PX This.

PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW

Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !

Tamarind (TriBeCa)

What was your first impression?
Yeah, it’s big all right.

Please rate the Bar:
Nice, spacious, commodious, clean, comfortable. And the bartenders are friendly and adept.

Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
Ugh, sorry— OK, there’s two types of restaurants I always never think to look at the wine list… and one of them is Indian. Ooops. Anyway, the cocktail list is creative, lots of fresh ingredients here. And used well— the lychee daiquiri (with pureed lychees) is delicious; refreshing and not too sweet. A bit on the expensive side, but I suppose that’s to be expected on the new "power asian restaurant row" (Tamarind, Nobu, Mr. Chow).

Please rate the Dining Room:
Large. Slick, somewhat "corporate"— not my style, personally. But, not bad– probably quite appealing to discerning Indian bankers and ballers.

Please rate the BOH:
Uh, needs work. It seems as though the "power asian" mentality has greatly influenced the menu, but I guess— who can blame them? Clearly, both Nobu and Mr. Chow have succeeded tremendously in expensive asian "fusion." Tamarind, however, still blatantly needs to get in their own groove.

How was the staff?
Very good. Warm, amiable, knowledgeable, proficient, and conscientious. Not one missed step (quite the contrary, actually) by anyone.

What did you eat?/ How was the food? Well, I can’t recall the official Indian names so pardon my descriptions—
Duck wrapped in crepe-something? : which turned out to be more like a big duck spring roll. Trite presentation— and execution not so good either. Rather bland and wholly unexciting.
Spinach with broccoli rabe and corn : Sounds pretty weird, right? I though so too, so I was intrigued enough to order it.
Oh boy. It turns out it’s corn "balls"— no really— drowning in some kind of spinach/rabe puree? Or is the rabe supposed to be in my balls? I have no idea. In any case, not so appetizing. Flavorless— and yeah: weird.
Lamb simmered in some stuff with "masala curry" : It’s difficult, based on the menu descriptions, to distinguish one lamb dish from the others. So I just picked one. This one is not as spicy as the waitress suggested, and the lamb is overcooked. So maybe I should have chosen another instead.
Garlic nan : Excellent. Flavorful, aromatic, supple with just a very slight crispness on the surface. Delicious. (See? Why mess with the classics?)

What did you like?
The waitress was incredibly sweet and went above and beyond… (long story).

What did you dislike?
The food can be vastly improved upon.

What was your last impression?
Make it work, Tanto. (Oh, lighten up.)

Would you come back?
As is— for a drink, yes. But, if they can make the food better, I’d gladly give it another shot.

Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thank you, and best of luck.

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