You don’t realize until you’re halfway through Funky Elephant’s chicken wings that you’ve been underneath a disco ball the entire time. It whirls around, casting silver lights over the dining room that’s already enveloped in a pink and purple glow. This effortlessly fun Thai place is a good time on its own, but it’s made even more fun by playful (and destination-worthy) dishes—they’re bold and spicy as hell. Funky Elephant opened in 2018 in a shoebox-like space in Berkeley. The second location, now in the Mission, is about three times the size. While the stage—and the crowd—are bigger, the Thai dishes are as knockout as the original. Now, back to the reason you’re under that glitter ball: the food. Appetizers, salads, curries, and noodle dishes are comfort on a plate. And heat knobs are cranked up to the nth degree. The papaya salad puts your sweat glands to work. The chili jam coated wings (aptly named “Party Wings”) will have you gulping down Thai iced tea like it’s a liquid lifeline. Look around and you might see a diner or two fighting back tears, and animatedly fanning their mouths as if they just swallowed a torch. But, we promise, the heat isn’t actually too overpowering, and the spice is in fact key to the DNA of these dishes—along with the sweet, sour, salt, and funk. Not every dish relies on soul-curing spice to impress. Even the milder dishes are an eruption of in-your-face flavor, like the smoky charcoal-grilled pork, the kao mun gai with rich fermented soy bean sauce, and the rockfish red curry. And ordering the shrimp and tofu pad thai, which might be a skippable dish at many Thai spots, is a legal requirement here. When someone on staff tells you to squeeze the shrimp heads and drizzle the juice over the noodles for extra umami, listen. Then expect to wipe the plate clean. There’s no way to have a bad time at Funky Elephant, unless you turned around and left before taking a seat. The relaxed energy, set to a backdrop of neon lights and hanging paper lanterns, will force you to let loose over natural wine, lick your chili jam-covered fingers like you just survived 100 days on Alone—and eat some of the best Thai food in these 49 square miles.