Thai food has long been something of a little brother to Chinese food — it's the other Asian cuisine that you don't think about when you browse through the takeout options saved on your phone. A meal at Tamarind House, however, is enough to put a serious dent in that stereotype and make you think again before you order General Tso's chicken for the umpteenth time.
Tamarind House is located about a block past the Porter Square T stop on Massachusetts Avenue, nestled between Rosie's Bakery and the Stone Hearth Pizza Company. Don't let the tacky font and the garishly colored logo dissuade you: Inside you will find a classy restaurant featuring cloth napkins and leather seats.
The first thing you notice at Tamarind House is that the service is excellent. Although the waiters were not completely comfortable with their English skills, they were extremely courteous and made sure you never saw the bottom of your water glass for more than a moment before it was filled again.
The menu at Tamarind House is divided into dishes featuring a protein (poultry, seafood, etc); noodles and rice, where you find the standard Pad dishes and the fruity fried−rice dishes; and "Classics," where they feature various other traditional Chinese and Thai dishes. We got a plate of steamed dumplings to share as an appetizer, and then — banking on the idea that a restaurant's namesake is likely to be delicious — we ordered both the Tamarind Chicken and the Tamarind Duck, as well as the Pad Thai, for dinner.
The dumplings were small but numerous: nine dumplings for $6. The dumplings themselves were decidedly average, but they were served with a delicious sweet sauce for dipping.
The Pad Thai featured both shrimp and chicken, and was available with anything from zero to three peppers−worth of spiciness. Adventurously, we ordered the two−pepper level of spice. On this they delivered: Indeed, one of us was still feeling the heat 10 minutes after taking just one bite. However, the dish could have been hotter, temperature−wise. When the Pad Thai's rice noodles cool, they get kind of sticky and lump together, which could have been avoided if it was served warmer.
The Tamarind Chicken was also advertised as "2 Pepper Spicy," but it was actually much less so than the Pad Thai. Its name was misleading because it was actually a curry sauce with tamarind in it, served with red peppers, green beans and onions. The vegetables themselves were a little tough, but the chicken was moist and flavorful and the sauce was delicious. Indeed, the sauce alone served over rice would have made for a scrumptious side.
It was the Tamarind Duck that really stole the show. To make it, the chef deboned half a duck and fried it in pieces, served on a bed of broccoli, mushrooms and other vegetables, and covered in a sweet tamarind sauce.
The sauce was sweet and tangy, without any spiciness at all — perfect for people with misgivings about Thai food's spicy reputation. The vegetables were all cooked very well, and served as an excellent sauce−delivery service. The duck was, of course, the star of the dish. Duck is a very flabby bird, and it often ends up fatty and unappealing when cooked improperly. Not so at Tamarind House: The skin was crisp and golden, and the inside was tender and juicy without being greasy. My two friends agreed that it was the best duck they'd ever tasted and joked with each other about coming back the next weekend to order the same thing.
The meal at Tamarind House exceeded all expectations, but on a college budget it was a little pricy ($45 for three people). However, this included the dumpling appetizer, and we all had leftovers to take home. Tamarind House was well worth the price and the minor trek, and I highly recommend it.
