Reviewing The Elephant Walk: A must-try Cambodian-French fusion dinner destination in Boston. 

Located in Boston’s South End neighborhood, The Elephant Walk is a Cambodian-French fusion restaurant known for its innovative menu and signature cocktails. They’ve been serving customers since 1991, making it a well-known Boston establishment. 

I made a reservation for two at 7:30pm on a Thursday. Upon arrival, my first impression was how vibrant the atmosphere was. The Elephant Walk was nearly full of patrons, with people loudly chatting amongst themselves. On the left of the restaurant was a fully-stocked bar that was also crowded. The interior decor of The Elephant Walk was elegant – it was dimly lit inside, with Asian-inspired paintings along the brick walls and elephant statues on top of the bar. 

We were quickly seated and given a chance to look over the drink and dinner menu. The bi-cultural menu at The Elephant Walk included creative spins on familiar Cambodian and French dishes like Beef Loc Lac and Boeuf Bourguignon. And, good news to anyone with dietary restrictions – there were plenty of dishes labeled as gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan-friendly. 

We decided to sample one drink, one appetizer, and two entrees. The first item to come out was the Purple Panda cocktail. It was a lychee lemonade made of Empress Gin and garnished with lychee fruit pieces. The cocktail was almost too pretty to drink! It had a unique purple and white gradient running through it. As for taste, it was pretty sweet and had a bold lychee flavor.  

We ordered the Rouleaux, or deep-fried Cambodian spring rolls, as our appetizer. The dish came on a tin tray with lettuce, herbs, and sweet-and-sour sauce. Each spring roll had a dense batter and a tasty pork filling. The waitress had instructed us to wrap the spring roll in the greens, then dip it into the sauce. I tried this myself, and loved the contrast of the refreshing lettuce against the fatty spring rolls.  

Just as we were finishing up the spring rolls, both entrees arrived. The first one we tried was the Khar Saiko Kroeung. It included boneless beef short ribs with garlic Shanghai noodles. The beef was incredibly tender and its tamarind, ginger, and chili pod sauce was sweet and tangy. The Shanghai noodles had a perfect chewy consistency but were a bit bland on their own. Luckily, there was enough sauce from the beef to mix with the noodles. They topped off the beef with thinly-sliced pickled cucumbers, which added an interesting sourness to the dish.  

The other entree (and my personal favorite) was the Bavette A L’Échalotte Steak Maison. It included grilled steak smothered in a Sherry wine and shallot peppercorn sauce. The steak was perfectly cooked medium-rare and seared on the sides. The cream sauce added a smoky, peppery flavor. A large handful of shoestring fries took up the other half of the plate, which surprisingly became the highlight of the meal for me. They were crispy and had a flavorful garlic-salt seasoning.   

At the end of the meal, our server offered us the dessert menu. While we were way too full to try it, all the desserts at The Elephant Walk looked enticing. Dessert items included a coconut milk custard, passion fruit mousse, and chocolate truffle cake.   

The Elephant Walk’s friendly service, fun atmosphere, and inventive menu make it the perfect option for a date night or dinner with friends! It’s a pretty popular restaurant, so I recommend booking a reservation on their website in advance.