Silk Elephant Brings Polished Thai Dining to Ankeny

The public verdict

Silk Elephant holds a 4.4 Google rating from 322 reviews, a solid showing that reflects recurring praise for its service, polished dining room and broadly dependable Thai cooking. Public feedback presents it as a restaurant that can handle both a quick lunch and a more composed meal without feeling overly formal.

Several diners describe the staff as fast, kind and attentive from arrival through the end of the meal. Cleanliness also comes up repeatedly. The room is characterized as elegant, classy and comfortable rather than stuffy, giving Silk Elephant an edge for occasions when a standard takeout-focused Thai restaurant would feel too casual.

Food and portions

The menu appears to balance familiar Thai restaurant staples with less expected preparations. Udon gets particularly enthusiastic attention, although reviewers mention different dishes. One diner praised the udon green curry for bouncy, properly cooked noodles, while another was excited to find Udon Kee Mao on the menu. Those reports suggest the kitchen treats its noodles with care and offers enough variety to reward repeat visits.

Other positively received items include shrimp fresh rolls, duck bacon wontons, crispy cauliflower, devil wings, Elephant fried rice, basil fried rice and vegetable samosas. The vegetable samosas drew especially warm feedback, while the duck bacon wontons were described as living up to their reputation. Thai iced tea is another recurring order, earning praise in more than one review.

Portions can be substantial. One reviewer found the serving large enough to provide another meal at home, which helps offset the perception that Silk Elephant can feel pricey for Thai food. Overall, the available price classification places it in the mid-range category rather than the budget-friendly end of local dining.

Spice, consistency and caveats

A customizable heat scale makes the restaurant approachable for diners with different spice tolerances. That flexibility, combined with quick lunch service and fresh food, broadens its appeal to groups that may not agree on how much heat belongs in a dish.

The public comments are not uniformly glowing. One diner found the dynamite shrimp bland beneath its fried coating, and another wished the udon green curry had included long beans. These are specific criticisms rather than signs of a wider consistency problem. In contrast, reviewers more often describe the food as consistently delicious and indicate plans to return.

Who should try it

Silk Elephant looks best suited to diners seeking Thai food in a cleaner, more refined setting, particularly when attentive service matters as much as speed. It also appears useful for lunch meetings, casual date nights and group meals where adjustable spice levels can keep everyone comfortable.

Based on the combined rating and review themes, Silk Elephant stands as one of Ankeny’s more polished Thai options. The clearest strategy is to explore the udon preparations, consider the fresh rolls or wontons to start, and add a Thai iced tea. Diners focused chiefly on the lowest possible price may look elsewhere, but generous portions help strengthen the overall value.