Tamu Restaurant — Restaurant in Lower Paxton Township

We were excited to visit Tamu last evening after reading about the restaurant and its chef on Pennlive. Unfortunately it was not a good experience. First, we had reserved a table and they had no record of our reservation. They were eventually able to combine two tables for our party of 4 and so we stayed. Next, since they are BYOB, we brought our own wine, but it literally took 25 minutes or more to get wine glasses. They came out wet from the kitchen so I can only guess they had run out and were waiting for the dishwasher to clean them. We were able to order at an acceptable timeframe into our visit, but we witnessed multiple tables get up and leave because they were never acknowledged. Our visit eventually went the same way as those however. An hour after we ordered, we still had no food. We had watched takeout orders come and go at the expense of our orders, so we approached the staff to ask about our meals. Note—we had to get up and ask because no one visited our table after we ordered. They claimed our appetizers were coming and so we waited 15 minutes more. At that point we were getting up to leave when the starters finally arrived, albeit one at a time. We decided to stay at this point, and I will say that the the two appetizers we tried were very good. But after another 1/2 an hour of waiting and with only 4 tables left in the restaurant, none of whom had gotten their food, we left money to cover what we had received and left to visit another restaurant nearby.

Tamu clearly has some things to resolve—training staff to interact with diners and mitigate food delays with customers would be a start. Offering some sort of inexpensive appetizer would have been appreciated. We left at two hours into our visit and were still hungry. They also need to decide whether they want a pleasant in-restaurant experience or robust takeout experience because they cannot handle both at this point. And they need to take a hard look at all aspects of the operation— from seating and ordering process to staffing of the kitchen and dining room to ensuring they have enough glasses, etc. because Tamu was not at all equipped to deal with the demand they experienced last night

We want to see restaurants like this succeed in our area, so we will likely go back at some point to try again. But we intend to give them an adequate amount of time to work the kinks out...

I had previously written a 5-star review, having visited 6 times since they opened. My new review reflects my experienced as outlined in the email I just sent to the email address on the menu.

To whom it may concern - if anyone, I am writing regarding my experience this afternoon, I have been to your restaurant maybe 6 times since it opened and until today - has been a great experience.

I recently found you have a coupon where you can purchase $20 of food for $10. I purchased the coupon, and presented it today upon order pickup at 4:54pm. At first, Aman did not know how to process the coupon. I had to explain 3 times I paid $10 to receive a $20 coupon. I showed him the barcode for him to scan. It appeared he figured it out and told me I could tap my card. Right as I tapped my card I realized the charge was $11.64 instead of $1.64. He said he thought the coupon was for $10 off. I once again pointed out the terms of the coupon where he told me IT WAS MY FAULT for not better explaining it in the beginning. It's YOUR coupon!!! He then told me he didnt know how to do a refund and that I would have to speak with the manager - who doesnt arrive until an hour later - to get my refund.

Then, he insisted I pay the $1.64 I would have been due, provided he processed the coupon correctly. So, I paid the $1.64 with the hopes the manager will be able to credit me for the $11.64. So, I call manager Rakest at 6:35pm. I'm not sure if it was him or not, but he kept asking "what is your problem". As I tried explaining, he kept interrupting me, saying what is your problem? As I was trying to explain, the call got disconnected.

For whomever reads this. 1 - you need to train your staff appropriately if you're going to offer these coupons. 2 - you need to train your staff in customer service. I was treated deplorably today. Once Aman started telling me it was MY FAULT that he processed the coupon incorrectly, you officially lost me as a customer.

If the refund is not processed correctly, I will file a claim with my credit card, which goes against your business. I will also be posting a google and yelp review regarding my experience. The mistake was frustrating as hell, but how I was treated was absolutely unacceptable and you...

UPDATE - June 16, 2025 - My eldest child took my wife and me to Tamu for Father's Day dinner. What a treat! In addition to the small plates we tried before, we all agree that the veggie MOMOs are the best in the area. We tried the paneer bao, pahadi chicken curry, alo gobi char ki and mechu coconut curry with fish, which was listed as a signature Napali dish. Each dish was well prepared to showcase complex flavors and textures. In addition, each dish was well presented and plated, which meant a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. It remains one of the best new restaurants in the area. As before, the service, staff, and chef were both professional and friendly. I look forward to returning!

May 15, 2025 - My wife and I ordered several dishes from the vast array of food choices. Nothing was less than wonderful. Pacora was presented as a welcome gift with a delicious red and green sauce both sweet and tangy. Dishes were brought in succession rather than all at once. This made the tastings easier to enjoy and to separate the textures and flavors of each dish. Chili cauliflower was crisp with a delicious complex sauce. The Galouti Kebab, four patties of very finely ground lamb, with amazing and flavorful saucing in just the right amount was something I had never had but will have again and again. Kashmiri Lamb Curry was a generous portion of curry and aromatic basmati rice cooked to perfection. We also tried the MoMos, both the vegetable and the chicken. They were delicately prepared and served with a delicious dipping sauce. The chicken seemed to have a little more heat than the vegetable but both dishes were beautifully made and presented. Our server paid attention, the chef/owner checked on us and a young woman who arrived later in our meal all worked to make us feel welcome and comfortable with foods that were new to us. Leftovers were graciously packed for us. We went home delighted with the experience and planning to return soon with some of our...