We'd been meaning to try Tamarind for some time but didn't get around to it until this evening, and I am elated to tell you all that everything we had from starter to main to end was -- to put it simply -- a treat.
I am not Sherlock Holmes and thus am no expert on spices. My (damned) acid reflux also makes partaking in painfully high spice levels an act of poor judgement. I also like to taste what I am eating aside from seed-borne heat. The spice fiends of the Yelposphere who think that food is bland and worthless unless it deadens their tongues may scoff at my moderate intake of all things peppery, but I prefer my food to be a pleasure to consume, not an exercise in masochism. Having mentioned that, I found no issues with the pungency of what I ate.
In regards to my entree, that being Lamb Korma, I asked for a 5 and got something that playfully nibbled at my tastebuds without overtaking the other components of the dish. Rich and succulent as a Hungarian ghoulash, the Korma reminded me of an even creamier interpretation of the more conventional (and famous?) Lamb Curry. A squiggly line of what I assume was yogurt was drizzled atop the gravy for presentation. The lamb, braised exquisitely, was as delicate and suety as the zenith of pulled pork. Exactly what spices were in the Korma, I couldn't tell you, but they were there, hiding underneath the buttery flavors and even permeating the avocado and walnut-colored room. Accentuating everything, usurping nothing, the essences were indescribable yet omnipresent.
Kay's Tikka Masala cruised on a track parallel to the Korma, but included chicken, tomato, and onions to liven it up further. Kay was unable to finish her portion, so I...intervened. Both dishes were so luscious, when our excellent, friendly, and (interestingly enough) non-Indian server came by our table to see how our dinner was proceeding, I merely looked at her, closed my eyes, hummed, and swayed, much to her amusement and relief (the poor lass was dealing with a difficult party as we dined).
Our first course consisted of the savorily tangy bread pudding vs. falafel of Dahi Vada. The fritters of lentil could have been a dessert had there been milk and sugar involved, but instead, both of the large "fried donuts" came to us in a pool of raita (a white yogurt sauce) and embellished with carrot shards and other vegetables. Velvety and served chilled, I felt that this would be the dish to serve with or after something particularly piquant. Nonetheless, the weightless patties were an ideal counterbalance to the entree.
Rather than go with Naan, that staple of Indian cuisine I've enjoyed countless times, I opted for its billowy, crisp, hot fat-baptized variant in Batura. The most savorous fried dough in all of gastronomy, the gilded bread itself was feather-light, had bubbles all through it, and revealed a hollow interior when pulled apart to dip into and soak up whatever we pleased. If any Indian restaurant decided to open a booth at a carnival, they'll do well to make plenty of Batura for it is fair food that is at once familiar and exotic. I have had Batura before, but it had been so long that I had forgotten what it was called. Tonight's dinner was a pleasant and decadent refresher course on this Asiatic sopapilla.
I almost went with an Indian dessert such as Rasmalai to conclude the evening's experience, but when I found out that Tamarind makes their own cakes in their own bakery, I just had to take a pop at one. Feeling like chocolate cake (Tamarind has a wide assortment), we each went for just that and were pleased to find that it was moist, constructed ornately with multiple layers, ethereal in texture, and iced with an equally airy coffee-tinged frosting that resembled mousse. We were assured by our server that Tamarind does not buy their cakes elsewhere, and I am still trying to tell myself that I did in fact have myself a truly blissful cut of chocolate cake...from an Indian restaurant. How common is that?
Savoring India, indeed. Drive up that winding road to find the hidden shopping plaza in the suburban sky and deliver thyselves unto culinary Vaikuntha. read more