Jay and I went there to visit the booth of our good friend Nina, who owns Sassyfabfinds (check her store out!). We didn't have a car that day so we needed to catch a cab to get home. Traffic was still heavy when we left the bazaar and we wanted to eat nearby. We decided to walk it out and ended up at Hobbies of Asia Complex on Macapagal Ave., where there's a number of restaurants. We almost ate at one hot pot place, but Jay wanted to check out the other options.
We chanced upon Golden Elephant Seafoods Garden Restaurant. There were a lot of flowers by the door so I asked the waiter if they just opened. He said they did, only last November 28. We really only wanted to check the menu, but the attentive servers immediately led us to our seats. The place was packed, so I thought it was worth a try.
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Golden Elephant looks like a Chinese restaurant at first glance but it actually offers Thai and other Asian dishes. I guess the elephant statues and gold touches should've clued me in, hehe. The restaurant has a loft design, with lots of tables and booths to accommodate big parties or dating couples. We got a cozy booth at the loft, which has floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the main dining area.
After being seated, we were given a fresh pot of house tea and complimentary appetizer of mushrooms, onions and cucumber in hot and sour sauce.
Here's what we ordered:
Deep Fried Lapu-Lapu with Mango Sauce. This dish is a bit pricey but it's worth it. One whole grouper, fried to a nice crisp, lies in a bed of sweet chili sauce and garnished with julienned green and ripe mangoes. I'm not a fan of sweet entrees but this is too good to pass up!
They also offer Steamed Lapu-Lapu in Black Bean Sauce, which is more up my alley. I'll try that on my next visit.
Salted Egg Prawn. I have a new favorite! I love shrimps and prawns cooked in every which way so I zeroed in on this dish instantly. Seven pieces of fat, juicy prawns fried in salted egg batter sit atop a bed of kropek noodles. I scraped the tasty batter off the shell, mixed it with the prawns and enjoyed it with spoonfuls of steamed rice. Don't forget the kropek noodles! It stayed crispy even after our meal, I had it bagged to go as well. :p
We also wanted to try the Grilled Skewered Frogs but it still wasn't available. Another dish that caught my eye was a sample platter of Chicken Pandan, Spring Rolls, and seafood cake (can't remember if it's crab or fish). But there was only two of us so we passed. We noticed the Pineapple fried rice was a hit among the other diners (fried rice served on a hollowed out pineapple shell).
The owners were hands-on (we're guessing it's a family business), supervising the floors and checking the dishes coming out of the kitchen. A lady came up and gave us a silver VIP card, which entitles us to a 5% discount on every visit! We asked out server if we could use it then. She said not yet, but not to worry because we were getting a 20% discount on our bill (not including beverages) anyway! How lucky were we?
Golden Elephant Seafoods Garden Restaurant is a good place to take your family for special occasions or Sunday lunches and dinners. Fresh seafood and other flavorful dishes with generous portions are served, and they have an extensive menu you can choose from.
Dine at the restaurant and enjoy 15% discount until December 31, 2013. And if you're lucky, you might be able to get a discount card too. :)
P.S. After doing research for this post, I realized it's not an entirely new restaurant, but they just changed their name. It's formerly Koh Samui Thai Cuisine. That explains the print on our table napkins and take away bag. Just the same, the good food and great service promises a good experience for diners. :)
Golden Elephant Seafoods Garden Restaurant
M6, Hobbies of Asia Complex, Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City
Tel Nos. +632-556-6666/+632-808-9999/+63915-7722229
P.S. I know the correct term is "seafood" and that's actually what's in their discount card, so I hope they drop the extra "s" on their front signage.
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