Sunday, August 25, 2013

Tamarind Review

The GF and I were catching up with our friends, J and Christine. Since it was around dinnertime, we decided to order some Thai to satiate our appetites. Knowing that Tamarind was on point, J suggested we stop by for pick up (unfortunately they don't deliver). Natch, the girls resumed drinking. Located on South Street, this BYO actually seems to be a great place to take a date - provided you can handle the impending spice!

Spring Roll ($3.95)
Chicken, glass noodles, shredded carrot, deep fried pastry shell, house special sauce


We started off with some spring rolls, which were pretty standard, but good nonetheless. Crispy and filled with small bits of pulled chicken and glass noodles, the brightness of the sauce helped to create a satisfying bite. 

Steamed Dumpling ($5.95)
Crab-style dumpling, steamed, soy sauce, vinegar, red chile pepper sauce



Topped with bits of chopped peanuts, these 'shumai' were delicious savory bites, accentuated by the sweet heat of the chili sauce. 

Beef Satay ($5.95)
Grilled marinated in coconut milk, turmeric curry, peanut sauce, cucumber relish


We also went for the beef satay, which unfortunately was a bit dry and chewy. Perhaps it needed to be marinated a bit longer? The peanut sauce was definitely necessary to add some moistness to each bite. The cucumber relish seemed a bit superfluous considering the small amount and the fact that this was a satay. 

Radna ($11.95)
Thai flat noodles stir-fried, fresh shrimp, vegetables, brown sauce.


The radna offered a bounty of shrimp and veggies in an abundance of brown sauce. The veggies had bite though the shrimp were slightly overcooked.

Pad Thai ($11.95) 
Stir-fried rice noodles, chicken, mung bean sprouts, tofu, chopped egg


Of course, to gauge Tamarind's worth - I had to try the pad thai. Tamarind's version seemed authentic - a bounty of mung bean sprouts, tofu, and egg interspersed with noodles and chicken. It wasn't overdressed in sauce, which I appreciated at first. But then I realized the spice level.


In fact, take a look at my pad thai on the left and the GF's on the right. Night and day. At Tamarind, you can order your preferred spice level from 0 to 7. J knows I like things spicy and I didn't even give it another thought when I said to order mine spicy. Of course, J took that to mean I wanted a 7 haha. Needless to say, I was sweating bullets after a few bites.

Overall, Tamarind offers a decent option for Thai on South Street. For being a BYO, they also take credit cards! Just remember - if you're on a date or are looking to save yourself from some GI distress, take it easy with the spice level. This is one of those few instances where it might be good to go home rather than go big.


Tamarind on Urbanspoon
http://www.tamarindsouthstreet.com/new/

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