice décor of this place. I’ve never been in the evening but I can imagine its a great place to watch live music. I hope the White Elephant will stick around!

My girlfriend and I met up with another couple for dinner, and the food was actually pretty good. They started shooting some sort of YouTube talk show around the time when we got our food, and it made for a very awkward experience. We were having a conversation (shocking, I know) and someone came around and essentially told us to quiet down.
On our way out, there was a couple looking at the menu outside and we advised them not to go in. They thanked us for the head’s up, and I only wish someone would have extended that same courtesy to us.

This is one the best pad thai restaurants i have ever been too, service was amazing, appetizers incredible. Too bad the neighborhood is kinda crappy but if you are willing to brave it, it will be well worth it. And if you not order in.

I have taken to frequenting this spot. The menu is intentionally small and as such, I’ve found all of the dishes to be outstandingly fresh with a different flavour profile than the go-​to toronto canadian-​thai fare.
At $ 10 the street noodles are a steal… really love the tofu. The other entrees can get a little pricey at a few bucks more (e.g. 14 $ for pad thai is a stretch for me). The fritters are the star of the app list, as others have mentioned.
It’s pretty laid back during the day, which I like, but fills up over the weekend evenings as a lounge/​music venue, which can also be fun. Their cocktails are well done (I particularly enjoy the namesake white elephant with lychee and fresh chili… that killer sweet&hot combo).
The family that runs it are unpretentious and friendly, and what with the scarcity of quality food options around the Queen/​Parliament intersection, I’m so happy they’re in the neighbourhood.

Despite the area (not much else around etc) this is a pretty good place.
I had the pad Thai and it was good! The look of the place is great too. I didn’t have the desert everyone is writing about just the ice cream… But in frozen real fruit «cups». It was yum. The lady was nice too real attentive but didn’t realize there was an event happening or that it turns to a bar/​club thing with cover after 10 on Saturday. She kinda made it clear we had to leave… Didn’t offer us to sit at the lounge tables when we asked if we could stay… I guess because they were charging others at the door… But awkward.
Nice to know it is near, I’d go again and try the other dishes.
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ugh! closed.
darn it. It was the area probably. Tough one.
was so darned yummy! And so convenient. Was hoping this place would last to make the neighbourhood better. But I guess they couldnt do it by themselves…

I have no idea what people talk about. The food is below average. The atmosphere is cold and empty. Sound system is horrible. Service is not organized and my cocktail had no alcohol in it.

This place is great. It’s in an odd location for what it is.
The food is more «cosmopolitan Thai» but they’re not trying to pass it off as «authentic Thai» either.
The corn fritters are wonderful.
Pad Thai is very very good, portion size is perfect for lunch or dinner. I enjoy the ambience.
When the restaurant is moderately empty (lunch times) the music can frequently be too loud, but the owner is always amenable to turning it down.
Service is very fast, food is always fresh.
Salads are good too.

Absolutely delicious! The homestyle Guay Teow for $ 10 hit the spot. The owners are very friendly, the atmosphere is very inviting, and well decorated. Our glasses constantly filled with water (we didn’t even have to ask!) Will definitely return. They also have massive space for parties! Thank you Benjamart, you made us feel at home!

Phenomenal. Toronto has a lot of good Thai places, so the competition is pretty stiff. I frequent a few of them, but not many, as travelling to Thailand has ruined most Thai food for me outside of that country. Such is not the case with the White Elephant.
Wonderfully spiced, fragrant, flavourful, and boldly authentic street-​food choices will draw you in. The upscale décor, really quiet atmosphere on weeknights, live blues on Friday nights, and shockingly cheap prices will keep you there. PS — it’s also a bar.
I don’t normally write reviews, but this place deserves it. When we arrived on a Monday night, my partner and I were the only ones there. When we tasted the food we absolutely could not figure out why. A few other people showed up, but clearly this new arrival is still a well kept secret! As much as I would like to keep it to myself, I know if I want to enjoy it again, and I do, more people need to enjoy it with me!
Corktown is a region that is rediscovering itself, and that new identity is going to include wonderful places like this that have authentic flavours with atmospheres that are charmingly in character with that the area is becoming. In my opinion The White Elephant is right in line with what this area should be all about. Give it a go! I will be working my way through the menu in the next few months. They mention that they deliver as well!

Their corn fritters are a rip-​off. 4 tiny pieces for 5 $!!! The spicy dry chicken street noodles was ok. The garlic chicken with rice is good. The chicken lacked flavor and seasoning but the rice and sauce were very nice. Got all this for take out. Portions are really small for the price !

Had the spicy thai street noodles with tofu and veggies. Very tasty! My husband had the chicken thai street noodles in soup and he liked it too! Service was very pleasant. Live music (jazz and blues) on fridays. Will definitely come back!

Great new Thai restaurant! Been open now for about 4 months. The taste and heat level is very Thai, not the same as most western friendly joints that are afraid to challenge Canadian palettes.
The owners are very friendly and make you feel at home — the wife and I had a pleasant evening on our visit, will be going back, and bringing friends.
Small menu, but as one of the owners explained, to keep items made as fresh as possible. The price range is very reasonable, better than most Thai restaurants in Toronto — food in my opinion taste better than Sabai Sabai, atmosphere could use a bit more improvement, but am sure in time this place will catch the heart of Thai food lovers.

I had the street noodles and corn fritters, and both were good enough to write a review. This seems to be a relatively new place and their servers and owner give me the impression they are trying hard to succeed. Very pleasant staff and have live music on Fridays. I would recommend checking this place out if you’re in the area and looking for some good Thai.

Been to White Elephant this summer. Really enjoy the authentic Thai food that’s served there. We couldn’t get enough of their Thai chicken wings and noodle soup. The deco of the restaurant is very modern with a big screen. There is also a bar there serving cold beers in pint and pitchers. It would be great for a group party or catch a game with friends.
Totally recommending it!

Ate here with friends a couple weeks ago. The food and service are good. The atmosphere is fine. The problem is the prices relative to the portion sizes.
We had a couple drinks and appetizers at the restaurant and then ordered several dishes for take-​out. Everything we had was fine. Nothing blew us away.
In terms of value for money though, this place is disappointing. Each dish cost around $ 14. The portions were about half the size of standard take out. The take-​away containers were half packed with rice, the remaining space was garnish and the actual meal. Normally, the container is filled with the meal and rice comes in separate containers.
I want to see local restaurants succeed but not enough to overpay for your food. To be successful on this stretch of Queen E, this restaurant needs a reliable take-​out business. Increase your portion sizes and decrease your prices so that you are competitive with our other local Thai choices.

Service is attentive as it should be in first few days of a restaurant.
Pork skewers oh my… Wonderful. Beef meatballs skewers include tendons so one of us didn’t like the consistency. Great spice here.
Have ordered chicken street style dry spicy noodles, and garlic chicken rice. Menu is limited, but very good. There is a sweetness to all the heat. The street style noodles were excellent.
The music is cool jazz and salsa, odd choices.
Will return to check on consistency and have the pork skewers and street style dry spicy chicken noodles.
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