Funky Elephant

I wasn't totally convinced by the positive reviews. Nah, this place is really good! Funky Elephant is really unassuming from the outside, but cute-looking inside. The dining area can't be much bigger than 10' x 15', so the two women working the front of the house had their jobs locked down. They were very friendly and had great attention to detail especially for a casual establishment (offering extra napkins, refilling water from the old Four Roses bottles, clearing dishes as soon as they were empty, and offering fresh plates). And the food was so good! All hits and I look forward to trying the rest.Fried Brussel Sprouts: Fluffy and crisp texture. I don't know what King sauce is exactly, but it's incredible. Sweet, tart, gooey, and kaffir lime I think. This dish's reputation is well earned.Pad Thai Old Skool: It's a larger portion than I thought from the photos. I loved the toothsome noodles and pleasantly sticky sauce texture. It had a decent amount of spice, fried tofu cubes, and really big whole shrimp to top it off. It just had an unusually good balance of flavors, particularly the tartness that lacks in a lot of pad thai.Party Wings! That chili jam is killer. I need to know more about it. The fried basil was a nice touch.

We looooved funky elephant! This is very good Thai Food. You can really taste the love that goes into the preparation of each dish. For starters, the restaurant is tiny. There are maybe 5 tables in the room, so be prepared to possibly have to wait. They pride themselves on quality over quantity, and you can definitely taste the difference. Luckily for us, we stopped in on a rainy evening and had the entire restaurant to ourselves. Though small, the restaurant is very cute and has a charm. The music and fun lighting set a cool vibe. For dinner we started with the wings, and they were delicious but very spicy so be warned. For dinner we shared the shrimp pad Thai and beef (steak) curry. Both were excellent, however the pad Thai was truly superb. I eat a lot of pad Thai. This was definitely some of the best. I just wish the portion were a littttle bigger, however I'm just being greedy lol the flavor profile was phenomenal. While the yellow curry steak was good, in my opinion it was a little forgettable. Next time I'll probably just opt for two bowls of pad thai, sans the shrimp because it was a little expensive at about $3 a prawn. Good, but the pad thai is so good it can stand alone. Just my opinion. Thank you Funky Elephant for serving up some delicious Thai Cuisine. I can't wait to try more of the menu!

Picked up my sister at the train station and needed some sustenance before a concert... Funky Elephant hit every spot!This place is tiny inside and has a super cute patio, but it was crazy chilly so they fashioned us a table out of thin air right by the kitchen and it was incredible!The server could not have been any nicer to us, the good came fast but tasted like it had been cooked for hours... I cannot wait to be back in Berkeley to eat here again!

TL;DR:This restaurant offers outdoor seating and a Michelin Guide Recommendation (2022), but the food is overpriced for its quality. The fried Brussels sprouts were excellent, while the Pad Thai was average and expensive. The service was attentive, likely due to being the only party there, but the overall experience doesn't justify the cost. Unlikely to return.Full Review:This restaurant has limited indoor seating but compensates with an outdoor dining area that offers a comfortable alternative. While the ambiance might appeal to those who enjoy al fresco dining, the food was inconsistent and overpriced, especially given its Michelin Guide Recommendation in 2022.Food:The fried Brussels sprouts were the highlight of the meal--crispy, flavorful, and expertly prepared, showcasing creativity and attention to detail. Unfortunately, the Pad Thai was a letdown. It was lackluster, lacking the bold flavors and complexity one expects from such a staple dish, especially at its premium price.Service:The service was excellent, which can partly be attributed to the fact that we were the only party dining at the time. The staff was attentive, friendly, and accommodating, which added a pleasant touch to the overall experience.Pricing:Prices are steep, even for a Michelin-recommended establishment, and the food quality doesn't consistently match the premium cost. While the Michelin recognition might draw in curious diners, it's hard to justify the expense when only certain dishes shine.Ambience:The outdoor seating is a functional and pleasant option, but the limited indoor space may feel restrictive for those who prefer a more traditional dining setup. While the setting is adequate, it doesn't quite elevate the dining experience.Verdict:Though the service was commendable and the Brussels sprouts were excellent, the average quality of the Pad Thai and the high prices overshadow the positives. Would I return? Most likely not, as the overall experience doesn't justify the expense, Michelin recommendation notwithstanding.Rating: 3/5

Really tasty food. Their Tom yum soup is one of my favorites out of all the Thai spots I've been. Probably not a single bad item on the menu. That said, the prices are a bit on the steep side. $18 for a single serving soup and $13 for two rotis/curry sauce for example are kind of a highway robbery lol. But it is tasty. Definitely worth a try if you're on the fence.

Been seeing a lot of mixed reviews but I have to say this was some of the best Thai food I've ever had in the states. We ordered the roti, the motherland curry, the yellow curry w/ grilled chicken and side of sticky rice, and the wholesome noodles. WOW! So much flavor and the food tasted very fresh. Agreed that the prices are high but for the quality (which left us feeling full), I felt like it was worth it. Will definitely go back again!

Parking is tough on the street. The restaurant is supposedly wheelchair accessible but it is extremely tight in there. I was about five inches from the neighboring table. Servers were exceedingly patient with my allergies. Checking multiple times with te kitchen, letting me see the ingredient lists on bottles, answering a billion questions. I ended up having the pad Thai as it was my only celiac safe option, with the others being pork and I don't eat pork. The food was good although I wasn't expecting the shrimp to still have their shells and faces on. The noodles were a little undercooked which made it harder to chew. I became sick about 15 minutes after we finished eating. Something in the food made me unwell-- potentially gluten cross contact? Who's to say. I wouldn't return but they were very friendly and accommodating.

Limited menu for a Thai spot, in a small cafe in the industrial section of Gilman in Berkeley, but the flavors here for us were something special. Perfect complex bites with the right amount of spice, acid, fish sauce and fresh ingredients. Really some of the best pad thai we have had since Thailand.Favorites include Old School pad thai. Absolutely add the grilled shrimp, which are juicy, fresh and enormous. We got chili on the side so we could control the heat, which they describe as Thai hot. (We've made that mistake before.) We ordered a fish rendition of their Kanom Jean red curry dish. The wild rock cod was fresh, perfectly prepared, moist, and delicious. The thai ice tea was somehow extra delicious too. We had thai tea soft serve for dessert, which was not as bright and intense as their drinkable thai ice tea. Next time will try a different dessert (mango sticky rice.)

Came here on a Friday evening to have dinner and we were able to be seated immediately. We shared the crispy rice salad and yellow curry, along with a Thai iced tea. The service was great and the food came quickly. I really enjoyed the food and appreciated it as much as I did the other location in San Francisco. I would come back here!

Finally made it here after wanting to go for over a year. Definitely will be back to try more because it was super good. I got the Old Skool Pad Thai which had tofu and 2 big shrimp with the head and legs still on. The shrimp were to die for! Probably the best pad Thai I can remember. It was a healthy serving too, so I had plenty to take home. I got the Thai Spicy version, and it wasn't too spicy in my opinion. For dessert I got the Thai iced tea soft serve which was also delicious. One person was in charge of seating, taking orders, and bringing food out, but she was very attentive and sweet. You can sit inside or outside and parking is pretty easy in the lot by Philz or on the street.