Tamarind Bay

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Eric Grossman

Joined 10 years ago

The city's most inventive Indian restaurant resides in Harvard Square, courtesy of one of India's most famous chefs.. The Scene
Executive Chef Wali Ahmad, popular star of the acclaimed Indian TV show "Khana Khazana" ("Food Treasures"), chose a simple, subterranean Harvard Square dining room as the ideal site for introducing his unique offerings to American palates. Casually dressed academics and Indian couples fill the sparsely decorated room to navigate Ahmad's challenging menu. Attentive waiters keep wine and water glasses filled with quiet efficiency.

The Food
Forget what you know about Indian cuisine--there are no vindaloos or tikka masalas on the menu--and buckle up for a culinary adventure. Jhinga meethi is a scintillating pot of fenugreek-spiced shrimps, while a dish of shabnam purluft displays delicate button mushrooms stuffed with savory homemade cheese and grilled in a tandoor oven. From quail to scallops to lobster, nontraditional ingredients dot the menu. Vegetarians are well-served, with a bevy of tantalizing offerings--eggplant in cashew gravy, okra seasoned with ginger and onion.

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rajivdhingra

Joined 7 years ago

Excellent Indian Food. Boy, are you in for a treat! This food is like a party in your mouth. You'll have a hard time finding street parking.

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petergv

Joined 11 years ago

Inventive, Tasty, Excellent Indian Food. I eat a lot of Indian food, all over the country. In Cambridge, I've been a long-time patron of both the Bombay Club and Tanjore. Now that I've discovered Tamarind Bay, it's my absolute favorite.

The food at Tamarind Bay is slightly different from typical North or South Indian food found in local restaurants. Oh, the favorites are there... just under slightly different names and with a wonderfuly, tasty, and slightly different twist.

The Lalla Mussa Dal is awesome -- Just like homemade. The Peshawari Chole is incredible. The Mysore Chilli Chicken and Lazeez Tikka Masala are also terrific.

The restaurant is relatively small, and the tables can be pretty close together. The service is relaxed, friendly and sufficiently attentive.

If you love typical Indian food, and you're looking for something a little different, I highly recommend Tamarind Bay.

Doesn't Recommend

abandopa

Joined 7 years ago

Great food but eat at your own risk. This place served one of the best Indian foods that I have ever had in any restaurants. I have been there 3 times within 6 months. On my 3rd visit I took 2 of my non-Indian friends with me. The next day all 4 of us had really bad stomach problems. I contacted the restaurant, spoke with the manager (I presume) and he promised to give me a call back after some time to let me know what went wrong. He never called back.

I am really upset about their non-professional and unethical behaviour. I was embarrassed in front of my non-Indian friends. None of them ever went back to the restaurant again and certainly not me. This is a really tiny restaurant with a lot of patrons and your health is not their top priority! So, they cut corners by not maintaining a clean kitchen.

My advice...........stay clear of this place!

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sandwoo

Joined 7 years ago

Very tasty!. Carefully prepared dishes. Although the bhutta is a little different from the authentic type you'd find on Mumbai streets, it was spicy and yummy. The okra was unbelievably tasty. Fish and lamb curries were also amazing. My fiance says this is the best Indian restaurant he's ever been to! Our waiter was extremely polite, helpful, and attentive. Although we are Indian, I noticed most patrons are not (perhaps this is because of the fusion-type food, or slightly higher prices). Small downstairs quarters, though, and the bathrooms are, as noted by the signs on their doors, quite tiny. Should make reservations.

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gv001

Joined 7 years ago

Great Indian finally. Great Indian restaurant. After living in London and India, I feel that I can get a good indian food here finally. Buffet is fresh and the Tandoori chicken is not fried to look fresh (thank God). Small but eclectic menu. My favourites - Quail, Bhuna Paneer, Daal and the Rogan Josh. Drink list could be improved.

Doesn't Recommend

stacy373

Joined 10 years ago

I didn't see anything inventive here.... So I read the reviews on here and thought I'd take a good Indian friend, who is strictly vegetarian and also does not eat garlic and onion, here. There were no vegetarian items he could eat, the servers were rude when we asked if he could order something a la carte, and looked at him like he was crazy when he said he couldn't have garlic and onions. I ate the buffet and it was decent to say the best. They said they would bring him some mixed vegetables and ended up bringing out a plate of chickpeas with no warning. To say the least, our experience was terrible. I'd never go back.

Doesn't Recommend

jediddy

Joined 7 years ago

Do not go there for the buffet!. We made the mistake of going to "The Best Indian Restaurant in Boston" for Sunday buffet, and were sorely disappointed. The selection was meager at best, and the food not very good, and certainly not "inventive". I haven't been there for dinner or ordered off the menu, but I would strongly recommend not going there for their buffet.

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vidvan

Joined 8 years ago

Fresh food, not the usual menu!. The food is fresh and the curry sauces are not stale and repetitive. The restaurants is TINY... but when you get good food to eat, you dont mind the place nor the money spent. The menu is ceratinly not the usual, none of the panner tikka's or aloo gobhi stuff. Everything is authentic and fresh. It was a real treat and i shall go there more often!!

Doesn't Recommend

polarisium

Joined 8 years ago

Whats all the buzz about?. I do not understand what the buzz about this place is. The food was average, nothing different than any other Indian restaurant I have been too (an I'm Indian, so I should know) - and the service was very slow.