By Dierdree Glassford

Asian Inspired, Made With Love:  http://greenelephantmaine.com

When entering the Green Elephant, a vegetarian bistro located at 608 Congress Street in Portland, I was welcomed by a sense of warmth and intimacy. The host graciously seated us at a back center table; anywhere in the house feels private and comfortable. The soft lighting from beautiful chandeliers and the bohemian décor influenced by culinary utensils enhances the free spirited atmosphere of the entire restaurant. Being located in such a central area in Portland, right down the street from a main bus stop and popular venues, the Green Elephant provides an inclusive meeting place for people with grumbling stomachs of all different eating styles. Nearly every item on the menu is vegan, or can be made vegan with simple substitution. For vegetarians and vegans it’s heaven on a plate. Gluten free? They have wonderful options for you as well! Don’t worry carnivores, this restaurant’s savvy combination of Asian cuisine which gathers its influence from Malaysia, Japan, China, India and Thailand will make even YOU drool.

Well known for their flavorful and filling curry dishes I went out on a limb and asked the server to choose for me out of the four very popular and delicious options. This ended me with the Siamese Dream Curry Noodle, and let me tell you, every mouthful was a dream of flavors. A surreal combination of rice noodles, snow peas, carrots, red peppers, tofu, soy meat, fried shallots, cashews and spinach in a thick coconut curry soup is what made up my very full and satisfied belly. Each biteful was so packed with flavor, all complimenting to each other and with every spoonful I raised a little higher in my seat, the warm dish easing every grumble in my stomach and putting me at utter ease.

If curry is not quite your thing? My date also wasn’t feeling it that night and decided to go with the classic Pad Thai dish, consisting of a stir fry of small rice noodles with tofu, egg, broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts, and scallions topped with ground peanuts and raw vegetables. His satisfaction could be told by how quiet he was, his full mouth, and his thumbs up when I asked “Good?”

I was curious about how the Green Elephant came to be, as it is a very unique restaurant with unbelievably good flavor combinations and it full house of eclectic and hip patrons; they were obviously popular and successful with what they were doing. I spoke with Ben, the manager, who filled me in a bit about the vision and the feeling that the Green Elephant wanted to put out. Having worked with the restaurant for five years I asked Ben what was it that drew him to work for the Green Elephant in the first place. He explained to me that he had had a recent diet change, and had become extremely passionate and conscious about the vegetarian lifestyle. Not many restaurants around the area had a menu quite like the Green Elephant, with just enough options to keep you satisfied, and flavor combinations that kept you coming back for more. Ben stated enthusiastically, “I found that whenever I had the money I was eating at the Green Elephant, sometimes even 5 times a week, and eventually I pursued a position as an employee. I love the food, and the community that the restaurant has built within the past 7 years since its birth, the regulars are great, helping to keep us in business even during the winter months.”

With the aim to have no borders and no hard lines, you can’t help but feel completely at ease while eating at the Green Elephant. Not to mention that as students, if you are trying to follow a Vegetarian/Vegan lifestyle, it can be hard when you are eating out and trying to find something that is both reasonably priced and has decent quality.      With nothing on the menu for over 15 dollars, a meal at the Green Elephant will help your to stick to your meal plan while not breaking the bank. If you are a foodie and want an eating experience that will be more than just your typical burger and fries, this is the place for you. The Green Elephant is great for families, a night out on the town with your pals, or a very nice spot for a first date (wink ~ wink). Oh, and I almost forgot, they help to promote local Maine companies such as Maine Root, Handcrafted Beverages, and Lalibela Farm, a local organic farm. By doing this they are helping our state to grow and keep local business’s alive.

Introducing you to a new pallet, healthy but extremely tasty, this restaurant has it all and welcomes you to give it a try. Even you carnivores (I’m a meat lover too), may be surprised at how much you will want to come back again and again.

That’s dining out on a student’s budget for this edition, give my friends over at the Green Elephant a visit some time soon! You wont regret it!

Till our next bite,

Dining Dierdree