Tamarind Restaurant — Restaurant in Norfolk

The first notable pieces of this experience at Tamarind begins with the smell of fresh food and an impeccable standard of cleanliness. You can smell “clean” at the front of the restaurant with a follow up punch of savory decadent aromas of fresh food being prepared. The area was VERY clean, VERY inviting!! The front person, which I assume is the owner; engaged in polite and friendly conversation at every table. That was pleasant and refreshing to see!!

The front area is very simple, “no frills” it is just that. However, simplicity at a very high standard and this makes a very classy and cozy atmosphere. The service is order at the counter and pay then, they will run the food to your table of course. The price for the quantity and quality is solidly fair. Very good pricing to say, under $37 for 2 drinks, 2 plates, and an appetizer.

I am not vegetarian/vegan and they have an extensive selection to keep a person in that lifestyle very happy. The samosas are a grand slam, very crisp, aromatic and above all flavorful. I find that the Samosas are very fulfilling and very satisfying compared to other appetizers at other venues.

For lunch an order of Butter Chicken and Chicken Biryani we’re ordered. I have been to a few of the Indian/halaal/Bangladeshi restaurants, and Tamarind certainly sets itself apart and above them. The Butter Chicken was creamy, the sauce was firm and not separating, nor was it gritty. It was flavorful, you can taste the spices and certainly not overly done. The chicken was very tender and seasoned right. The platters were not salty at all…none needed. The Biryani was excellent, I ordered as “very spicy”….I have a good tolerance for hot/spicy foods and this caught me off guard. I had to ask the owner what his tactics are and what type of pepper they use, and I am glad to know that fresh green chilis are used to elevate the heat vice “powders”. They are finely minced and folded into the fare. At the first bite, the basil, cilantro, onions are very fresh…and you get the “bright green” fresh flavor of the peppers. Very well done. I have a bit to go to try everything on their menu…..but I’ll get there!

I like to visit establishments and give them a try 2-3 times before a review is dealt. If it’s that bad, well obviously you want to give the warning at first chance. This is well past the 4-5 time and at least a 5 star rating is needed, I wish I could give more. Tamarind and it’s team deserve it.

Cleanliness Hospitality Quality food Great atmosphere That’s Tamarind. Highly...

Authentic Indian food and very kind owners who operate this small and inviting eatery. Specializing in Indian street food, you'll be pleased with some of the mainstream dishes as well as some not so commercialized choices. Don't worry about ordering an item and the spice level is too much for you. You can adjust it to suit your taste buds. I do recommend ordering some naan as it tasted great.

You can dine in, get it to go by ordering in person or by phone. The portions are appropriate and are very good. A military discount is offered. Parking is shared with other businesses and easy to find a spot in front.

Clean bathroom, and the dining area was well maintained during my visit. The manager applied just the right amount of attention so as not to annoy or ignore the customer.

This is a vegetarian friendly place. They do have dishes that have meat but it wouldn't be hard for someone who enjoys a plant-based diet to find a variety of options.

I would recommend this small business and return to try some of its other...

We were expecting a lot more from this restaurant, but unfortunately it was like a cafe but with the prices of a sit-down restaurant. The small dining room was completely full when we arrived, so we had to wait outside in the cold until a table got freed up. Our food was served on paper plates with plastic utensils, was very bland, and absolutely not worth anywhere near the $50 we paid for it. The sides that came with my husband’s butter chicken was plain rice and cucumbers with slivered onions… very strange. We also found out at the end that they had switched our naan orders, so I ended up eating butter naan instead of the vegan garlic naan. The servers had no clue what food went to which table, and went around asking every table if this was their meal. Overall very disappointing, we would’ve been much better off going to a nicer Indian restaurant where we would’ve paid the same price for higher quality and a larger...