Like Vietnamese food?

For our date-night my wife and I went to one of the classiest and most delicious Vietnamese restaurants in the bay area. It’s called Tamarine and the food was extraordinary.

Normally when I think of Vietnamese food I think of Pho noodles and the $1 sandwhich that I would always get for lunch as a college student at San Jose State.

However, Tamarine in Palo Alto has made me appreciate french-vietnamese cuisine at its best. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere very lively.

We heard about the many items that you should try so we tried as much as we could eat (and afford).

We started with the Hoi An Beef for an appetizer. It was like the Filipino Lumpia but much sweeter and the meat more tender. Next came soup and salad. Lisa had the Papaya Salad and I had the Kabocha Soup. The salad was too spicy for Lisa’s taste buds, however being a spice lover, I enjoyed the new taste and welcomed the spice. The soup was made from Kabocha Squash and coconut milk. It was absolutely yummy and the color was like that of the Filipino karé-karé.

And for our entrees: Lisa ordered the Vietnamese Bouef (Beef) while I ordered the Hoisin Lamb Chops. Lisa’s dish came in a soup broth mixed with vegetables while the lamb chops were served with baby Bok Choy and a side of sweet potato fries.

And last but not least, for dessert we ordered the Chocolate Ganache wantons. Must try if you’ve never had warm ganouche inside a fried wonton, served with vanilla ice-cream.

All in all: yummy, expensive, and highly recommended!