Figure 1: Elephant Grind Brunch Restaurant
Elephant grind Coffee is an Asian Style Brunch located in Richmond Hill at 10 East Wilmot St unit 7. It opens Wednesdays to Sundays 9am. It closes at 3pm during the week and weekends closes at 4 pm.
Thanks to a friend T, who recommended Elephant Grind for its amazing food and even showed me the great online reviews, I decided to take my Foodie Self to try it out. I went there for the first time with my daughter P to try out this highly recommended brunch restaurant. Its easy to get there by car or public transit if one is coming from Richmond hill, any part of York region or the GTA. Despite looking at the online menu About (elephantgrindcoffee.com) prior to going to Elephant Grind I and my daughter P found it hard to make a selection from their wide selection of delectable looking foods.
After much pondering I ordered a Cheddar Omelette that was filled with mushroom, spinach, and red onion. I liked the fluffiness of the cheddar omelette and the cheesy taste that was not overwhelming, and I could taste all the ingredients that combined to make this meal even tastier. Also, the home fries that were part of this meal were different from the home fries I have ever tasted. They were not greasy, not overly soft but were a bit crunchy, yet soft for the taste buds to fully enjoy. The house salad that came with my order was very fresh and came with a great dressing that enhanced its fresh taste. I also ordered a piece of smoked salmon side and I liked that it had that the saltiness that comes with all smoked salmon was there but was not overly salty, so my tastebuds went to enjoy land. I had a matcha tea latte to accompany this great tasting meal and I liked it because of the combination of slight touch of sweetness and bitterness that was perfect. I still got the matcha flavour I loved so much without an overwhelming sweetness or bitterness! Refer to the below pictures for the delectable food I had at Elephant Grind.
Figure 2: Cheddar Omelette, Home Fries, Salad, and the Smoked Salmon
Figure 3: Matcha Green Tea Latte
P ordered an avocado toast that came with poached eggs and a salad. P described her toast and poached eggs as well made and highlighted that the bagel seasoning on the toast added texture to this exceptionally smooth meal. She also ordered crispy, crunchy, yet fresh bacon on the side. She had a London Fog tea latte to accompany her luscious meal. While P liked her London Fog tea latte, she did not like the gritty powder or its aftertaste. Refer to the images below for P’s delicious meal at Elephant Grind.
Figure 4: Avocado Toast, Salad, Bacon, and London Fog Tea Latte
We also could not resist the delectable looking ricotta pancakes our fellow diners were having so we ordered some for ourselves to share. The ricotta pancakes that came with ricotta cheese, blueberry compote, maple syrup along with fresh black berries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries were very fluffy. That fruity, maple syrup, ricotta cheese and the blueberry compote combo transported my tastebuds to seventh heaven, it was the best way to end an amazing brunch! See images below for the divine ricotta pancakes we had at Elephant Grind.
Figure 5:Ricotta Pancakes with Ricotta cheese, Blueberry Compote, Blueberries, Strawberries Raspberries & Maple syrup
My first experience at Elephant Grind left me yearning for more of their food. I went back for the second time for a different cuisine that I had seen on their menu. I went with my daughter P who had also been mesmerized by the superbly delicious food at Elephant Grind when we went there for the first time. On my second time at Elephant Grind I ordered an Elephant melt, a sandwich that used Brioche (Sweet Bread of French origin baked with enriched dough) and filled with House Char Siu Pulled Pork, Provolone, Caramelized onions, and Pickled Jalapeno. I was not disappointed when I took a bite of this elephant melt composed of all these well cooked and great tasting ingredients. The weft of sweetness coming from the brioche and caramelized onions, the tender pulled pork, the vinegary jalapeno taste, and the provolone cheese, all complemented each other to make this luscious meal that melted in my mouth with each bite and gave my tastebuds wonderful moments. It also came with Arugula salad on the side and their great tasting home fries. Refer to the pictures below for the great tasting brunch I had at Elephant Grind on my second visit.
Figure 6: Elephant Melt Sandwich and Arugula Salad Side view
Figure 7: Elephant Melt Sandwich, Arugula Salad Side and Home Fries Full View
P ordered the Bulgogi Beef Benedict that came with kimchi and pickled choy. Home fries were part of P’s dish. P was also not disappointed the second time around, and she loved how the kimchi and smokiness of the bulgogi elevated the regular eggs benedict. The complex flavours made the experience of eating the typically subtle flavours of the hollandaise sauce super exciting. We both had rooibos tea lattes to accompany our delicious dishes. The lattes were creamy and smooth, but the tremendous raw rooibos flavor remained and could be tasted.
Figure 8: Bulgogi Beef Benedict, Home Fries, and Salad
Figure 9: Rooibos Tea Latte
When the time came to celebrate my friend M’s belated birthday, I suggested Elephant Grind! Their menu had a lot of stuff my Foodie self still wanted to try, and I also wanted my friend to experience this Brunch place that prepared such exquisitely tasting food. This was my third time eating at Elephant Grind, and I was now familiar with the menu and knew what I still wanted to try out. This time I ordered a Lap Cheong Hash, a meal composed of breakfast sausage, roasted red peppers, spinach, gochujang (Korean red Chill Paste), two poached eggs, hollandaise & house salad. And like the two previous visits, my tastebuds experienced the heavenly tasting and well-cooked food at Elephant Grind; I have never experienced such great tasting home fries the exotic spiciness, soft and yet not overly cooked or greasy. Of course, their great salad was on the side like all their meals. M ordered haddock fish and fries with tartar sauce under their specialty menu, and she was not disappointed. She was gushing about her crispy yet soft and not greasy combo. She was mesmerized like I and P at this amazingly tasting food. If I were not a self-proclaimed foodie, I would be embarrassed to admit that I ordered the risotto pancakes again to share with M. I must admit, I have vowed to order risotto pancakes each time I go to Elephant Grind. They are irresistible, and I cannot let anyone I go to Elephant Grind with miss this heavenly-tasting specialty. I had a masala chai tea latte to accompany my delicious meal. M had a jasmine mist Sloane tea. The below images depict the tasty food M, and I had at Elephant Grind.
Figure 10: Haddock Fish, Fries & Tartar sauce; Ricotta Pancakes; Lap Cheong Hash, and Masala Chai Latte
It is worthy noting that the Elephant Grind brunch keeps me so full that I just have a fruit or small serving of yoghurt for dinner, and even if I do a heavy work out, I do not eat a heavy meal after eating at Elephant Grind. Even without the pancakes for dessert. Even P and M felt the same!
Its not just the food that wowed me at Elephant Grind, they have excellent customer service that makes anyone, and everyone feel at home. Each time I go there I always get customer service that always sends me home smiling. I urge you all foodies and non foodies who love great service and great tasting food to try out Elephant Grind. They have food for everyone, if you are vegetarian, they have you, you are a kid they have you, and you are a mixing masala like me who likes to try out different stuff, Elephant Grind has you! Their prices range between $ 14 and up for each food item and sides range from $ 3 and up. Drinks range from $2. Prices are subject to change so its best to refer to the menu link above for the current prices. The long line up and a bit of wait is a sure sign that everyone loves the Elephant Grind.!
May Tasty Delicious Food 