One
of the 10 best meals, anywhere, in recent
memory!
Sep 08 '04 (Updated
Sep 08 '04)
Author's Product Rating
| Food and
Presentation: |
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| Ambiance
and Decor: |
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| Quality of
Service: |
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Pros
Fine dining with
attendant fine service in beautiful, gracious
surroundings.
Cons
none that we
could see or sense
The Bottom
Line
This is an uncommon blend of fine food
using the best/freshest ingredients combined with
world-class service and it all takes place in a
comfortable, beautiful and sophisticated
place.
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| Full
Review |
Tamarine Restaurant and Gallery
546 University Ave.
Palo Alto, Ca 94301
650 325-8500
Tamarine is a
relatively new place that is making itself very
well known in the culinary circles of the San
Francisco Bay Area. We recently visited it twice
and both times we were so very impressed with
their culinary quality, consistency,
professionalism and warm, easy ambiance.
Tamarine is located right on University
Ave., a main arterial in the heart of the Palo
Alto downtown area. From the street, nothing
unusual stands out to mark the place as a fine
culinary establishment. But, once you step inside,
it is very apparent that a lot of design and care
went into the building of this place.
The
décor and atmosphere is soft, casual and
sophisticated all at the same time. The lighting
is low and the noise level is muted by woven vinyl
mat floor covering, tables draped with
tablecloths, upholstered chairs and low acoustical
tile ceilings. White parchment-shaded chandeliers
and taupe-colored walls make for a very artful
decor. The restaurant is divided into two long
rectangular rooms separated by a bar and a row of
tables with high bar seats. This reduces the room
size, giving it a more intimate feel. This
restaurant does more than serve food. It feeds
your other senses, as well. The walls are hung
with original artwork featuring Vietnamese
artists. It is a gallery and the works are for
sale. It is quiet enough to chat easily with your
table mates or even discuss business or impress
your date. It is all tastefully done.
On
our first visit, we were a party of four. We
arrived a bit before our 7 PM reservation on a
Saturday evening. The place was full. We were
cordially greeted by two young ladies serving as
hostesses. We were immediately seated; the table
settings were precise and proper; iced water was
immediately delivered; a female waitperson quickly
checked on us – it was all so very efficient,
cordial and professional. We were impressed. This
is a great beginning!
The menu is
impressive. There are 8 “Starters” and 1
combination sampler ranging from $7 to $9. The
Tamarine Taste sampler serves 2 at $13. There are
10 items in the “Salads, Soups & Noodles”
section. There are 13 items in the “Small Plate
Entrees” section. A vegetarian section lists 5
dishes. There are six different rices offered at
$2/small bowl.
We ordered some starters
along with a bottle of Schneider Gewurztraminer, a
good choice – light, crisp but not too serious.
Wine glasses were quickly delivered and our
server, Julie, expertly uncorked it and we were
properly served. If we bring a bottle with us, the
corkage fee would be charged. However, if we also
ordered a bottle from their inventory, the corkage
fee of $20 would be waived. I find that to be a
very equitable policy. The stemware, by the way,
was Riedel crystal, another good sign.
We
had Summer Rolls, Crab Won Tons, Cinnamon Shrimp
and Papaya Salad for starters. All were excellent.
The dipping sauce for the Summer Rolls was
outstanding. Many Vietnamese places serve this but
their sauces are, typically, just a bit sweet with
a distinct peanut flavor. The sauce, here, was
wonderfully complex and peanut was not the single,
apparent flavor and complimented the delicate
rolls, mixing well with the flavors in the roll.
The crab won ton was another outstanding choice –
light, delicate, deep fried with lots of crab
inside and served with a nice, slightly tangy
dipping sauce.
For our main course items
we had Asian Pear Salad, Crab & Garlic
Noodles, Mekong Bass, Hoisin Lamb Chops, Shaking
Beef and Curried Long Beans along with two kinds
of rice, Red Rice and Festive Rice. This sounds
like a lot of food but think “small plates.” The
concept is somewhat similar to Spanish Tappas or
Chinese Dim Sum. Many small dishes allow diners to
be rewarded with many and various dishes instead
of limiting the main course to one single, large
entrée.
We all agreed that the Shaking
Beef was outstanding! This was made up of tender
filet mignon cubes of beef seared with garlic and
onions, on a bed of watercress and served with a
mysterious, dark dipping sauce that was salty,
sour and slightly hot. The contrast of the
semi-sweet beef with the salty & sour &
hot of the dipping sauce is incredibly good.
Whoever came up with this mixing of flavor is a
culinary genius! This is a fairly standard item on
Vietnamese restaurants but this was the best
execution I ever experienced on this dish.
Everyone liked the salad and the garlic noodles.
They were good but not like the outstanding
homerun of the Shaking Beef. I loved the Hoisin
Lamb – tender, juicy, sticky sweet but not
overpowered by the Hoisin sauce. There were other
flavors detected but I have no idea if it was in
the sauce or the marinade before grilling. The
Mekong Bass was expertly done – flaky, moist and
seasoned a bit like Chinese-style steamed fish. I
thought the beans were OK but the others liked
them a lot, too! The two rice dishes were
beautifully served in separate small plates and
looked beautiful. The Red Rice is gently flavored
with tomato, garlic & butter. The Festive Rice
has turmeric, ginger & cinnamon for flavors,
again subtly.
We also ordered a bottle of
Valpiedra ($50), a medium-bodied Spanish Red wine
with a good earthy flavor. It went very well with
all the dishes – enough body to stand up to the
Shaking Beef and the Hoisin Lamb but still soft
enough to go along with the milder, less
expressive dishes – an excellent choice. The wines
were recommended by either our server, Julie, or
the Manager, Sarah. Sarah is extremely well versed
and competent in their wine list. And, it doesn’t
hurt that she is also attractive, has a bright,
beautiful smile and a winning personality.
We had two desserts, a Banana Beignet and
a Lemon Mousse. Again, these were carefully
constructed and beautifully presented. They tasted
as good as they looked! We had 3 coffees and a
glass of Fonseca Port. In the end, we were all
completely satisfied and marveled at the total
experience from entry to exit. In my book, this
ranked as one of the 10 best meals I have had in
recent memory, anywhere.
The total cost
for this outstanding meal for four totaled $259.26
and included tax but not tip. Bear in mind there
was $70 in wine. This means the calculated food
charges amount to only $46/person. I consider that
low for such a high quality dinner. To me, this
was an outstanding value when consider the idea of
price/performance.
The thing that was
so outstanding was that it was a totally
“balanced” experience. Everything went well from
the beginning to the end. The service was
outstanding as was the food quality, presentation
and ambiance. The staff was not just competent. We
found them to be friendly but thoroughly
professional. This dedication to high service with
warmth was evident everywhere. Even the Bus Boy,
Victor, was a joy. He always had a smile and was
genuinely pleased to be serving all the guests. We
never had to ask for anything. It was ALL so very
special and professional.
As I said, I
was so impressed we had to try it a second time
and the experience was the same high quality,
gracious dining we had come to expect. We were not
disappointed.
Tamarine is sophisticated
but warm and friendly. If you’re looking for
an upscale dining experience in this area of the
greater San Francisco Culinary World, do it
here! You won’t be disappointed. WE think
enough of it to drive an hour from East Bay to
enjoy this kind of fine dining.
Reservations are recommended.
Jim
Recommended
Yes
Kid
Friendliness: No
Vegetarian
Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu
Recommendations Do not miss the Shaking Beef
or the Crab Won Ton
Best Suited For:
Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
tennis_player
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 in Electronics,
Sporting
Goods
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Member:James
Quon
Location: Northern
California
Reviews written:
217
Trusted by: 157 members
A
retired Professional from 40 years in technical
Sales & Marketing.
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