When ever we go camping, we love to cook the food at the campsite and enjoy it there. However, if there are local restaurants nearby (not the fast food chains), we love to walk over and enjoy a meal.
On our recent camping trip to Carpinteria, we discovered a local Thai restaurant SIAM ELEPHANT.
SIAM ELEPHANT is located at 509 Linden Ave, Carpinteria, right in the middle of a very busy and happening street, full of local restaurants and coffee bars. You either have to do street parking or you can park in the Amtrak Station Parking area, one block away for free.
Siam Elephant Location Map
The restaurant is a short walk from the beach so you can come after spending the whole day there or before hitting the beach for a nice after-meal stroll.
The restaurant has Thai décor everywhere. You can see elephants and Buddha as soon as you enter. There are two elephant statues guarding the outside bench to the entrance door. The patio area has a lovely Thailand feel with cute wooden lanterns and pagoda-style sitting booths.
EntranceEntrance to PatioWooden Lanterns in the Patio Area
There are two sitting areas to choose from. An inside dining area and an outside patio area. The indoor area is small but well maintained but their patio area is just….WOW! Open, bright, modern.
We decided to sit outside in the patio area to soak in some Vitamin D while enjoying our food.
Pagoda Style Sitting Booths
The menu card design is lemongrass green which is very soothing. There is a variety of options in all categories to choose from, so everyone will find definitely something to enjoy.
Menu
Our waitress was very friendly and offered to help us decide what to get. We ordered some dishes with substitutions and they were spot on. Unlike a lot of restaurants, the service was quick and accurate. The crisp white and blue tableware was beautiful and made our dining experience more memorable.
White and Blue Themed Tableware
We ordered some soup, and entrees, including fish, currys, fried rice, noodles, and sticky rice with mango for dessert.
You can tell that the food has been cooked with love when each dish is bursting with color and flavor. The portion sizes are decent and the prices are moderate.
Thai Fried Rice with ShrimpWhite Rice served in gorgeous Silver PotSweet & Sour ShrimpSpicy Basil Sole FishRed Curry with SalmonSticky White Rice with Mangoes
If you are in the Santa Barbara or Ventura area, I highly recommend this place to fulfill your Asian food cravings. The food presentation, the service, the taste, the ambiance….everything is just perfect.
We will definitely be coming back 🙂
(To read about the Carpinteria Camping Trip click HERE)
1 Comment