MyElephant, Ipoh

MyElephant is a franchised Thai Cuisine from the Klang valley which commenced business back in 2007. With 5 outlets in the Klang Valley, I was in slight disbelief that they have chosen Ipoh as their first outlet out of Selangor. Frequent followers of my blog will notice how I lament on the stagnant income growth of average working Ipohians and wonder will mid range-high range food outlets manage to sustain their business here. Upon browsing the menu from MyElephant, I doubt it is relatively expensive for majority Ipoh people. Not that we can't afford a meal there, but probably once in a blue moon :)

Perhaps they too will realize it soon but good thing that they adopt the lunch sets promotion which is already in place in their Klang Valley outlets and somehow manage to cushion the effect. Well, if its not because of the promotional lunch sets, I doubt I will step in and give it a try. Nevertheless if you were to try the lunch sets, you have to hunt for packing spots as MyEle is located along the same street as Bricks and Barrel (behind Cowan Street). Its a busy road during working days, else, fret not, drop by on weekends, like yours truly.

First set sampled was the Tom Yam Soup with mixture of Brown Rice and fragrant rice. (RM11.90) The Tomyam is has rich flavours in its own uniqueness. Not being stinging to your tongue, the spiciness is between mild to average (based on my scale as I cant tolerate spiciness) while it bears a slight "murky" broth instead of the usual clear but with a layer of fiery reddish hue at the surface, Served with some squid, fish cake, chicken meat, it will be near perfect if the soup was a bit hotter. Well, I do note the problem with franchise as they try to standardize everything from pastes and pre-prepared ingredients from a Central Kitchen, but I hope they do keep it to a boil to ensure the soup is piping hot when served.

The second set sampled is the Pad Thai (11.90) Its a famous street food which is basically stir-fried flat Thai rice noodles in a sweetish and spicy sauce. Served in a quite authentic manner like how the Thai enjoy it, there is additional sugar, chili flakes and crushed peanuts with a wedge of lime. Stir everything, give it a good toss and enjoy it........ but its a bit spicy to my liking. Haha...

This is the Pineapple Fried Rice (RM9.90) which almost share the same ingredients from the Tom Yam soup. The slight disappointment is I can't feel the presence of the pineapples were barely felt. Instead, the amount of green peas were a bit too much to my liking. They have gone a bit too much with the spice such as tumeric powder which I felt it was a chore to finish the whole plate on my own without reaching for water. If only more juicy pineapples were added to contrast the flavour to give a more tangy and refreshing feel. It just didn't hit my preference, it might appease your tastebuds though.

I forked out RM6.50 to add a whole fried drumstick (with the thigh portion). The skin is crispy but the marinade did not embody the whole flesh though. The shredded daun limau purut and coconut cream played their part to save the dish though.

Final verdict: I will recommend you to try it out since the lunch sets is reasonably priced (maybe slightly cheaper than Black Canyon) and it comes with a refreshing Pandan Syrup drink. The papaya/mango salad served along with every set is addictive and appetizing! But the watermelon cubes should NOT be served next to the rice/noodles. While they were serving the tomyam set, the soup spilled a little and somehow "contaminated" the watermelon. Serve it separately else omit it completely!

Feel free to check out their ala carte menu and get ready to hurt your wallet a little as it is not cheap for Ipoh standard. But from what I tasted from the lunch sets, I probably will not dish out RM200 for a family dinner here. My personal favourite is still Koh Sam Mui despite I know where is a new kid in town called Pink Elephant (which is also on the upper end pricing range). So Ipohians, what is your pick?