After hearing about the closing of Amy’s Thai and its subsequent reopening under new ownership as the White Elephant, we decided to check it out. Upon entering, it became clear that Amy got a facelift. This may seem pretty critical, but I remember Amy’s being somewhat drab, whereas the White Elephant had fresh new paint, artsy vases and elephants galore. The welcoming, more authentic, atmosphere was clearly noticed by others, for while it was 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20, the tables were already filling up.

To start, we ordered crispy rolls, chicken dumplings and some wanton soup. While the crispy rolls were nothing special, the chicken dumplings were just short of miraculous. Although dumplings are usually synonymous with pot stickers, these were more like Asian chicken nuggets, which may seem odd, but are, in fact, magically delicious. Seriously, I’ve been fantasizing about them all week. The wanton soup was also unusually delightful; the distinctive broth gave it a little something extra.

As masters of pacing ourselves, at this point we were already stuffed, just as the main courses arrived. The presentation was striking, and the dishes did not disappoint. We ordered the Thai Ginger Chicken and the Beef Mussaman Curry. Spoiler Alert: if you like peanuts, you’re going to like these dishes.

For the Thai Ginger Chicken, there was a good vegetable to chicken ratio, and as college students, we know how important a proper ratio can be. While the curry was advertised as one pepper (on a spicy scale of 3), there was zero concern of needing milk. Though the main courses were enjoyable, the appetizers and the dessert were the real delights. For dessert, we shared the coconut ice cream. We were tentative at first, especially because one of us is not a fan of coconuts, but it was arguably the best part of our meal, which is saying a lot because of the heavenly dumplings. With more of a buttermilk taste than coconut, the ice cream tasted freshly churned and truly enchanting. You think we’re joking, but we’re not. That ice cream deserves poetry; it merits murals and monuments and a feature in the Dickinsonian. But I digress.

Overall, while the White Elephant did not have an extensive menu, the experience consisted of A+ aesthetics and delectable dishes. So, dear Readers, eat your (Elephant) heart out.