Raman SawhneyLocal guide
★★★★★4 months ago
Tamarind Tribeca — Elegant space, strong service, inconsistent kitchen (Lunch visit)<br><br>Tamarind Tribeca makes an excellent first impression. The restaurant is visually grand, with a refined fine-dining ambience, a well-designed interior, and a fully stocked bar with a respectable wine list. Service during our lunch was warm, professional, and attentive throughout. We were seated by the window near the bar, which was a pleasant spot.<br><br>Drinks<br><br>Raj Royal (Old Fashioned variation): Nicely presented with a rosemary garnish and competently made. Slightly sweeter than I prefer, but acceptable. 5/10<br><br>Lychee Martini: Very sweet, with no noticeable pineapple flavor despite it being listed on the menu. Essentially tasted like lychee juice with alcohol. 3/10<br><br>Starters<br><br>Bhagare Jhinga: Appealing presentation — sautéed shrimp with tomato chutney and a mustard seed–curry leaf tempering. However, the dish lacked basic seasoning, the chutney tasted undercooked, and the shrimp felt underdone and slightly crunchy.<br><br>Punjabi Thike Kebab (Chicken Tikka): Bright red in color, suggesting heavy food coloring. The chicken lacked proper marination, was undercooked, chewy, and difficult to cut. Presentation was fine but execution was poor. 2/10<br><br>To their credit, the staff promptly replaced this dish with:<br><br>Tellicherry Pepper Murgh: A clear improvement. Well plated, properly cooked, and nicely seasoned with a bold black pepper profile and a slight tamarind tang in the sauce. Chicken was tender and flavorful. 7/10<br><br>Main Course<br><br>Punjabi Kukkad: A standard North Indian chicken curry with onion-ginger-garlic gravy and whole spices. Unfortunately, this felt under-finished — the gravy tasted like a pre-prepared base that wasn’t fully cooked out, and the chicken was again firm and under-seasoned, as if added separately. For such a fundamental dish, this was disappointing. 3/10<br><br>Dale-e-Tamarind (Dal Makhani): Somewhat better, but still seemed undercooked. Dal makhani benefits from slow simmering for depth and creaminess, which appeared lacking here. 4/10<br><br>Breads<br><br>Tandoori Roti & Pudina Paratha: Both were well made. The pudina paratha used dried spearmint, which gives a slightly different flavor than traditional mint — not unpleasant, but unconventional. 7/10<br><br>Dessert<br><br>Complimentary Pista Kulfi: Pleasant, well portioned, and enjoyable. 7/10<br><br>Final Verdict<br><br>Tamarind Tribeca excels in ambience and service, and the dining room experience feels premium. However, during this visit the kitchen performance was inconsistent, with several dishes lacking seasoning, depth, or proper doneness — particularly concerning for core North Indian menu items.<br><br>A good choice for ambience and drinks, but based on this experience, the food did not match the setting or expectations.<br><br>Overall: 3/10 (service and ambience strong; kitchen execution needs improvement).
Response from the owner
Raman Sawhney, Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful review. We're glad that our interior design and services lived up to your expectations. However, we're truly sorry to hear that some of the dishes did not meet your standards. We value your feedback and will share your comments with our kitchen team to ensure we maintain a consistent high-quality cuisine. We're committed to constantly improving our dining experience so hopefully, in your next visit, we can turn this three-star experience into a five-star one.