Walk the Walk at Elephant Walk – Boston

es, I am starting this review with a photo of my chest. Don’t worry, there’s not much to see. Now, if you’ll just get over the initial shock, you’ll see that the pendant around my neck is an elephant and serves as a literal commemoration of my visit to Elephant Walk. Elephant Walk, a nondescript brick building housing a nondescript ambiance of dimmed lights and two-tops is located in Boston’s gray area of St. Mary’s Street and Beacon that is neither Brookline nor Allston nor Kenmore. Sadly, the only non-literal things about this restaurant are its location and its name. Then again, all elephants are gray so maybe just one non-literal thing…

I pause my literal tirade to compliment the bread, which was the only thing remotely close to fusion – sad because it’s the fusing of cultures, not the fusing of food. It seems that when you combine two cultures that are conquers of carbs, the end result is a powerfully good loaf of bread. Aside from the bread, the menu at Elephant Walk is as literal as my necklace. There is Cambodian and there is French. You may choose the Cambodian or you may choose the French. That is all.

Our meal started with the vegetarian Rouleaux – traditional Cambodian spring rolls with a French name. I named them magnifique and that’s all that matters. The spring rolls were a little greasier than I would have liked, but the tasty veggie filling wrapped in a fresh basil leaf with a sweet dipping sauce “fused” into what was probably the best spring roll I’ve ever had. Literally.

The veggie entrée was so unremarkable I literally don’t remember what it was. And allow me to remind you that I forget men’s names faster than I forget food names…(Think back to med school orientation: “ANSHUL! For the third time, my name is ANSHUL!!!”) I think it was the Tofu Citronnelle but don’t quote me on that…It certainly wasn’t Anshul… Another French name for French-fried tofu with a slightly spicy, glorified sweet & sour sauce, a stirfry I literally could have made at home for far less than the outrageous $17 they had the nerve to charge.

I rarely comment on the price of things, but my Khar Saiko Kroeung was equally overpriced. And equally literal. The menu described a braised boneless shortrib, jasmine rice, and a cucumber garnish. And there it was. As you see by the photo, it is literally slabs of shortrib with a pretty mold of rice. The scallion oil was a nice touch, but it was really just rice and meat with a few slices of cool cukes. To be fair, the meat was flavorful and perfectly braised, but $18.95 should at least buy me cooked cukes...

Overall, Elephant Walk is a place of literally good food, a testament to their ability to survive in a neighborhood replete with students whose loans make upscale dining and exorbitant pricing a rarity. The food is indeed well-made, and the amazing flavor and tenderness of my shortrib is undeniable, but what you see is what you get. On the upside, the menu will talk the talk and the chef will walk the walk, but I will have to have exhausted all my options before I walk back into Elephant Walk.