The wait is almost over for Tamarind of London, the most highly anticipated restaurant opening since Pizzeria Mozza opened in September, and last night, several members of the Visit Newport Beach Inc. marketing team were treated to a “test” dinner. Upon entering the completely renovated restaurant space that used to be home to Sage at the Coast, our eyes were immediately drawn to the dramatic open kitchen where diners will be able to see the magic happen front and center. In addition to a very substantial bar area with a beautiful water feature, there is a lovely outdoor patio with a fresh herb garden and soon-to-be-installed fire pits…both very nice touches.

And the food….for anyone who has never been introduced to Indian cuisine or has had a bad experience in the past, Tamarind is going to make you fall in love with Indian food from now on. EVERYTHING was magnificently prepared with the tapestry flavors one expects, and so many wonderful surprises as well. Chef de Cuisine Shachi Mehran already has a kitchen to be proud of and we can only hope that they will be doing catering in the future, because this food is outstanding!

See previous entry for hours and other information.