Last night, Rif, Anna, Danielle and I checked out the new Indian restaurant in Harvard Square, Tamarind Bay. It definitely breaks out of the typical Indian restaurant mold, and ought to be pretty successful.
It took over the location from Casa Mexico, and they’ve really squeezed about as many tables into the basement space as possible. In fact, our tables were separated by a pole, though there was no “obstructed view” discount. After we navigated to our seats, there was plenty of room.
A quick look at the menu lets you know pretty quickly this isn’t your ordinary curry house. They claim (and we believed them) each dish is cooked to order, rather than in large batches. Anna’s stewed black lentils were almost chocolatey, like an Indian mole sauce. My fish-of-the-day coconut curry was delicate and flavorful, and Danielle’s “raw banana dumplings” were tasty, though we couldn’t really discern any banana flavor. Rif’s vegetarian dish was a little spicier than we liked, but good none the less.
The service was hit-or-miss – they brought our check without offering dessert, and when we inquired after the banana pancakes, we were told they were out. However, all the food arrived at the same time, my beer was cold, and overall they were quite nice.
The prices are pretty reasonable – entrees run $10-$20. Though it might be more expensive than your neighborhood Indian take-out place, this isn’t your neighborhood Indian take-out place. Recommended for when you’re in the mood for really good, different Indian food.