Tamarind Hall is just the kind of restaurant that sets San Francisco apart and above.
Here, in no particular order, are the key ingredients:
- Simply delicious food
- A welcoming atmosphere
- A neighborhood favorite
- Reasonable prices
- Asian ethnic.
Tamarind Hall is the loving obsession of Bangkok-born Salisa Skinner who studied law on the Peninsula, practiced IT law in Silicon Valley and gave all that up to become the untrained chef and no-experience owner of a northern Thai restaurant in San Francisco’s North Beach.
And, through a work ethic bordering on all-consuming, led it into instant success.
Tamarind Hall is a loudish, family-friendly, date-impressing room with a sports bar catering to cheering fans at one end and romantic tables for two (and four, and six) at the other. Patrons tend toward young, good-looking and multi-ethnic.
Presentation tends toward beautiful, and service ‚Äî by adorable Thai waitresses and handsome waiters ‚Äî is swift and cheerful. Oh, and drinks are among the best I’ve had in San Francisco; the fresh and refreshing Thai Collins ($11) is the best I’ve had in San Francisco.
Some outstanding dishes: Curry + Roti Dip ($9), a four-dip sampler of Tamarind Hall curries. Sai Ua + Namprik Noom ($15), spicy chicken sausage, sticky rice and pepper relish. Yam Makua Yao ($12), grilled eggplant, duck eggs and house-cured bacon. Pumpkin Curry ($13.50), with coconut milk and Thai spices. The ice cream desserts make a cool close to a hot — but not burning hot — meal.
The restaurant is across the street from Caffe Trieste, half a block from the Shrine of St. Francis Assisi, and down the hill from Coit Tower.
Tamarind Hall is an instant Older Fave; try it ‚Äî we think you’ll love it.
Tamarind Hall Thai Street Food & Bar: 1268 Grant Street, corner of Vallejo. Parking’s a challenge. Open daily for lunch and dinner: Monday through Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 10:30 p.m. www.tamarindhall.com. For more information or reservations, also available through OpenTable.com and YelpReservations.com, call (628) 444-3158 or (415) 866-6337
