Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro

The restaurant was opened by chef Danai “Dan” Sriprasert and business partner Bob Wongsaichua at 608 Congress Street across from the State Theatre building. Sriprasert and Wongsaichua also own Boda, a Thai restaurant that serves some meat dishes. The restaurant is named as green represents vegetarian cooking and elephants are considered lucky.{{Cite web|url=https://www.themainemag.com/blog/eat-maine-blog/2020-green-elephant-portland/|title=Green Elephant, Portland|last=Anderson|first=Amy K.|date=2012-09-20|website=The Maine Mag|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-01}}

A 2011 The Maine Magazine review by Joe Ricchio reported: "Sriprasert’s mother, who owned a restaurant in Thailand, taught him how to cook from a very early age ... His mother never used written recipes, and by cooking alongside her he began to develop his own personal style."{{Cite web|url=https://www.themainemag.com/eat/eat-features/1498-green-elephant/|title=EAT-April 2011: Green Elephant|last=Ricchio|first=Joe|date=2011-04-07|website=The Maine Mag|language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-08}}

In 2015, a second Green Elephant opened at 35 Portwalk Place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the Portland restaurant closed for a month and a half before reopening.{{Cite web|title=Vegan Kitchen: Are your favorite vegetarian or vegan restaurants open for takeout?|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/05/10/is-your-favorite-vegetarian-or-vegan-restaurant-open-for-takeout/|last=Kamila|first=Avery Yale|date=2020-05-10|website=Portland Press Herald|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-05-16}}

The menu is appetizers, stir fries, curries, noodle dishes and desserts. All the food is vegetarian and most is vegan. The crispy duck, the char guay teow and the chocolate orange mousse pie{{Cite web|url=https://thesunriseguide.com/good-eats/|title=Good Eats {{!}} The best of Maine's healthy & vegetarian dining|last=Rusley|first=Erika Blauch|date=2013-08-30|website=The Sunrise Guide|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-02}} have been mentioned by food reviewers.

The restaurant does not take reservations.{{Cite web|title=DINING GUIDE: 5 NOTABLE MAINE RESTAURANTS FOR VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS|url=https://mainetoday.com/eat-drink/dining-guide-5-notable-maine-restaurants-vegetarians-vegans/|last=Axelrod|first=Susan|date=July 31, 2014|website=MaineToday|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}} In 2012, The Boston Globe travel writer Hilary Nangle said the restaurant "has persuaded many carnivores that going veggie does not mean sacrificing flavor."{{Cite news|last=Nangle|first=Hilary|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2012/04/28/maine-restaurants-where-vegetarian-fare-fills-plate-maine-restaurants-where-veggies-reign/Blys2jetRRnK6uzPhzQibI/story.html|title=10 Maine restaurants where vegetarians reign|date=2012-04-29|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=2020-04-01}} In 2013, Travel + Leisure named the restaurant to its list of the "Best Vegetarian Restaurants in the U.S."{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/restaurants/best-vegetarian-restaurants-in-the-us|title=Best Vegetarian Restaurants in the U.S.|last=Sarah L.|first=Stewart|date=2013-08-10|website=Travel + Leisure|language=EN|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-06}}

In 2016, the Maine Sunday Telegram's restaurant reviewer James H. Schwartz gave the restaurant three stars and wrote: "It’s fun, congenial and healthful, an easy place for vegetarians, dedicated carnivores – and the rest of us – to enjoy."{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2016/01/24/even-meat-lovers-will-find-plenty-to-like-at-green-elephant-an-asian-vegetarian-bistro-in-portland/|title=Dine Out Maine: Green Elephant in Portland|last=Schwartz|first=James H.|date=2016-01-24|website=Press Herald|access-date=2020-04-01}} In 2016, Guy Fieri ate at the Portsmouth location and called the food "one of the best vegetarian meals I've had in a long time."{{Cite web|last=Battle|first=Marquaysa|date=2016-08-02|title=Guy Fieri May Write A Vegetarian Cookbook|url=https://people.com/food/guy-fieri-vegetarian-cookbook/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-16|website=PEOPLE|language=EN}} In 2016, the Green Elephant in Portsmouth was named Best Vegan Restaurant in the state by New Hampshire Magazine.{{Cite web|date=2016-06-16|title=New Hampshire Magazine's 2016 Best of NH Winners in Vegan{{!}}!!{{!}} Vegetarian{{!}}!!{{!}} Gluten Free{{!}}!!{{!}} Outdoor Dining|url=https://www.nhmagazine.com/best-of-nh-2016-food-odds-ends/|access-date=2020-07-18|website=New Hampshire Magazine|language=en-US}}

In 2019, The Daily Meal named the restaurant to its list of "The Most Vegan-Friendly Restaurant in Every State."{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/best-vegan-restaurant-in-every-state|title=The most vegan-friendly restaurant in every state|last=Rock|first=Taylor|date=2019-11-19|website=The Daily Meal|language=en|access-date=2020-04-06}} In 2020, the Portland Press Herald's vegan food writer Avery Yale Kamila called the restaurant Maine's "reigning vegetarian restaurant queen."{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/01/19/portlands-vegan-restaurant-scene-is-red-hot/|title=Vegan Kitchen: Portland's vegan restaurant scene is red-hot|last=Kamila|first=Avery Yale|date=2020-01-19|website=Press Herald|access-date=2020-04-01}}

In 2021, Yelp released a list naming the best vegetarian restaurant in each state and Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro was listed as the best vegetarian restaurant in Maine.{{Cite web|last=Doolin|first=Hannah|date=2021-01-26|title=The Best Vegetarian Restaurant In Every State|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/the-best-vegetarian-restaurant-in-every-state/ss-BB1aJa0H|access-date=2021-04-11|website=MSN}} In 2023, a The Boston Globe travel review about traveling to Portland with children said the restaurant has "kid-friendly bites like crunchy edamame and veggie dumplings with two kinds of dip."{{Cite web |last=Bair |first=Diane |date=2023-02-16 |title=Portland with the kids? We put it to the test. |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/16/lifestyle/portland-with-kids-we-put-it-test/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=The Boston Globe |language=en-US}}

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Category:Restaurants in Portland, Maine

Category:Thai restaurants in the United States

Category:Vegetarian restaurants in the United States

Category:2007 establishments in Maine

Category:Restaurants established in 2007

Category:Restaurants in New Hampshire