Met up with some old colleagues here the other day for dinner and the food was was amazing as usual! I'm glad we made reservations as the restaurant was quite packed on a Monday evening. Because they are located at the beginning of downtown, there is usually plenty of parking on the adjacent streets and also a parking garage directly behind the restaurant at the Webster/Cowper Garage. The restaurant is well-lit, clean, and inviting. The tables are well-spaced from each other. For the appetizer we started with their salt and pepper calamari. This was excellent and was was served with a cilantro lime dipping sauce. Since a few of them have never dined at Tamarine or it's been years, I recommended one of my favorite dishes to share, the Empress Rice. The garlic and ginger sticky rice topped with a sunny-side up egg and drizzled with sweet soy sauce is a must. They break the egg and mix it in table-side. We also ordered their garlic noodles which was also great. Traditionally other restaurants use lo mein noodles or thin spaghetti, but they use egg noodles here. You can taste that wok-tossed garlic, butter, and parmesan cheese flavor in the noodles. I think there was a hint of black pepper too. For the mains, the shaking beef is always a hit. The filet mignon beef cubes are so tender and cooked a perfect medium rare. It's served with a side of arugula salad. It was our first time trying their lemon grass sea bass and we all loved it. Since this was pan roasted there was this flavorful lemongrass and garlic crust on the fish! The service here is consistently friendly and attentive. Our waters were constantly refilled and empty dishes removed promptly. Even though there are many new restaurants in downtown Palo Alto, year after year, I keep coming back to Tamarine and have been for the last decade+! read more

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Tamarine was pretty good, but honestly not amazing. For starters, we got the calamari, peach and burrata salad, and chicken wontons. For entrees, we had the red chicken curry and branzino ca nuong with pan-fried eggplant, jasmine rice, and coconut rice. For dessert, we tried the black sesame cheesecake, mango coconut tapioca, and banana beignets. They put a happy birthday sign on the cheesecake, which was cute, but just a heads-up, the birthday dessert was not free. The food was good overall, but nothing really stood out to me. Also, as someone who eats Vietnamese food quite often, I did not feel like any of the food was actually Vietnamese. The branzino came with nuoc cham, but that was pretty much it. Most of the menu felt more generally Asian-inspired than Vietnamese, which was disappointing. The service was just okay. The servers were nice, but not super friendly, and the whole interaction felt a little awkward. I also felt rushed throughout dinner because they kept asking if they could take our plates, even though we were clearly still eating and there was still food left. The restaurant definitely has a classy vibe, but to me it felt more like awkward classy. Overall, the food was decent, but between the service and the lack of Vietnamese flavors, I probably would not rush back. read more

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This is a fusion restaurant, so it isn't your typical hole in the wall mom and pop Vietnamese stop. The strongest dish we ordered were the tiger prawns and garlic noodles. It was perfect. We also had the shaking beef which was good. Spring and pork rolls as an appetizer was good. Green and papaya salad was good as well. The red chicken curry and calamasi chicken were just "okay" though. Our server was excellent. read more

The food here is delicious, and vibes are really classy. A date, or a celebration, or drinks at the bar. Or if you're like me, showing up near closing time because I'm just so hungry. Tamarine is not Vietnamese, but fusion with some interesting takes. The dishes we tried were delicious, and each of them left a lasting impression. The tiger prawns were grilled to perfection (lord knows I love prawns, over shrimp) and the clay pot cod sizzled away my mid week blues. Service was extremely good, including the host who took our call and told us to come in at 8:30 without any hesitation. I'll be back...perhaps with a date, or perhaps by myself. read more

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This is a good upscale Vietnamese restaurant. Although the restaurant definitely aims towards Westerners, their food has great Vietnamese-flavor food and the chef knows what they need to do to make Vietnamese food more attractive to Westerners. The service we received was good, they were attentive. That said, I dislike the 4% employer mandates fee that they added. Even though it is stated in the small text in the menu, it is still sketchy. Just add that to the price from the beginning so we know what we expect to pay, instead of adding extra cost at the end, when we receive the bill. Here's what we ordered: - Pandan creme brulee: has good Pandan flavor, but I don't think I actually like creme brulee in general (I prefer Flan) so I can't say about this one. - Siam spice cocktail: good. I'd order again - Clay pot cod: cod was cooked to perfection. Overall, it's good but from a Vietnamese point of view, I think it could be better - Garlic prawn noodles: prawns were good, my family said the noodles were very flavorful. - Tamarine prawns: my favorite. Really delicious, love the crunch from the fried tiny noodles - Shaking beef: not my favorite. It didn't have the flavors I'm looking for from shaking beef. However, my husband still liked it. The meat was very tender. - Blue crab tacos: loved the crunch and the crab flavor - Empress rise: yummy sticky rice - Sunrise in Hanoi cocktail: this looks cool but the flavor is just okay. read more

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Excellent food, excellent service. Try the coconut prawns and spring rolls. The papaya salad with dried beef is great. Everything is good here. read more

I was absolutely blown away by Tamarine! It's a gorgeous restaurant with ample seating options. The food is amazing! The spring rolls taste so fresh! The tiger prawns with garlic noodles might be one of my favorite dishes ever. The char on the prawns was perfection. And the sauce is out of this world. The beverages were so tasty too. I love that they use volcanic salt on the Tamarita. And on top of that, the staff was absolutely impressive. Everyone I interacted with was so kind and professional. The service was impeccable. I can see why Tamarine is Michelin Guide recommended. This place check all the boxes! I can't wait to go back and try even more! read more

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Oct 2025 - Team lunch Chefs Tasting menu for a team for 10 - family style 3+ apps, 3+ mains, 2 types of rice and dessert Apps standout - Green Papaya Salad with dry seasoned beef Main standout(s) - garlic noodles with tiger prawns Shaking Beef Green curry chicken The tofu dish had a wok smoky finish and was very good as well Service was top notch and the ambience was good We will be back ! read more

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Wonderful and impeccable service. The seasonal sorbet was amazing and the star of the show. Fancy intimate date night vibes. Curry was a little too coconutty for my liking. Roti was flaky and buttery :) Yummy chili tray but not worth $3 Tamarita wasn't spicy but the chili tray had Thai chili peppers that I added and it really gave it a kick. Wonderful flavors though besides that. Panna cotta was creamy! Mixed everything together. Don't eat it separately. Thank you!! read more

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Tamarine is a very special place to me as it was our first family dinner right after my husband and I got married. They were so welcoming and easy to work with. I recently went back for a meal with my team and it was once again wonderful service and delicious food. The food is a fusion of modern takes on Vietnamese food. We ordered a variety to try and my favorite has to be the claypot cod. It's delicious with hot rice. read more

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My family decided to celebrate my brother's birthday at Tamarine last night. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. The food was good, but did not blow us away. I'd recommend the clay pot cod, the tiger prawns & garlic noodles, and the garlic fried rice. The blue crab tacos were highly recommended to us but there was a lot of rice in the taco and the flavor overall did not impress me. The shaking beef was tender and cooked well, but was nothing special. Overall, the portions were very small for the price. The restaurant is nice, the bathrooms are clean, there's plenty of bar seating. The service was underwhelming - our server seemed unhappy to be there and did not crack a single smile the entire night. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again, but it was nice to finally try this restaurant that has been in my Yelp bookmarks for a few years. read more

Attended as a work gathering and the food did not disappoint. All the foods were tasty and my favorite was the coconut rice! Google shows that this was a Vietnamese restaurant however, was having some trouble trying to figure out what made it Vietnamese. My colleague and I at both Viet and felt that the food gave more of a Thai fusion. But it could have been what the pre fixed menu consisted of. Drinks were heavy in the lemon/lime juice so if you like sour, your best bet! read more

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Tamarine came recommended as a nice place to celebrate, so my husband and I tried this restaurant prior to a birthday dinner. We made a reservation, so we were quickly seated. For some reason, we were seated all the way in the back of the restaurant that smelled faintly of either pickling juice or bathroom. Unfortunately, the smell kept coming in waves, and it was quite unbearable about 4-5 min after being seated. Our server was very gracious about seating us in a different part of the restaurant which no longer smelled funny. We then got the papaya salad, the clay pot cod, garlic noodles, and fried rice. The papaya salad was great - well seasoned and the papaya was cut very thinly. It was a great start to the meal but also unfortunately the best part of the meal. The clay pot cod was good but extremely salty. Even with a side of rice, it was hard to finish the entire dish. The garlic noodles weren't very garlicky and a little gummy. The fried rice was plentiful but not very well seasoned. Overall a decent place with great service, but not necessarily worth the price when there are many excellent Vietnamese restaurants just a little further south. read more

Tamarine Restaurant - Indoor seating decorated for Xmas! - Vietnamese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Tamarine Restaurant has some of the best Vietnamese food I've ever had. My group agonized over what to order on the menu because everything looked so good, and in the end, everything we got was delicious. It's a fairly large establishment with indoor and outdoor seating right on University Ave in Palo Alto, in the heart of upscale Silicon Valley. Street parking was pretty easy but I went during the week when I'm sure it's less busy. When I arrived I was immediately greeted and seated with no wait. The service was excellent - water, wine, and beers came quickly and frequently. I didn't dive too deeply into their specialty drinks, but the table next to me ordered some kind of foam looking thing and it seemed they enjoyed it a lot. The food was obviously the highlight of the experience. My group got six dishes to share, and two deserts, all pictured below. The thing that stood out to us most was that each dish brought a very different flavor and texture to the meal as a whole but also inside the dish itself. It really is masterful the nuance that the noodles have with the sauces and meat and fish. I loved every bite! It was well worth the price. The coconut prawns and the shaking beef were my favorite dishes and I'd recommend that everyone who goes to this restaurant get these two as part of their order. read more

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Stopped in on a weekday evening with a small group. Not super busy but pretty full. Front desk was friendly and quick and seated me right away as I had a reservation. Had kiwi mockjito. Pretty strong sharp flavor at beginning but got more mild and enjoyable as ice melted and diluted the flavor. Would still get it again. Ordered Tamarine taste app, and they made it for 3 since 3 in our party. Usually has 2 of everything. All the items were nicely prepared and tasted great. I think 3 items had specific sauces for them but food was still very nice without the sauces. Eating family style, we got Shaking beef, Wok tossed green beans, lemongrass bass, and twice cooked chicken. All were done nicely. No tough meat or greasy or salty. Very enjoyable and comfortable to eat. Value to price was pretty attractive for an upscale place. Service at our table was helpful without being intrusive. Would like to go back again sometime. read more

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Upscale Vietnamese fusion restaurant in the heart of downtown Palo Alto. Ambience is certainly more upscale, and when I attended, there was a good mix of business folk mingling, some intimate dates, and general group dinners. The price is definitely representative of the city's demographic, but in fairness, you are paying for an elevated experience and not some auntie telling you in short manner to hurry up and order. The food was great, and of all the items we ordered, the only one I wouldn't recommend is the yellow curry. It felt bland and out of place with the assortment of other dishes. Highly recommend the tiger prawn and garlic noodles -- great flavor! Dishes have a decent portion that you can share with another person. Will I be back? For a special occasion, but it probably isn't going to make it on my go-to list. read more

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A great place for a celebratory meal! Slightly upscale Vietnamese fusion with modern and spacious interior and great service. We made reservations for a birthday dinner. The restaurant is in downtown Palo Alto but conveniently located less than 5 min walk from a big parking garage with free 3 hr parking. We were seated immediately in a spacious booth, and there was a card for the birthday girl prepared on the table, which was a thoughtful touch. We ordered a variety of food (party of 6): - Persimmon salad 4/5: refreshing, crisp with a vinaigrette dressing - Banh mi roti 4/5: came with a side of panang curry that was on the runnier side, yet still flavorful. The roti was good and crispy but slightly dry. - Banh khot 4/5: absolutely delicious, crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside. Came with a side of yummy fish sauce. I just wish it came with lettuce and greens like banh khot usually is served. - Empress rice 5/5: simple yet delicious. Moist rice with fried egg, well seasoned but not too salty. - Crab glass noodles 3.5/5: A little bland/simple for my taste, but generous chunks of crab given - Tamarine shrimp 5/5: absolutely delicious, large fresh shrimp smothered with very flavorful and tangy sauce. Highly recommend eating with a side of jasmine rice - Clay pot cod 5/5: extremely moist, tender and flavorful. The sauce it comes with is so yummy especially mixed with jasmine rice. This was one of the favorites of the table but we had to get 2 due to the smaller portion size - Banana beignet 5/5: this was an amazing and unique dessert! I highly recommend. They gave a candle with sparklers to blow out for the birthday girl. The coconut ice cream that came with it was refreshing and delicious, and the dessert had moist banana in it with a crispy fried exterior. Despite the higher price point and smaller portions, this was a delicious meal with every dish enjoyed by a big group of people with diverse palates. read more

Tamarine Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

A nice place to have a celebratory dinner! The dishes were all delicious and the service is good. The vegetarian selection is also quite good. We had a few vegetarians in the group and they all enjoyed their meal. It is also located right next to a parking garage so parking is not too difficult. read more

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It was my first time at Tamarine tonight right when they opened at 5pm. My husband is gluten free and we really appreciated that they had a separate gluten free menu. They had a lot of GF options which was amazing! For my alcoholic drink, I ordered Sunrise in Hanoi. The presentation was so fun and the drink was even tastier! For our food, we ordered vegan avocado rolls, green papaya salad, green chicken curry, basil tofu, coconut rice and jasmine rice. Yes, I know that's a lot of food, but we are foodies so why not! The avocado rolls were fresh and pretty good. The green papaya salad had such a unique taste I kept going for more! The curry was a tad spicy, but super rich and creamy. The tofu was so yummy! The coconut rice and jasmine rice came in banana leaves which I thought was a nice touch. Overall, the food was ordered was delicious and filling! The service was one of my highlights! The workers were so attentive to us and we never had to ask for water once! They were on it!!! I'd come back simply for the service. I felt so pampered and attended to. I highly recommend Tamarine if you want an all around wonderful experience! read more

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Duck & Taro 3 duck leg confit, super dry and tough; braised taro, super dry on the inside; coconut ginger sauce, creamy, flavorful; kale, bok choy, slightly bitter read more

Tamarine Restaurant - Duck - Vietnamese Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Nice outdoor seating and deceptively spacious interior dining area that's well decorated. Servers were attentive and friendly. They have quite a selection of food with many original creations. We felt that almost all were quite tasty. But for such an elegant looking restaurant, the restroom seemed out of place, it can definitely get a redesign. read more

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Third time here! Food is pretty good and service is very good! I like that they're very accommodating of vegetarian food! read more

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Good is good but pricey. It's an upscale Vietnamese restaurant. I've been coming to this restaurant the last 20 years. The food quality dropped a bit the past couple times. read more

I went to Tamarine recently. I ordered lots of delicious plates of food: Tiger prawns & Garlic noodles, Shaking Beef, Clay Pot Cod, a side of Coconut Rice and the Guava Glow mocktail. The tiger prawns were fresh and paired well with the garlic noodles, which had just the right amount of garlic so as to not overpower the prawns. The shaking beef was a bit more salty, but well balanced. The clay pot cod was my favorite: it had a salty, but sweet taste. The only thing to pay attention to is what's inside the fish; you might end up with a few bones on your napkin at the end of the meal. Another favorite was the coconut rice, which was sweet and had lots of coconut flavor. It was served wrapped in a banana leaf inside a white bowl. I especially enjoyed eating the cod with the coconut rice because the ratio of salty cod and sweet coconut go together well. The food I got was so delicious I want to order it again. read more

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The dishes are quite tasty and good. The staff are friendly. You better have a reservation because they are quite busy. Will definitely go back and try them again. read more

If you're in the area... highly, highly recommend Tamarine! The restaurant has so many fantastic qualities: the service is great, the interior is just beautiful (definitely felt under dressed), and of course, the food.... Amazing. I live about a 30 min drive away, but hopefully I'll get to eat here again just to try their other foods! Per the recommendation of our waiter, we got the ceviche for appetizer (it's currently not posted on the menu), and nori crab. They were both so, so good. Don't sleep on the shrimp heads in the ceviche: I was going to pass on them (because they kind of give me the ick), but they stuffed it with something delicious (I honestly don't know what!). The rest of the seafood was on point. The nori crab though was probably my favorite thing that we ate here: crispy seaweed with a good ratio of crab inside. Honestly, when I was researching restaurants for my husband's big 4-0, this fish was what caught my eye. Very happy they have it on the menu right now since there are seasonal items! Since the entrees are good for two people, my husband chose the shaking beef - he was kind of iffy on choosing it, since (in his words) "how good could it be?" Well... it was the best shaking beef he's ever had. Now, to be fair, shaking beef isn't particularly amazing in other restaurants so the bar isn't TOO high. But I will say, their beef was incredibly tender (unlike others where you chew for days). We paired the entree with cauliflower and coconut rice. In my opinion, these three plates didn't really go well together - but they were good individually. Coconut rice had a nice fragrance to it. The cauliflower was my least favorite - nothing really special about this dish. I do like how they have cashews in it though - gave the dish good texture. As I mentioned earlier, the service was great. Waiters were attentive, food arrived in a good cadence, and everyone was friendly. And the best part of it all? The price point isn't that and at all, considering how nice it looks inside and the friendly service. To end the meal, we ordered the banana dessert... can't go wrong if you choose it! I tried to find a Michelin restaurant for us to eat lunch at, around the Peninsula, but there aren't too many open during lunch time. I'm super, super happy that Tamarine IS open for lunch... we had a truly fantastic meal. Fingers crossed I'll come back again soon! read more

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Let's go through their tasting menu one by one and rate every dish by quality and taste, so you know what to get! The avocado spring rolls were good, but nothing outstanding. A nice bit of freshness and some peanut sauce, a 7/10. The calamari was outstanding however. It was crisp and the batter was light and seasoned fragrantly. The cilantro sauce was amazing, we even put that onto our spring rolls. 9/10 The banh mi roti was good, but nothing special as well. I've had dozens of roti with curry sauces and it tasted the exact same. 6/10 The green papaya salad was light and fresh, super crunchy and the dried seasoned beef in there tasted like a Chinese beef jerky. Though it lacked the complexity that there is typically in papaya salads 7/10 The TIGER PRAWN GARLIC NOODLES were also outstanding, those big shrimps grilled to perfection, the right amount of char and sweetness, and the garlic noodles were just garlic noodles. This was in our top 3 8/10 Green chicken curry was tasty, but average 7/10 SHAKING BEEF WAS DELICIOUS, very tender and aromatic and meaty, but it was tenderized a little too much and lacked a firm bite. Also, there wasn't that glaze on it like what you would typically find at a reallllly good viet restaurant 8/10 Buddha's delight was very hearty with all these veggies, but just tasted like spice and soy sauce, I'd say a 7/10 Eggplant was delicious but a little too soft. I love eggplant though and the shishito peppers and crispy leeks was great. 7.5/10 Dessert was mango sago and was milky and so good with the mango gelato. Very simple but done excellently 8/10. In a large group setting, the service was great, though they did forget about when we ordered drinks and whatnot so we had to flag down another server. Some drinks came out immediately and some came out after 30 minutes. The pandan mocktail was sour and tasted more like it was meant to have alcohol inside because of all the syrups. I wasn't a fan. BUT they did a great job of refilling our waters so 5/5 service especially for managing a large party between the 3-4 of them! read more

Man....i have had a lot of Thai food and this one rises among the best that I've had. The prices are very very high for what it is, but the quality of food and the spices are top notch. This is not your hole in the wall Thai spot in a good way, very quality dishes such as their pork and curries. I would definitely come back. read more

Overall we had a wonderful meal! Everything was very flavorful and had its own special touches to it. The different sauces, textures, and spices. This is not your traditional Vietnamese place - it has its own fusion and twists. I really appreciated the unique touches and flavors and quality. We left feeling more than stuffed! My top 3 would have to be the blue crab nori tacos, tuna tartare, tiger prawns with garlic noodles. We had: Taro root rolls Banh mi roti Tuna tartare 3 orders of Blue crab nori tacos Green papaya salad Tiger prawns and garlic noodles Wild pepper duck Egg tofu and veggies Shaking beef Lemon grass sea bass with mango vermicelli Lava cake Coconut tapioca with passion fruit For next time I would prob skip the banh mi roti. I prefer a very light flakey roti and this was much heavier and dough like. The taro root roll didn't give me taro vibes which I was a bit disappointed but none the less still good. However, if you are a taro lover you may be disappointed if you're expecting more of a taro taste. As for the dessert it was okay- nothing too unique to different from other dessert menus. We had the chocolate lava cake and coconut tapioca. The passion fruit in the tapioca was a bit too sour for me. Lemon grass bass was okay but some in our group really loved it. Really wish I opted in for the clay pot cod. It is always a plus when places have great cocktails - star of the show was " sunrise in Hanoi" and prob one of the best drinks I've had in a while. Very refreshing, slightly sweet but not overly sweet, and citrus touches. We also had the coconut mojito which prob wasn't my cup of tea, and a mezcal cocktail - but all very beautiful and flavorful. Excited to try more things next time such as the cod, empress rice, and the crab soup! read more

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Came by for dinner the other night and it was a decent experience. Tamarine is a Vietnamese Asian fusion restaurant that is featured in the Michelin guide. Dining is available indoors, at the bar, as well as outdoors on the heated sidewalk. Made a reservation via OpenTable and our table was ready upon arrival. Staff were dressed in black. Our waiter did a great job of suggesting dishes. Started off with the tea leaf beef which was fragrant and juicy. This was served with some fish sauce. The duck rilette was passable as the duck was dry and the bread at the bottom was pretty hard. The banh mi roti was excellent. Super flaky roti served with a curry dipping sauce. The garlic prawn garlic nooodles were excellent. The garlic noodles were fragrant and the garlic prawns were cooked to perfection. The lemongrass sea bass was tasty although the flavors were more muted. The side of papaya salad was great too. The coconut tapioca dessert was a light and refreshing way to finish off dinner and reminded me of traditional che in Vietnam. The chocolate lava cake was decent. ~$115/head after tax, gratuity and 4% SF mandates. read more

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I would have made it a 5 star but I had forgotten that the menu changes every so often. I came back here because I really wanted the Pineapple pudding but after having ate the dinner, I was presented with the dessert menu -- no pineapple pudding! A little disappointing for me, as that was the whole reason I came back. And the new desserts didn't hit. But I do have to say that the front staff were really nice and accommodating this time around. read more

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Back to Tamarine after 10+ years and it is still good and relevant. I was here for a business dinner and the other person chose this. The food and service were on point like I remember when I used to frequent it regularly until I got bored. The roti appetizer was a little heavy but everything else was good. The tiger prawns with garlic noodles was my favorite. read more

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Came here for an anniversary dinner and food was overall good. Upscale Vietnamese fusion with good ambiance. We were warmly greeted by the staff when we first entered and brought us to our seats. Ordered the shaking beef, tiger prawn garlic noodle, papaya salad, lychee cocktail, and molten chocolate lava cake to end the night. Prawns were succulent and noodles had a good bounce to them, shaking beef was flavorful and tender, while the salad and cake were standard. read more

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I've been to Tamarine several times and it's usually outstanding. This last time the service just wasn't up to speed otherwise I would have given 5 stars. The food is always amazing and they have options for everyone including me who is gluten free and vegan. This time the host even moved some reservations around to accommodate our party which I found extraordinary. Go for the ambiance food and drink but beware all the servers are not created equal. read more

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Tamarine is just as good as I remembered it to be years ago. We had a superb lunch in contemporary elegant surroundings. Their spring menu looked wonderful - we had a tough time trying to decide what to order because everything looked so delicious - I think we could have just closed our eyes and pointed randomly at the menu - and we would have been just as happy with any choices. The staff members were professional, courteous, and attentive without being intrusive. It was the perfect place for a special occasion lunch. read more

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Stand Bánh Mì Part restaurant and part Vietnamese art gallery, Tamarine has been pleasing eyes and tummies for over twenty years (ca. 2002) now. The brainchild of owner and executive chef, Tammy Huynh, who's family owned the once revered--and Michelin recommended--Vung Tao in DTSJ. And speaking of Michelin, Tamarine has also been Michelin recommended for multiple years and was listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the "Top Ten Power Dining Spots." The Good: *Reservations via OpenTable *Dog-friendly outdoor dining *I really enjoyed the beautiful artwork that's displayed thru the restaurant. *Great ambiance that's fancy without being stuffy. *Service was terrific, despite our waiter's hard sell techniques. *Blue Crab Nori Tacos were friggin fantastic. Crunchy with a nice amount of Crab and ample serving of avocado to really put it over the top. If you're not a fan of Nori, it's worth noting that my nori hating girl loved these. *Tamarine Manhattan was really boozy and delicious, albeit pricey. *Bánh Mì Roti was absolutely devine with its buttery, rich layers of carby goodness. I could eat a literal bucket of these. And speaking of literal, some other reviewers have mentioned not quite getting where the Bánh Mì comes into play with this roti. Well, according to the waiter (who had to ask the chef), it's because while "Bánh Mì" usually refers to the eponymous sandwich we all know and love, the words "bánh mì" also literally just means "bread" in Vietnamese. And now you know. You're welcome. :) *Empress Rice was very moreish as we couldn't stop eating it after the initial kinda shock of the sweetness wore off. *Lemongrass Sea Bass was flaky, cooked perfectly, and the lemongrass and garlic flavors were fantastic. *Both desserts we sampled were terrific. The Ube Panna Cotta had the perfect jiggle and was flavored so delicately but yet still gave you that ube flavor you crave. And the Chocolate Pistachio Torte was mind-blowingly good; crunchy, chocolatey, and full of great pistachio flavor--it reminded me of a cracked out adult candy bar. It's a must-order item imo. *Make sure to ask for a complimentary chili platter if you like heat. The Meh: *4% added to each check to "partially offset employer-mandated expenses." *No beers on draft but a decent selection of bottled beers. *Parking in DTPA can be a bit of a challenge, so be sure to arrive with extra time ahead of your reservation. The Ugly: *As others have mentioned, it ain't the cheapest spot around, but you definitely get your money's worth in terms of quality and taste. Conclusion: Terrific top-tier spot for a date night in terms of food, serving and ambiance--but be prepared to pay. Highly, highly recommended. read more

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How is it that we have never been here before? Vietnamese food is probably one of John's favorite cuisine and we love to peruse the Michelin guide so how did we miss this place? Well, we rectified that Friday night. From the moment we walked in--from the décor to the service and especially to the food--everything was top notch. Blue Crab Nori Tacos: I was pleasantly surprised with this app. I personally don't like nori but I love crab. John wanted to try this one so I agreed. But in the end, I loved it! The flavors were subtle but in a good way. I loved the crispy shell of the nori. And the rice in the taco was wonderful. 5* Bahn Mi Roti: This was fantastic. So buttery and flaky. You can't stop eating it. Tastes almost like a croissant. Perfection! 5* Chili Cauliflower: I love cauliflower but this was just really good. It wasn't breaded but had great texture not to mention the flavor. 4.5* Empress Rice: The first bite I took didn't blow me away. I thought it needed more salt. But as I ate more of it, I fell in love. 4* Lemongrass Seabass: I don't eat a lot of seabass but I knew it was a popular dish on the menu and friends raved about it. It didn't disappoint. The fish was cooked perfectly. So buttery and flaky! The cold noodles with it was good but nothing out of this world. 4* Pork Tenderloin: I only had one bite of this dish and wasn't a big fan of it. But John loved it. The pork was cooked perfectly (nice and pink) and definitely had earthy flavors. 3* Ube Panna cotta: This was a stunning dessert. So beautiful to look at and everything was executed perfectly. Like the taco, the flavors were subtle but in a good way. Not too sweet. Good balance of texture. One of the best desserts I've had in a while. 5* The only negative of the night was that sometimes we felt we were being pressured a bit to "upgrade." I don't know if the staff is encouraged to sell, sell, sell, but it was uncomfortable and I'm not a fan of that. Otherwise, the staff was great. We never had to wait for anything. We were well taken care of it. For example: we had a small table but we ordered a lot of food (per usual!). We prefer a bigger table but that's the way it goes sometimes and nobody has ever really paid attention to that. But our waiter did. He pushed the table next to us right up to our table so we would have more room. He got big points for that! Much appreciated. We will definitely be back when the menu changes again for the season. read more

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Came here for a group lunch with my work squad and am so surprised I never reviewed Tamarine Restaurant, given my wonderful experience. Reservations were made for 6 and there are options of sitting outdoor or indoor. Parking wasn't too bad given our scheduled meal time but I could definitely see how big of a headache parking could be at times. Food: We started off strong with ordering a ton of appetizers to sample. There was salt & pepper calamari, tuna tartare, coconut prawns, tea leaf beef, banh mi roti, & green papaya salad. The food came out in a timely manner. Everything was plated in a neat fashion and the appetizers were pretty good. The salt and pepper calamari was unanimously the fave amongst the crew. Our meal continued with: Tiger prawns & garlic noodles, empress rice, green chicken curry, shaken beef- just to name a few. 5/5 stars because the entire meal was delicious. Flavors were perfect and dishes were made to each order, delivered hot & fresh. The staff stopped by to check on us but I appreciated them giving us proper space to explore/enjoy our meal. read more

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I stopped in for a solo dinner and had a really good meal. I ordered the claypot cod, and it was so comforting and full of flavor; exactly what I was craving. I also tried the garlic fried rice, which was pretty good, though I felt it could have used a bit more salt to really bring out the taste. Service was impressively quick and friendly, which made the whole experience even better. read more

We were a group of 6 people and ordered 4 appetisers. They said they will add more stuff to them so each of us can have 1 and charged half extra for them. Ordered avacado rolls which came with peanut sauce which was pretty good. Zucchini fritters had a little less salt but with tamarind sauce it tasted better. Roti was good. Roti sauce was not that great. Taro root starter was very oily. For entrees we went with vegan scallops bigger mushrooms were not cooked that well. Small mushrooms in it and the sauce was good. Everyone enjoyed basil tofu dish with the sauce. Cauliflower was not cooked fully for our taste Both the desserts were yum. Chocolate lava cake and ube panna cotta. Ube panna cotta was not that sweet and perfect with the crumble cookies berries etc read more

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