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Tamarine
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
546 University AvePalo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 325-8500
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Fri 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
823 reviews for Tamarine
Review Highlights
"Shaking Beef was great - a favorite of our table."
(in 246 reviews)
"clay pot cod - this was sooooo delicious."
(in 62 reviews)
"Similarly wonderful is the Empress Rice."
(in 77 reviews)
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823 reviews in English
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Review from Matt V.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/8/2012
The first time I went to Tamarine was for a debate team dinner back when I was a student at Stanford University. The place has stood fondly in my mind since then, and I wanted to give it a five-star review on Yelp, but I figured it wouldn't be fair to the Yelp users if I tried to recreate an experience from almost a decade ago. It would be much better if I wrote a review while Tamarine was fresh on my mind.
So, that's what I did; I went back to Tamarine, in order to verify if it really is as good as I remembered.
Well, it is.
When you walk into Tamarine, you're immediate struck by the swanky, romantic atmosphere. It's dimly-lit, with beads hanging from the ceiling lamps. Along the walls of the restaurant are paintings done by Asian artists. (My favorite is the painting of the monks in the back of the restaurant, on the right.) All of the paintings are on sale, and you can have any of them for the modest price of $3000-$4300 (depending on the painting).
This time, I sat at the bar during happy hour, and was served at various points by one of three bartenders on duty. They were all very friendly, and very efficient in getting my food out.
As appetizers were half off during happy hour, that's all I ordered. I started with the tuna tartate. Golly, this was just perfect. They toss the tuna with coconut milk, ginger, and chili, and give you several crispy wonton chips to spread it all over. The flavors are balanced just perfectly, with the spices complementing the flavor of the tuna.
It's a relatively small portion, so I went ahead and ordered a second appetizer; this time, I went with the banh mi roti, which is a roti (Indian bread) served with a red Penang curry sauce. The curry flavor was good, although I would have preferred if it were a bit spicier. Also, the proportions were a bit off. I ran out of curry long before I ran out of bread to dip in it.
A culinary delight, and with half off during happy hour, it cost me only $10 (before tax and tip). How can you complain about that?
Overall, Tamarine is a wonderful experience; I waited far too long before returning to it, but I certainly won't make that mistake again! -
Review from Shirley A.
Campbell, CA
1/28/2012
This is Vietnamese food? 'Upscale Vietnamese'? Whatever you want to call it, it was delicious!
Went there for a business dinner and the menu was set for us. I remember having at least a dozen different plates from appetizers to desserts and everything was tasty. I also remember thinking, isn't that Indian food, or Malaysian food, or Chinese food, or Thai food, etc... It was all over the map, but again, it was still good.
The restaurant is not roomy and felt very cramped. It was crowded and I felt claustrophobic. I need my elbow room and personal space. Not really my scene either - stuffy crowd. But I guess you'd expect that in Palo Alto, in an upscale Vietnamese(?) restaurant. lol
It's a great place. I'll be back. -
Review from Andrew K.
Mountain View, CA
1/23/2012
Mmmm...Tamarine ranks high among the many upscale restaurants in downtown Palo Alto. I particularly like the clay pot cod and shaking beef.
Very nice ambiance and the wait staff has been excellent each time I've been there.
Main drawbacks: The portions are a bit small and the price tag runs high quickly. -
Review from May B.
Los Altos, CA
2/7/2012
Their claypot cod and beef dishes are really good. I would consider this an upscale Vietnamese restaurant with a lot of pretty artwork from Vietnam on display. Nice ambiance and nice place to take business clients for a nice meal.
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Review from Jayne W.
Los Altos, CA
1/10/2012
Tamarine provides an interesting dining experience.
The wait staff are both knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I was at a business lunch with a big group so got to sample a number of their specialties. Especially memorable were the signature tamarind shrimp, which had a unique smoky-tangy-bitter flavor. The garlic fried rice was also very good.
There were a couple of vegetarians among us, and a number of the dishes listed as fish or meat convert to vegetarian on request. Only thing I'd avoid would be the Vietnamese fried bread with a panang curry dip - its quite alright but the fat-to-pleasure ratio is high enough that its healthier to avoid it. -
Review from Michelle W.
Union City, CA
There were a lot of things to like about Tamarine, but also a lot undesired for. As I'm sorting through all the details in my head about my first experience here, I've concluded that it will probably also be my last. While the ambiance and pricing geared more toward a fine dining experience, the food did not.
The cilantro emulsion in the calamari starter was a great condiment, flavorful and paired nicely with the garlicky punches in each piece of fried calamari. However, just like the egg rolls and practically every other dish we ordered, the portions were ridiculously small. Our waitress even suggested doubling up on some orders just to be able to feed every mouth of our party of 10. Sad to say, even the double order did not fill our appetites. While we felt skimped on the portions of each dish, they surely felt generous with the garlic in the crab & garlic noodles. A bit too generous. Even after washing it down with my refreshing glass of white peach sangria, I still couldn't get the intense garlic taste out of my mouth for the remainder of the meal. From there on out, everything just tasted like garlic to me.
One of my favorite dishes of the evening was the Empress rice, which was a small bowl of sticky rice, garlic, leeks, ginger, & a poached egg on top that our server scrambled into the entire bowl. I would probably order this as an individual entree for myself along with a side of shaking beef. But $26 for a plate of shaking beef? Seriously? If you think that's absurd, wait until you get the $14 bowl of beef pho. I don't ever recall paying more than $6 for a heaping bowl of pho, so this blew my mind. There wasn't anything extraordinary about their pho, except for a hint of cinnamon spice in the broth, but I highly doubt that's worth an $8 difference.
As much as I love family style dining in order to try a little bit of everything on the menu, this meal cost an arm and a leg for unsatisfying portions. At least the service provided was very accommodating. There's normally a $25 corkage fee, but our server was kind enough to speak to the sommelier to open our half bottle of dessert wine free of charge. After spending $300+ for this family meal, it would have been a crime to not comp corkage on such a small bottle. I don't feel a sense of entitlement, but I also don't feel it's right to be ripped off.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience in a quaint, upscale venue that delivered attentive service, but I've endured much more desirable food at other places where prices weren't sky rocketing high. Best part of the meal: the cocktails. -
Review from Nisha S.
Los Altos, CA
2/5/2012
I went for a birthday dinner to Tamarine a few weeks ago. Wow! Had a great experience the food was excellent! Great ambiance and the presentation of the food was excellent.
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Review from Sandra D.
1/9/2012
Second time I came here.
Reason I put 3 stars, is because it is way overpriced. Way, way, way overpriced.
Food was good but really does not worth the price (unless you are an early investor or founder of one of the neighbor companies.). For instance a Beef Kobe salad dish about 26 or 27 dollars. C'mon! I would put no more than 18 for such dish in this restaurant / context.
We had a reservation. Our table was ready about 20 minutes later (on a Friday night).
One of the waiter kind of liked us and offered us Champagne while we were waiting, which was really nice.
Waiters and service were nice, nothing bad to say about it. However we had an eyelash in one of our dish, It was not from one of us (we were only girls with thick mascara... so not ours). Nice from the restaurant: they did not count the dish.
OK this happens... We all have hairs falling, right?
Also what I did not enjoy, is the noise... We had a hard time hearing each other.
So conclusion:
Food was pretty good
Price was not very nice. -
Review from Sridevi K.
Los Gatos, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tamarine never disappoints.. fairly consistent with their service and food. They allow corkage , which allowed us to enjoy a lovely bottle of cab.
Appetizers: Roti was excellent texture, Pork crisps is a Miss! Beef samosas and Taro rolls are super good.
Shaking beef and Duck are good entrees, tasty and good portions. Goan shrimp is a miss! Crispy cashew tofu was surprisingly good for a vegetarian choice. Its not your everyday tofu, More like vegetarian patty (cutlet) with extra grilled veggies on the side.
The Dirty Martini and Golden eye were well prepared cocktails, and attentive server always equals well made drinks!
We did not try desserts, because there were too many other places nearby to sneak in a sweet indulgence and pull out the night. -
Review from Lisa C.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/13/2012
After reading the reviews, I completely agree w/ everyone else that listed their fav foods. We eat @ Tamarine for lunch about 1x/week & the boss takes execs out for drinks/dinner about 2x/month. Consistantly good food, sometimes slow service (depending on your waiter), and beautiful ambiance. Favorite restaurant in Palo Alto, would eat here more often if not so pricey. Take-out is always fast & nicely packaged. Try:
-the Vietnamese Iced Coffee. As good as Slanted Door.
-Beef Samosas
-Shrimp Spring Rolls
-Ha Long Bay Soup
-Wok Pho Beef Noodles
-Tamarine Prawns (OMG, so sweet & delish!
-Clay Pot Cod (my fav dish)
-Shaking Beef
-Sweet Potato French Fries (good flavor, but can sometimes be soggy)
-I prefer the coconut rice (slightly sweet), but the boss likes the Empress Rice (savory) -
Review from martin t.
Menlo Park, CA
2/4/2012
Service was slow. Clay pot cod was too salty. Basil tofu was over cooked. Very disappointing.
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Review from L T.
San Mateo, CA
1/29/2012
Good food but too expensive for what you get, methinks.
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Review from Alex B.
Los Gatos, CA
1/14/2012
Tamarine provided solid, reliable service and fare. The experience was good, their corkage not exorbitant, and their cuisine eclectic and quality.
Favourite first courses: Roti Beef samosas and Taro Rolls
Main: The Shaking Beef was excellent, as was the Roasted Duck
The bar staff were competent and able to prepare solid, authentic requested cocktails. They got my GoldenEye right (well, the lemon peel wasn't that narrow, but that's a slight detail) and it was very enjoyable.
The noise level is a bit high. I needed to project to the wait staff, but they were patient and adaptable. -
Review from Lina M.
Palo Alto, CA
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic shaking beef and Lemongrass Sea Bass dishes! Came here for dinner on the day after Christmas, a monday evening. Even though the rest of University Ave was quiet, this place was packed! We made reservations for 2 earlier in the day.
The service is good, and leisurely. Really enjoyed the ambiance- good for date, dim, pleasant noise level.
We started with the Tamarine taste, a sampler of their appetizers: Taro Root Rolls, Tea Leaf Beef, Shrimp Spring Rolls & Papaya Salad. The first 3 were standard, nothing special. My favorite was the papaya salad: it had a crisp, vinegrette taste.
The Festive Rice went well with the entrees- plenty for 1 people. Next time I'll stick to coconut rice or brown/jasmine rice since this was nothing fancy.
With wine and cocktails for both of us, our bill totalled about $110- all well spent! -
Review from Annie D.
12/22/2011
Overpriced Vietnamese food? Well of course, you're on University Ave!
I didn't get to experience the dine in part, we ordered to go. The place was packed and very up scale looking.
What we ordered:
Salt & Pepper Calamari- this was pretty tasty, even after sitting in a box and getting soggy, it still held it's texture, I can only imagine how it would be if I dined in.
Issan Grilled Sausage- this was very flavorful as well.
Shrimp Spring Rolls- just your average spring roll from any place you can get it, did nothing special to it.
Taro Root Rolls- fried egg roll! Good option for the veggie eaters.
Crab & Garlic Noodles- made with glass noodles, different, wasn't strong in the garlic department, plenty of crab chunks, pretty good flavors. Good portion.
Clay Pot Cod- this was saucy and flavorful. very small portion.
Lemongrass Sea Bass- good taste, cooked nicely. just one fillet.
Shaking Beef- beef was well marinaded, good dish. good size.
Chili-Lime Aubergine- grilled eggplants, different, but not much flavor going on, must dip it in their sauce to get some flavor going.
Festive Rice-Steamed long grain rice, coconut, turmeric & salam leaves- small portion of rice, pretty good flavors.
Overall, food might have tasted waaay better dining in, but the experience of dining out was pretty darn good. They're a little pricey and the portions are ok, the fish portions were tiny for the price they were charging. I would be disappointed if that was my entree and had nothing else to eat, I'll be hungry. I'll be sure to come back and try the dining in experience. -
Review from Lisa H.
Jacksonville Beach, FL
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
We just had the most amazing dinner here. José *smile* told us what to order- food was amazing! Atmosphere was amazing! Cannot wait to visit again and eat dinner here. If you are in Palo Alto, please stop in for dinner. Call ahead and make reservations because the place fills quickly.
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Review from Erin W.
12/26/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Finally got around to trying Tamarine. One question now: what took me so long? Everything is family style unless you can't handle it...I recommend you just go with the flow as there are so many delicious options on the menu - why restrict your taste buds?
We ordered: Shaking Beef (a true competitor to the Slanted Door's version), a Chili-Lime Aubergine side dish (possibly the best Asian eggplant dish I've ever tasted), Green Papaya salad (so fresh!) and Salt & Pepper Calamari (way too fried for my taste). Besides the calamari, I thought the dishes were exquisite - well seasoned, not overcooked, full of complementary flavors. Even the plating and delivery was divine. Oh and if you like fried food, you should try the calamari - my dining companion was into this dish as well.
Oh and just a suggestion...Tamarine would be a great date spot...very light, white linen tablecloths, velvet curtains..... -
Review from Martin L.
Menlo Park, CA
1/28/2012
Service was very slow. Clay pot cod was way too salty and basil tofu was dry and overcooked. I'm pretty sure that we won't be returning to Tamarine again.
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Review from Kelly N.
San Jose, CA
1/29/2012
This place is one the best Vietnamese restaurant around Bay Area as I know so far. I love their shaking beef, this is the same owner with Vung Tau but I still think this 1 is a bit better. I also like their garlic rice, it was awsome. Overall, nice atmosphere, reasonable price with ok service, the only thing i didn't enjoy was those hostess, mean look and did not say goodbye when i left
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Review from Maya S.
Mountain View, CA
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tip #1 - make a reservation! But even if you wander in, the wait is worth it. Here's the rundown:
-- Appetizer sampler is definitely a winner, those taro rolls paired with the green papaya salad is fantastic
-- Clay pot anything!
-- The simple garlic noodles are a great accompaniment to any dish
-- Fried banana profiterole thingys, need I say more?
Consistently good food with occasionally slow service that actually forces you to sit and savor the meal. A+! -
Review from Jen N.
Richmond, VA
1/6/2012
Visting a college roommate who lives in Mountain View.
Living in SoCal and within close proximity to Westminster (Little Saigon), I know good vietnamese food when I see it! Sadly, there aren't many options in Los Angeles (LA proper, not SGV I'm referring to).
What we enjoyed (3.5 girls and this was plenty of food. The 0.5 refers to my pregnant friend):
hue beef rice noodle rolls: basically spring rolls; overly cooked outer spring roll layer made it rather mushy than my preference of "al dente". Still, seasoning and dipping sauce were delicious.
crab and garlic noodles: my FAVE!! Generous portions of crab, lightly seasoned noodles.
panko crusted trout: OMG I wanted to finish the leftovers even the next day, huge fish that you definitely have to share; nuoc cham dressing complements the mango and basil crusted trout
garlic rice: simple yet complements the above.
Can't wait to go back next time I'm in NorCal -
Review from Vikki H.
Los Gatos, CA
12/4/2011
This restaurant is the de facto expense account lunch for my department at work. Since everything is served family style it isn't outrageously expensive and is great for a group. In fact I brought my husband here after having eaten so many amazing business lunches and can definitely say the experience with two is just not the same as with a larger group (too limited in the dishes you can try, whereas with a group you can be more adventurous).
A couple recommendations and tips:
Starters
Calamari with cilantro emulsion sauce, honestly the calamari itself is just alright, but the sauce is so amazing (on everything!) - it's the reason to order it!
Papaya salad with beef - it's so good and I don't even know why because it doesn't sound like it would be good, but it's one of my favorite things on the menu
Skip the shrimp cupcakes - waiter pushed them and honestly I thought the name alone sold them (I work in marketing after all), but they needed a spice or something for my taste - quite bland
Mains
You pretty much have to order the old standbys: clay pot cod and shaking beef (they are the best of the best for a reason!)
I've ordered the duck several times and I never think it comes with enough sauce, and the confit potato cake that comes with it is again one of those items that sounds way better than it tastes in my opinion
Overall, you can expect an awesome meal here, great innovative flavors and terrific ambiance. -
Review from Nat N.
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm not a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine, so when my friend's planned a dinner at this place, I was not that excited about it since it was our very last meal on our San Fran vacay. Not only was it Vietnamese food, but it appeared to be a fusion type of restaurant, and normally I don't think too highly of Asian restaurants "with a twist".
I don't think I'd make it a point to come here on future visits to the Bay area (there are too many other places that I'd rather go to), but, I still give it 4 stars because the food and service deserve it.
Shrimp cupcakes - I'm not a fan of coconut flavored hot foods so this didn't sit well with me.
Crab and Garlic Noodles - loved the crab, but the dish as a whole did not have a lot of flavoring
Tamarine Prawns - YUM!
Clay Pot Cod - YUM!
Shaking Beef - YUM!
Curried Long Beans - not bad
Empress Rice - YUM!
For dessert we ordered the lava cake and tapioca - both were YUMMY!!! -
Review from X Y.
Pleasanton, CA
1/21/2012
To die for:
Tea leaf beef roll. This was one of the items on their "Tamarine Taste" appetizer. The flavor popped in my mouth and wow....just tastes like more!
A lychee cocktail....sorry can't remember the name but it has "X-liqueur" in this. I don't see this from their menu.
Sat at the bar. Very relaxed and comfortable setting. Server was a little indifferent. He was chatting with other wait staff and took his time greeting us and offering us a drink after we sat down.
Will definitely be back to try their other items but maybe will try their restaurant. Hopefully their servers are more attentive. -
Review from Mike H.
Santa Monica, CA
1/1/2012
A PA staple. good for all occasions. the word is out but this place continues to be excellent
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Review from Madison W.
New York, NY
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's definitely a happening business lunch place. Price-y for sure (but there is always the $18 prix fixed power lunch menu). We went a la carte which by default means expense account.
Shaking Beef - the beef was very very tender, but too thick for my taste and could have used more overall taste.
Emperor rice - uh... it's sticky rice with soy sauce and a poached egg, pass
Garlic rice - meh... overpriced
Tofu rolls of some sort - they were good
Roti - delicious
shrimp cupcakes - good
lamb - okay
Basically, it is a good "fusion" restaurant, but not great. But on University Ave, most restaurants fall short on the quality side. -
Review from Katherine L.
San Jose, CA
1/22/2012
This place gets pretty packed so reservations are a definite yes is you want to be sure that you have a table. This place serves their take on traditional Vietnamese food with a twist. The duck I ordered was cooked perfectly and delicious but came with this curry type sauce that was weird for my palette considering it is Vietnamese food, after all. I enjoyed the sampler plate, my favorite being the eggrolls. I also had trout, which had to have been my favorite, it was delicious. It was definitely Vietnamese, with the fish sauce, has perfectly crisp skin and flaky meat. The eggplant was also good. The service was good and the place was very clean. It was an overall good experience but nothing that has me dying to go back. Maybe I need to try other things on the menu.
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Review from Matt S.
Palo Alto, CA
11/22/2011 Seated via OpenTable
My girlfriend and I had a great meal here.
PROs:
1) The restaurant ambiance feels very warm and intimate, despite the tables being somewhat close together.
2) The wine list is very good.
3) The food was very tasty - go for the garlic crab noodles.
4) The cocktails are fun!
5) Attentive but not overly attentive service.
CONs:
1) The food was good, but not amazing. I would still go back though.
2) The wallet took a wallop, but it was a celebration so, meh.
Will go back! -
Review from Anna R.
Tamarine is hands-down one of my favorite spots in Palo Alto for lunch, dinner, AND for happy hour. Triple threat - or should I say triple treat?!
Clean French Vietnamese flavors with perfect seasoning is what you will find here. Portions are generous, the service is outstanding and the bartenders make some great cocktails. No wonder you can't get a reservation here the day-of and most walk-ins are turned away.
I generally come here for happy hour and the bar isn't too busy for that 2-hour time slot. The people that come to Tamarine aren't in search of reduced cheap food and cocktails and the restaurant doesn't bother advertising their HH very much - why would you if you're this slammed every night anyway?
Some of my favorites:
Tuna Tartare (tossed with coconut milk, ginger & chili) = foodgasm
Steamed mussels in green curry sauce (no longer on the menu, will have to try the Steamed Mussel Crepe next time - wait...that's tonight - woohoo)
Banh Mi Roti (pan fried wheat bread with a red Panang curry sauce) - so good (and probably so bad for you) that I never want to share it
Kobe Beef Pho - totally hits the spot on a rainy day or if you feel a cold coming on
Shaking Beef - this tender meat dish is a staple here and for a good reason
If you ever make your way in here, sit at the bar, have a lychee or pear martini, order some appetizers and soak in the elegant atmosphere. I know I'm going to do just that tonight!Listed in: Best Happy Hour, ROTD Gems
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Review from Owen M.
Pacifica, CA
Some dining out quirks I've mastered; others I'm still working on.
Ever have to remind yourself not to get hung up on price when you're having an "expensive" dinner? That one's ingrained in me now, but I used to have to make a conscious effort to remember the deal or else I'd fixate on "bang for the buck" the whole night instead of enjoying myself. Now, I just don't go if I can't afford it.
"Innovative" places like Tamarine present a different issue for me. This isn't the traditional Vietnamese fare I know & love. They mess with culinary tradition - on purpose. I have to stay mindful of that no matter what cuisine is being served; otherwise, I'm apt to get all high 'n mighty, thinking to myself how much better the conventional version of a particular dish is at another restaurant (or cooked by somebody's mom, or even cooked by me).
I may have finally learned the lesson.
My wife loves Tamarine and has dined there many times with work folks, but I'd never before crossed the threshold. I was looking forward to it (and repeating the mantra: "contemporary, creative, innovative ... don't be a traditionalist weenie.")
Sweetish cocktails aren't my usual thing, but I started with a TAMARINE MOJITO to get into the swing of things to come. It was laced with fresh mango & went down in a flash. My wife loved her sweet 'n zippy GINGER TROIS.
We ordered far too much food. Unless you're a regular, it's tough to narrow down the menu at Tamarine when you're seated at a two top. You want variety so you can experiment and taste, taste, taste. So, you either over-order like we did or you leave disappointed that you didn't try this, that 'n the other thing. This was our lineup (and, believe me, there were many other contenders that we grudgingly skipped):
ISSAN GRILLED SAUSAGE APPETIZER ($12) - House-made sausage (filled with pork, lemongrass, garlic, chilies & red curry), served with a roast tomato sauce.
WOK FIRED GARLIC NOODLES ($9) - Egg noodles with garlic, butter, Parmesan, black pepper, fresh cilantro & lime.
TAMARINE PRAWNS ($26) - Five flash-fried jumbo prawns tossed in Tamarine's signature tamarind sauce.
CLAY POT COD ($22) - Alaskan Black Cod caramelized in onion, garlic, black pepper & molasses.
CHILI-LIME AUBERGINE ($10) - Grilled Japanese eggplant finished with onion oil, scallions & chili-lime fish sauce.
CURRIED LONG BEANS ($10) - Long beans sautéed in red chili, Kaffir lime leaves & onions.
FESTIVE RICE ($3) - Steamed long grain rice, coconut, turmeric & salam leaves.
I love to dissect the food for the reading pleasure of Yelpers who fancy long-ass reviews, but there's really too much to say this time to be comprehensive. Here's the somewhat abbreviated version.
Watch out for the "roast tomato sauce" if you order the sausage app. It sounds innocuous enough, but it's loaded with garlic and not a little chili heat. Don't get me wrong; I liked it. I ate it with a spoon when that porky link had mysteriously vanished. But if you aren't accustomed to that much chili & garlic, you might think it masks the flavor of the sausage (or that it just, umm, burns).
I liked the flavor of the garlic noodles and would re-order, but IMHO they were boiled a little too long for their own good.
The prawns. I'd heard tell many, many times of the tamarind sauce lovingly coddling the five still shell-bound crustaceans. Was it good? Yeah, it was good! But, when consciousness slips away at night and my mind is gripped by involuntary dreamscapes, will I fantasize about that tamarind sauce? Nope.
The cod? Killer!
You take a workingman's fish like cod and serve it so meltingly rich 'n flavorful 'n succulent 'n well-seasoned? I'm instantly a fan. It could have been served sans sauce and I still would have loved it. But throw in the sauce? Let's just say that I might encounter *that* sauce during REM sleep sometime soon. Me, frolicking with a clay-pot-caramelized but still living school of codfish, in an ocean of that sauce. Time to call the men in white coats, Sweetheart!
We ordered two veggie sides b/c our entrees came w/o accompaniments. The curried long beans are pretty much what you'd expect. And all of that in a good way, except that I'd anticipated more crunch. The chili-lime fish sauce on the eggplant gave a tasty little contrast to the two fully-skinned eggplants, which were spoon-tender & not greasy. I confess, though, that I missed the eggplant skin, which often lends a welcome bitter note.
Service left nothing to be desired. If you aren't sure after seeing the space and the furnishings, etc., that you're in a fine dining spot, you'll certainly know from the service. Attentive, efficient, knowledgeable & adept at walking the friendly-but-not-too-friendly balance beam. (Disclosure: I was surprised to be acquainted with someone - not our server - on the floor, and we received a gratis dessert, but I can't for the life of me imagine that service isn't always rock solid.) -
Review from Kari T.
Santa Clara, CA
1/14/2012
Wow is all I can say. Absolutely everything I tried was delicious. If you go, you must get the pineapple salad and the won ton soup. Mmm... It's very crowded so I suggest reservations, but if you find yourself waiting its well worth it.
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Review from J R.
Palo Alto, CA
1/16/2012
Great food, great ambience, great service!
Their food, although claimed to be upscale vietnamese, tastes like chinese+korean, or Asian fusion. It's best to go with a group of 4 so that you can order a few a la carte dishes to share along with rice. Their service is also superb... I heard the servers are mostly actor/actress-preps. The servers are very well educated. -
Review from D R.
Fremont, CA
1/16/2012
If you're looking for a place to hold a business dinner...bump this rating up by a star or two. (If you're on the company dime, anyway.)
The service is quite good. The presentation is attractive and the chef has always been willing to modify things for those pesky vegetarians. (I am one of them!) The food is tasty and from an ambiance perspective it's close to a rather fine-dining experience. Not Gary Danko, Fifth Floor kind of fine dining, but pretty darn good. It's fairly quiet. The drinks are well done.
If you're looking for a nice dinner out with a good friend or date, I'd steer clear. Particularly if your dinner mate happens to be a foodie...even an amateur one. As I said, the food is tasty. It's also RIDICULOUSLY over-priced for what it is and any foodie will spot this fact immediately.
I'd love to give Tamarine more stars and I've eaten here a number of times, but because of the pricing - I just can't. It's not good 'bang for your buck'. -
Review from Alex K.
10/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
This restaurant is a gem.
I feel really lucky because I came with someone who knew the menu thru and thru and ordered all of the delicious things my little heart desired. I can't list all of the things I tried because there were so many:
+ calamari is great
+ delicious cocktails
+ awesome eggy fried rice type thing
+ fried prawns are delicious
+ SHAKING BEEF for the win! (so tender so delicious)
+ Mango iced tea (for the non alcoholics) is outstanding.... I'm craving it right now as I type!
Great service here. Definitely a great place to come with a group or a date.
A real treat! -
Review from Kristine L.
San Jose, CA
1/8/2012
A somewhat fancy Asian place in Downtown Palo Alto. We were able to make reservations at the last minute but if we didn't, we probably would have had to find another place to eat, so make reservations!! Anyway, most of their dishes aren't traditional Asian plates, but more modern and unique. My table got the lamb chops, duck, trout, and appetizer sampler, along with garlic rice and white rice. Everything was just ok. Good, I liked it, but nothing that would make me crave this place often. My favorite were the lamb chops as it was the dish with the most flavor but most of my table liked the trout the most. Apparently the shaken beef and cod clay pot are supposed to be the best dishes so if I ever come back, I will try those. Service was really good, but the atmosphere is a bit stiff. Not for little kids who scream and are loud.
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Review from D M.
Palo Alto, CA
1/16/2012
Delicious food. The service is awesome especially if you sit at the big table next to the bar. Thanks for the great evenings there. Looking forward to the new items on the menu.
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Review from mo o.
Palo Alto, CA
11/10/2011
I consistently have a good experience at Tamarine. It's no surprise that they are often packed.
The staff are knowledgeable and very friendly.
The atmosphere makes me feel like I'm in a trendy NY restaurant. Lots of beautiful lighting and gorgeous, calming colors.
Food is just delicious. Love the sea bass (not always on menu) and peppered shrimp. The aubergine (eggplant) is very tender and delicious. Oh and the calamari is distinctive in it's presentation with a sauce that's unique and just right. The shaking beef is also tender and consistently delicious. Yummy!
Crowd tends to be 30+. We've met really interesting people at the bar quite often.
It's a little pricy but to me it's worth it and makes for a special treat. Really like this place! -
Review from Matthew C.
Palo Alto, CA
Updated - 10/7/2011 20 Check-ins Here
Upgrading my rating based on a back-to-back series of great experiences. Food still great... scene still great... and the 'tude of the hostesses has gotten noticeably better... dare I say welcoming!
Latest experience was dinner with my wife and son. We started with a couple glasses of Deutz Champagne (a great one to have available by the glass!) and the salt & pepper calamari (my son's fav). We moved on to the crab with glass noodles (delicious and flawlessly executed every time) and then the duck with cognac sauce, which paired very nicely with a bottle of red Burgundy. Again, I have to go out of my way to point out how well constructed the wine list is... great mix in terms of price and selection... some real cherries on the list if you know what you are looking for... I won't say any more 'cause I want them to be there when I go back. :)
I encourage people to order lots of dishes and eat family style. The menu is well-suited to this approach.
Tamarine is also a great destination for private parties. They have the ability to section off the restaurant in many different configurations and accommodate many different sized parties. We hosted one here this past year and were extremely happy with the results. All the guests commented on how wonderful the experience was.
I also learned that the GM and sommelier are ex-Fleur de Lys folks. Explains a lot... they take service very seriously and go the extra mile. They are very approachable and pleasant.Listed in: Best of Palo Alto
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9/23/2011
Love the food. Love the scene. Hate the attitude.
Think of this as a little piece of NYC right here… Read more »
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Review from Daniel L.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/21/2011
Still a fan. Clay Pot Cod was amazing. Service is still spectacular, and the wine list is great.
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12/17/2010
We had our holiday office lunch at Tamarine and without looking at the prices... I found everything… Read more »
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Review from alan r.
Cupertino, CA
1/1/2012
shaking beef good hili lime auberine just quality tastes and good food with drinks and enjoyed my last visit. Have a great bar menu for happy hoour rock stars garlic galore likey
