Big Elephant Kitchen

    Claimed
    $ Indian
    Closed11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

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    38 photos

    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Location & Hours

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    3940 N Williams Ave

    Portland, OR 97227

    Mississippi, Boise, North Portland, Northeast Portland

    Mon

    • 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

    Closed now

    Tue

    • 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

    Wed

    • 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

    Thu

    • 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

    Fri

    • 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

    Sat

    • 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

    Sun

    • 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM

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    About the Business

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    Photo of Saleshni S.

    Saleshni S.

    We strive to treat our customers well.…

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    Overall rating

    86 reviews

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    • Photo of Louise B.
      144
      305
      1081
      May 25, 2018

      Quick lunch break on the Avenue, close to Adidas Employee Store the reason we trekked deep north today.

      Best priced Indian that I've had in town. Owners are Fijian so spices are slightly different but tastes like Indian to me . $9.99 Tharkari meat plate with a lentil daal, rice side, garlic roti for spot hit the spot, of course slightly over full but if hungry, you can do it! Lamb curry was slightly oily which I love, and set your pants on fire, sooo yum.

      Whole boiled Egg curry almost tempted me for -$2. Next time.

      Home made unsweetened, thank you Chai is good but I prefer more in your face spice. $2 good enough to order again.

      Fresh mango lassi was marigold orange, yes the real stuff - hubby gives along with his side of spinach coconut milk $3.

      Another reason we will return, we need to try the .50 powdered milk, melt in your mouth dessert, that was sold out, otherwise known as Barfi, disregarding the name obviously!

      Ooh mama that lamb will singe your pants on fire
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    • Photo of Charlie T.
      Charlie T.
      Portland, OR
      640
      1763
      14563
      Jan 18, 2019

      We stumbled by here recently for lunch. The place is pretty small inside and you orde fron the counter. The lady working there was super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and the prices for the combo. I ordered the 2 meat combo with lamb and chicken marsala. Both meats had a very good flavor to them, with the lamb giving a taste of heat. I think what surprised us was that the delivery of food took a bit long, especially when the majority of the food is already cooked and ready to be served. Other than that, this is small, cozy spot off N Williams.

      Helpful 7
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    • Photo of Roman S.
      Roman S.
      Portland, OR
      515
      826
      365
      Nov 12, 2018

      nice cozy spot, serving Fijian Indian food.
      They rotate the entrees daily, and you can build your own plate with 1-3 different entrees (both vegetarian and meat options available)
      a plate comes with rice and a small roti.
      there is a good selection of entrees to pick from. keep in mind, fijian indian food tends to be on the spicier side.
      the food was great, prices are reasonable as well but the portions were on the smaller side and it felt like there could be some adjustment between either the prices or the portions.
      It's worth checking out and seeing if you like what they offer. If you cant eat spicy this may not be your best option

      Helpful 4
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    • Photo of Rebecca B.
      Rebecca B.
      Portland, OR
      68
      192
      343
      Jun 8, 2018

      What a cool discovery! We've always been fans of Indian food and all of its variations. The Indian diaspora goes far and wide. After living in Miami for a few years and enjoying the Indian influence on Guyanese and Trinidadian cooking, we were excited to find this Fijian Indian spot on trendy Williams.

      I'll admit, it doesn't look like much, especially
      Compared to some of the fanciness around it but if you don't give this a try, you are missing out. Well that's fine because then we can have it all to ourselves (joking). We were drawn in by the aromas. It's a tiny little basic spot, order at the counter and grab a seat. A family run place with mom cooking all the food and kids running the business. Now the food. Well, we did the 3 entree option. It's served on a sectioned off platter, sort of like thalis style. Curry chicken - off the chain, coconut milk spinach, delicious healthiness, curried lamb - mouth watering. Chickpeas were a tad undercooked and cabbage was a tad over cooked but somehow they were still tasty. All come with rice and beans with sauce and a garbanzo flour chapati. Oh and two chutneys. Go for the tomato chutney.

      Only soda and water and it's a little toasty in there on a warm day. But it's filling, tasty and at a great price. All of the food was slightly spiced, it was there in the background without overwhelming, just the way I like it. Get there early before they run out of meat. I'd take the Corry chicken over everything, it's amazing. Go check this spot out and enjoy this amazing twist on Indian food.

      Basic but sometimes that's all you need.
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    • Photo of Nicole S.
      Nicole S.
      Portland, OR
      14
      104
      34
      Mar 27, 2018

      Went in for a late lunch with a friend. One To-Go customer was headed out the door as we walked in and there was a couple eating inside. I mention this as there wasn't anyone at the counter. We waited, finally braved the awkwardness of ringing a bell and still no one came from the back. After about a 10 minute wait I stuck my head back in the kitchen area and shortly after our orders were taken by a very friendly gal. *note the actual wait time could be less than the 10 minutes stated above but I was smelling deliciousness and my stomach has horrible sense of wait time....

      Ok so the space is small and barebones which is fine and comfortable to me. I ordered a 2 vegetable entree plate which was 8.99. A fair price for the food I received. The food tasted homemade small batch, the spices were balanced and overall my stomach was satisfied. I will definitely try them again.

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    • Photo of Julia D.
      Julia D.
      Newport, OR
      452
      1352
      861
      Jan 25, 2018

      Really unique and really homemade-tasting food, but not blow-my-mind fantastic. The chicken was really the only tasty dish; the rest of the vegetables were just mushy and kinda spicy flat-tasting? The vibe in the dining room is really awkward and small with really uncomfortable chairs that you slide back and down into. I was hoping for a more authentic experience instead of just sitting in someone's dining room from 1975. I suppose that might be authentic, but I didn't much enjoy it.

      It's really reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. The guy working was really nice and helpful. I have been looking for a Fijian restaurant for years and I'm super glad Big Elephant exists.

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    • Photo of Ruza E.
      Ruza E.
      Portland, OR
      0
      15
      2
      May 17, 2017
      First to Review

      My new favorite place to eat in Portland.

      Nestled in an inconspicuous, white building on N Williams across from HUB and Box Social is the best family-run Fijian food. It's like Indian comfort food but with a slightly different spice profile.

      The dishes are amazing, the portions are huge, and the family is delightful. Every day has different veggie sides.

      I loved the lamb and the taro root side. I will definitely be back!

      Helpful 8
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    • Photo of Jody M.
      Jody M.
      Portland, OR
      7
      47
      89
      Feb 29, 2020
      Updated review

      They are back in a new location! Multnomah Village French Quarter! Samosas got a kick of heat. Owners are super nice. They have vegan options. All family recipes. I don't think you can get better Fiijian Indian food in town. Their Curry is the real deal!

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      Dec 27, 2019Previous review
      Aug 16, 2019Previous review
    • Photo of Prima B.
      Prima B.
      Vancouver, WA
      5
      428
      712
      Jun 26, 2017

      Good food. Fairly priced. Fast and friendly service. It was a hot day when we came to eat dinner but the AC wasn't on but they were working on it. Food wise, it was authentic Indian food. My go to place now. Highly recommended.

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    • Photo of Sammy N.
      Sammy N.
      Portland, OR
      166
      13
      10
      Jul 9, 2017

      I am so glad I stumbled upon this place. I've been looking for delicious Indian food near my house for awhile, and the other Indian restaurants in the area really weren't cutting it.
      I had a double entree with curry chicken, chick peas and potatoes, rice, daal, cilantro chutney and naan for $10! Everything was so good, and perfectly spicy. I was anticipating having a lot of leftovers, but couldn't stop eating. The "entree" portions aren't huge, so if you're really really hungry (or have a lack of food self control like me) I recommend getting the three entree plate.

      Curry chicken, chickpeas and potatoes, rice, daal, naan, and cilantro chutney.
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    8 other reviews that are not currently recommended

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