Located in Newport Beach at the Crystal Cove Promenade, Tamarind of London is one of the most chic and elegantly appointed Indian restaurants I’ve ever visited. I love the ultra modern decor with warm rich color. The staff always makes you feel special with warm and friendly service. This is a restaurant that not only do you go for great tasting food but also for the wonderful ambiance.
(Photo Credit: Allen Taylor Photography)
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Under the management team with executive chef, Alfred Prasad (middle), the restaurant in London has recently received it’s 12th Michelin Star! (A BIG congratulations to the awesome team! ) The Michelin star is extremely coveted, so you know when you come here, you are in for a treat! Tamarind of London uses locally available fresh and sustainable food in creating classic India dishes as well as new fusion cuisine.
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Bartender Shanti shakes up some mean drinks!
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Luckily for light drinkers like me, there are always Lassi and non-alcoholic Mango Mojito!
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The Naan’s are freshly made per order and cooked in the open kitchen in the circular tandoor oven as as the Tandoori Kebabs. I’ve never seen this and I felt like I was watching artists baking their arts!
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During a media event, some samples were served; among them were Salmon Cake (upper left), Chicken Tikka (upper right), and Sausage (lower left). The Chicken Tikka was my favorite. Tender and flavorful in each bite!
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What makes a great Indian dish? It’s all about the spices. Every dish we tried, it was as authentic as it gets. The spices were pungent without being over powering.
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On this particular night, Chef Prasad designed a Prix Fixe Menu which started with Mango Salad and Soft-Shell Crab. Oh my goodness, may I have 1/2 dozen of this lightly crusted with coconut, fennel, coriander seeds baby crab? The Mango Salad (toasted walnuts, coconut, honey-pepper dressing) was a nice compliment to the deep fried crab.
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The main dish was the Pan-grilled Sea Bass (with fine beans, raw mango, tomato, curry leaves, coconut). It was tender and buttery. I highly recommend you try this when you’re here.
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The sides were Yellow Lentils(cumin, ginger, turmeric, tomato, cilantro), Smoked Eggplant (garlic, red chili, turmeric, cumin, cilantro), and Steamed Basmati Rice. While the Yellow Lentils was a little bitter, the Smoked Eggplant’s sweetness balanced it out. I had them with my Naan and really enjoyed them.
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Dessert was fantastic and a perfect ending to a lovely meal!
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It was such a pleasure to have met the Executive Chef, Chef Prasad who now oversees both the Newport Beach and London locations. Great seeing Kristin, managing partner Groff-Hinman, Inc., again!
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If you’re looking for a great Indian restaurant to go to, search no more. Make a reservation at Tamarind of London. I know you will enjoy your special dinning experience as much as I did.
Tamarind of London
7862 East Coast Highway
Newport Beach, CA 92657
(949)715-8338
