Elephant Cafe, Koh Lipe

One of our favorite haunts of our five days in Koh Lipe was Elephant Cafe. Since it boasted of being rated number one on tripadvisor we had to see what all the fuss was about. Well we found out alright. The food at Elephant is tremendous. Our first meal there was a shared salad and pizza. The salad was the best Western style salad we've had on the trip. A great vinaigrette and loads of nice, fresh greens. A helluva contrast to a Western style salad that we had at a resort that consisted of shredded cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with a glob of mayo on top. ICK! The pizza was just as satisfying. Here in SE Asia we found out it isn't so much about the sauce and cheese or other toppings on the pizza. Those can be easy enough to find. It is, in our opinion, all about the dough used in the pie. If that isn't good it doesn't matter how good the other ingredients are, the pizza never tastes good. Of all the pizza joints we've visited on the road only a small handful have gotten the dough right. We also dined at Elephant for breakfast. Because the establishment was started by an expat from the states, the restaurant carries proper bacon to go with their bacon and eggs in the morning. Thick cut, peppered, crispy bacon is really the only proper escort a pair of eggs on a plate should have. Their coffee was properly brewed and not the instant garbage we've grown accustomed to. Their mango smoothies are pint size, colder than the Arctic, and all mango. No watered down ice, sugar, and a wee bit of mango in these guys. They are the real deal. And though on the pricier side of dining establishments in Koh Lipe, the ambiance and friendly staff make it worth so much more. Loved getting to play one of the guitars they had available. Bonus!