A Posh Thai Dinner at Tamarind

Chicken Wrapped in Pandan Leaves
(Gai Hor Bai Toey)
Php293

Another Thai restaurant, I know. I really cannot deny I love Thai cuisine now can I? Tita G had told me about Tamarind before, when we were exchanging notes on good Thai restaurants in Manila. When she mentioned that it is the upscale version of Jatujak, my interest was piqued right away. 

Jatujak Thai restaurant in SM Mall of Asia, is an all-time favorite of mine. One of my fondest memory of that restaurant was when I was having a snack there with my mom around the time that one of the US' supercarrier was docked in Manila Bay. A lot of the crew was milling around MOA and they were pretty easy to spot in the otherwise predominantly Filipino mall crowd. 

Fried Rice
with Crab Meat
Php216

Among the diners in Jatujak that day was this guy who, from my eavesdropping, I deduced to be one of the crewmen. Towards the end of his meal, he called to one of the waiters to give his compliments to the chef. He said that it was the best Thai dish he has ever had. Unfortunately, my eavesdropping skills were not good enough for me to find out what dish he actually ordered. Nevertheless, that impressed the heck out of me because, I thought, this guy must have been all over the map, yes, perhaps even Thailand, and he thought that was the best, whatever Thai dish that was, he's ever had.

Vegetarian Thai Fried Spring Rolls
(Poh Pia Pak Ruam)
Php156

Now, Tamarind, promises to be even better than Jatujak. So why wouldn't I be excited? Fortunately, our dinner in Tamarind did not leave me wanting. The interior of the restaurant was indeed much classier than Jatujak, with its cushy seats, luxurious lighting, and a more elaborate table setting. If you want to impress a date with Thai cuisine, I say Tamarind is a good candidate for a dinner venue.

Pad Thai Shrimp
Php238

The food in Tamarind is presented with a bit more flair. I noticed the finer serving plates and more thoughtful garnish on the dishes, and even the little things, like how differently the scrambled egg for the Pad Thai was cooked. We had the Fried Rice with Crab Meat there, and it went perfectly well with the ever popular Chicken Pandan. All in all, having dinner in Tamarind was a delight. Especially so that the quality of the food is just as superb and, surprisingly, not all that more expensive than Jatujak.

Tamarind-SM Aura is located at 5/F Sky Park, SM Aura Premier, McKinley Parkway, McKinley Hill, Taguig.