Tamarind Restaurant & Catering Menu

  • Specialty Drinks
  • Appetizer
  • Salads
  • Wraps
  • Breads
  • Lamb Curries
  • Chicken Curries
  • Seafood Curries
  • Vegetable Curries
  • Beef Curries
  • Tandoori Specialties
  • Specialty Rice Dishes
  • Desserts

Healthy Meal suggestions for Tamarind Restaurant & Catering

  • Specialty Drinks
  • Appetizer
  • Salads
  • Wraps
  • Breads
  • Lamb Curries
  • Chicken Curries
  • Seafood Curries
  • Vegetable Curries
  • Beef Curries
  • Tandoori Specialties
  • Specialty Rice Dishes
  • Desserts
  • Majed A.

    The food is great, price is more than reasonable, the owner and waiters are very polite and friendly. For sure I will come back soon

    (5)
  • garbanzo b.

    When you get good poisoning & vomit all night you know the food is bad . I am vegetarian and had the paneer dish. Everyone else had meat dishes. I got home, stomach grumbling. I could not stop vomiting for 2 days and had to take a day off work. WORST FOOD EVER.

    (1)
  • Emily C.

    Pretty decent buffet place, especially for lunch at $9.99 SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. That's pretty hardcore and we saw a lot of families come in for Sunday lunch. We did have to wait a while, but the owner/manager was super nice and let us sit outside and wait and brought us all water. Buffet had a decent selection, but I could see how one would get sick of it after a while. My favorites were the okra (bhindi masala), spinach and potato curry (didn't have much potatoes but it tasted good), and chicken tikka masala. Garlic Naan was essential and lovely when warm, but it was lacking that certain something. It was soft and crispy on the edges, but it didn't have quite the garlicky taste you'd get at other places. The timing on this was tricky as we had a little bit during our first round and then during the second, barely any and when we were mostly done, 3 baskets of garlic naan came out and we felt the need to not waste any. Tandoori Chicken was pretty good but I kept getting mostly bone and everything was pretty salty here. From the first bite, it was salty but everything was ok to pretty good. The guys liked it, but I am not fully sold on it, despite the manager being super nice and accommodating to everyone. I'm more of a 3.5 Stars if possible, as I may come back one day because of the guys.

    (3)
  • Japmeet S.

    The best Indian food I've ever had! There were so many options in the lunch buffet for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Garlic naan was amazing! Best naan...it was buttery and just melted in your mouth. There were three different types of chicken and all were on point with amazing flavor and taste. The place was very clean and neat and the staff was extremely friendly, always making sure the food and drinks were refilled. Overall it was an amazing experience! Definitely would come back!

    (5)
  • Jennifer L.

    There aren't a lot of Indian spots in the area and when I stepped into Tamarind, I was a bit hesitant. Stepping into an Indian restaurant is pretty much like a Folgers commercial because of all the herbs and spices. Tamarind didn't have much of a smell so I didn't know what to expect. Their lunch buffet was extremely impressive. There were a number of options and each item would be refilled when it started running low. Garlic Naan -- Thank you Tamarind for overdoing the garlic. Lots of places are so chintzy with the garlic but Tamarind definitely knew what they were doing. The fresh out-of-the-oven naan had just the right amount of oil, cilantro and garlic. Makes for a great dipping tool! Chicken Tikka Masala -- One of my favorite Indian dishes. The cuts of dark meat were extremely juicy and the sauce had just a bit of spice. Such a great pairing with the garlic naan! Keema -- Minced beef with peas. Incredibly thick and flavorful. The peas were slightly sweet so the masala was the perfect accompaniment. Let's not even get into the basmati rice. Just get it. Lots of it.

    (4)
  • Ria M.

    Great food and excellent service! Endless tandoori, tikka masala, naan and other delicious Indian food for $9.99! Awesome! :)

    (5)
  • Sarah J.

    The best garlic naan I've ever had in my life! So fresh. So crispy. So garlicky. So. Damn. Delicious. Even though I can't eat spicy food and I'm not big on vegetables, I love coming here for their 7 days a week lunch special!! I mostly come for the naan obviously! But the hubby eats everything they have to offer there. My favorite is the chicken masala, though the hubby raves about their spinach saag - I just want the garlic naan!! Place is really small, probably fits about 8-10 tables total. Buffet style. Owner/manager is very nice and friendly. Another great thing about this place is that it's in walking distance from frostbite so I can always have my desserts after the meal, and that's never a bad thing! :3

    (4)
  • Michael T.

    I remember eating here few years back, before I developed a taste for Indian Food. At that time, I felt that it was really nothing to write home about. Fast forward to more recent visits. $9.99 lunch buffet with endless yuminess? Yes please. Go for the goat on Tues/Sunday lunch, it's so tender and flavorful. When got in late one Tuesday night (about 20 min before closing) and they were low on food. We asked if they could bring out more goat. The owner comes to our table and asks, "You gentlemen want more goat?" To which we replied, "Yes." He looks at his watch and says with a smile, "Ok, you got it!" What a comedian! He's really nice and knows how to run a business. With that said, everything is solid here.

    (5)
  • Bryan B.

    Awesome service and great food! Try to chicken Marsala and nahri! Great dishes! The owner is awesome as well! Thanks for your hospitality !

    (5)
  • Christina C.

    Came here for dinner on a weekday and it wasn't crowded at all. The modern decor and dim lighting made this place a little fancy. I've had better roti but the garlic naan was pretty good. The tikki masala was probably my favorite item based on what we ordered. The sauce was just alright. It was the tender chicken that caught my attention. I feel that the sauce could have been creamier or just more memorable. Before ordering, double check to see if the dish you want comes with rice. Otherwise, you're going to have to order it separately. Which isn't a problem, because the side of rice they give you is plenty (enough for 3 people...maybe 4). Prices weren't too bad. They have a bunch of bread choices for really cheap and the main dishes are appropriately priced. We got our food pretty fast, but the service was only fair. There was such strong miscommunication due to our waiter's inability to understand us. He was very nice, but it made things a little more difficult. Even after pointing at the item, he still looked confused.

    (4)
  • Adrian D.

    Came by for dinner with Christina C. and Nate R. Ordered vegetable samosas to start with. Could've sworn I saw a picture on Yelp showing four samosas. To our surprise, we only received two. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but for a price tag of $3.75, I was expecting more. Not to mention, they were fairly small. I've had bigger sized samosas at different establishments for a lot less. For our main course, we ordered chicken tikka masala and saag gosht with some garlic naan, keema naan, and tandoori roti. The chicken tikka masala stole the show; it was very tasty. We loved the curry a lot. The saag gosht was surprisingly delicious. We weren't too sure at first solely by the looks, but don't judge a book by its cover. The garlic naan and tandoori roti were almost instantly gone. I wasn't too much of a fan of the keema naan, which is stuffed with ground meat. The atmosphere is chic and elegant, which is totally different from its exterior. I felt a bit underdressed to be quite honest. Service was quick and staff was friendly. We had a small awkward run-in with our waiter since English wasn't his first language, but overall, he was nice. Some things were a bit on the pricey side (i.e. samosas). I've been to a few places where the food was a lot cheaper and just as tasty as the food from here, so that threw my experience off a little. In conclusion, I don't think I'll be back for their a la carte style dinner. However, I'm curious to how their lunch buffet is.

    (3)
  • Abe L.

    I walked in this afternoon for lunch take out. my chicken was too salty. my food became cold waiting for my lassi. dine in buffet customers looked like they were enjoying themselves.

    (2)
  • Nathaniel M.

    I don't even know where to start with my praise of this place. My girlfriend brought me here because I wanted something different from the usual. She delivered! I have always loved Indian food, but this place made me genuinely happy with every bite. Between the owner of the establishment making wonderful recommendations to try new things and enjoying some personal favorites, I tried most everything they had at this lunch buffet. And I loved EVERYTHING! I was smiling because the food was just so good! Please, come try this place. I know I will. Be coming back here again... And again... And again!

    (5)
  • Sarah K.

    My boss first brought the whole office here to try it about a month ago as a reward and we all loved it so much!! We all now bring our families here and he now comes here almost everyday for lunch. It's very affordable, fast, and tastes amazing. The staff is friendly and efficient and genuinely cares about their patrons. Can't wait to come again

    (5)
  • Veronika D.

    This place is a great place to go, if you are tired of eating the same flavors day after day. The food is very tasty and full of unique spices. My boyfriend and I love the garlic naan bread, chicken tikka and the plain rice. Our favorite dipping sauces are the tamarind and the green spicy sauce. The place is cute and would be a great place to have an intimate dinner party. They also have an awesome lunch buffet for 10 bucks. That would be a great place start to try out different dishes.

    (5)
  • Betty C.

    There's not many options for Indian food in Chino Hills. That being said, this is a pretty standard lunch buffet. There are 3 veggie options, 3 meat options, salad, rice, and the kheer dessert (rice pudding). The food is good, I'm never surprised, and never disappointed. It's passable, I'd really give it more like a 3.5 star but it's a nice clean restaurant so I'd round up.

    (4)
  • Louise I.

    I went over here with my boyfriend and his family on a Sunday night. The place was pretty full with a larger party next to us along with two more parties of 2-3. It took us a while to get our order in because there was one server on duty. I expected the place to be sort of empty especially on a Sunday night, but some nights are un expectable. I understood that the server was trying to get all the tables order before the place closed. We got our food about 20 min later. We got curry, the garlic naan (which was super delicious!) and some other things. My boyfriends auntie and grandma ordered tea and kept asking the workers where it was. The manager came up to us saying that they give the tea at the end of the meal which we didn't know about and we kept asking. He was nice enough to do a comp for us. The tea was super great! I forgot what it was called. Overall, this place is very good. If you cannot handle super spicy curry make sure to ask to have it mild-medium.

    (4)
  • Bryan A.

    I stopped for lunch , I was very happy with restaurant cleanliness , the lunch buffet was excellent quality, the service was awesome. Will come back again. And yes I'll recommend it.

    (5)
  • Aurea V.

    The chicken tikka masala and the garlic naan was amazing. Happened to visit during their Ramadan buffet, got to try a lot of great selections. The rice pudding is a great way to top off the meal. Will be back again soon! The service was great and got to chat with the friendly owner. Looking forward to being regulars here.

    (5)
  • Rachel C.

    Can you cater my life? This place was amazing! My boyfriend and I were craving a homey rice dish and were looking for something in the area. Glad we stopped here. Had to get the chicken tikka masala of course. Best I ever had! The tandoori fish was a little on the spicy side but had great flavor too. The service was exceptional and the owner even came by our table to ask how our meal was. Lovely restaurant. 10/10 would eat again

    (5)
  • Pelin G.

    Very very little meat on the plate , they filled the plate with just sauce. Burned meat. All other places serve rice free but here it is $4.75. We are leaving hungry and going to another place to eat . Couldn't believe all good reviews on Yelp. Never ever come back again. I got only 5 or 6 pieces of meat on my dish for 13 dollar.

    (1)
  • Blaine S.

    This place is phenomenal, and has quickly become one of my favorite places to eat, anywhere. The food is so fantastic, beautiful in color, rich and complex in flavor and texture and always fresh. The teas and desserts are amazing as well and are a great way to finish off a meal. The owner who is there most of the time is the friendliest and is clearly very passionate about the food and his customers enjoyment. The ambience inside is very nice and relaxing. Nice chairs and tables, great lighting and design. I can't say enough great things about Tamarind and would recommend it to anybody.

    (5)
  • Kristofer A.

    I have been to several indian/Pakistani restaurants and I think this is one of the best bets for your dollar. It is really good and comes with a good deal. I am a big guy and have a black hole for a belly so I like a lot of food. The unlimited garlic naan bread is already as good as can be, and when I compare to other places each naan is an extra charge. Here for 1 flat fee you can get as much as you want. Servers very aware and they refreshed the buffet line several times when I was there with my friends and family. (I went here several times)

    (5)
  • George P.

    Exceptionally good. One of the best restaurants in Chino Hills we had the privilege dining at. It is as good if not better than any dining experience we have had here or in India. True authentic Indian cuisine. Highly recommend this place for all. The Naan is baked in a large flame heated ceramic pot oven. It is crispy and flavorful. Be sure to order the Naan first thing after setting down as it takes several minutes but is so worth the wait.

    (5)
  • Sindhu N.

    Very tasty Indian food. The buffet was more than worth the price. Simple and neat ambience. Food area was neat. Bathroom was clean and tidy. The service was commendable. In all simple and neat service and extremely tasty food.

    (4)
  • Cindy P.

    Best Indisn Food! I feel like I'm in Pune,India and my Auntie Tara is cooking for me! The Naan (Indian Bread) is outstanding. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Chana Masala (Garbanzo beans), and Biriyani Rice with nuts and raisins. We also wanted a salad, but only saw Chicken Salad on the menu. No problem! They made us a tossed salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and a light vinegarette dressing-perfect! The Masala Tea was also yummy! The food was prepared fresh to order and our server asked us what spice level we wanted (1-10 scale). We chose 5 which was perfect for me. Hubby said next time he wants to try a 6. Food was hot, service impeccable, restaurant and bathrooms were clean and the staff was perfectly attentive. A great night out!

    (5)
  • Sara S.

    It is always a pleasure to eat at tamarind. The food the atmosphere & the owner measures up every time. The owner Khan always makes sure customers are well taken care of & happy to eat at his Restuarant. Highly recommend.

    (5)
  • Anthony T.

    This place is awesome i went there at least 15 times and every single time the place and the food was good. The buffet is very reasonably priced and is all good stuff. Their fresh Naan is just awesome and is best in town. The service was very friendly and 1 man was going to all tables and asking them about the taste of food and just chit chatting. I thought he is the manager but he turned out to be the owner and that makes the difference. They deserve a sixth star. I will recommend this place to anyone and will go again.

    (5)
  • Kirk Y.

    All you can eat for $9.95 on weekdays from 11:30 to 2:30! Chicken tikka masala, Karahi chicken, Aloo Gobi, and Dal Masala with Kheer for dessert. Plus, all the garlic naan you can eat as well. The garlic naan was very good; brushed with oil and seasoned with garlic and herbs. Plenty of parking in the area in front of the restaurant. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)
  • Vince V.

    I've passed by this place for years. Probably over 6 years and never had any desire to try it out because I always go next door to Philly's Best. Today I tried the lunch buffet and wow it was amazing! It was only $10 bucks. I will definitely be going back.

    (5)
  • Evelyn A.

    Is there anything in this restaurant that I don't like??? Always great service. The cook is sooo nice. The waitress is so funny and friendly. The food is not 100% of my liking, but there is such a great variety that I always find a few favorites. Their salad. Their chicken dishes. Just fabulous!!!

    (5)
  • Melissa S.

    Came for dinner on Thursday night. Food was delicious, service was great ! Definitely my new Chino Hills favorite!

    (5)
  • Heide O.

    Pakistani & Indian food you say?? Don't be scared! This place is amazing. As you walk through the door way; you no longer feel that you are in Chino. The decor and table linens make you feel like you're in a chic LA restaurant. As you are seated you are given menus and they quickly bring you cucumber water and will explain the menu to you. This is when you let them know that it is your first time and they will make suggestions and how spicy you can order your food. (we order medium or a level 5) Everything is A LA CART served in silver bowls. The bowls look little but the serving is more than enough for two people. And we are FLUFFY people.. lol Well this is what we ordered.... **Kashmiri Kabob: THIS IS MY FAVORITE and highly recommend you order this appetizer. It is enough for two people to have a small portion but you are going to want more. It is the house specialty. Chicken Tikka Masala: tender pieces of chicken a thick tomato, butter, a dash of curry sauce that you what to drink from a bowl. Plain Rice: I know it sound boring, but it is perfect. Steamed and fried Basmati rice. You want plain and simple rice since all the dishes have so much flavor and spice you do not want anything to interfere with that savory goodness. Garlic naan: They have plain and whole wheat naan, but we like the garlic. Two things: 1. it is like garlic bread and a tortilla had a baby = garlic naan 2. The garlic will keep the mosquitoes away and/or a bad date away LOL DESSERT: Kheer: Rice pudding with coconut.. So its like Arroz con leche with coconut. Perfect way to end your dinner THE OWNER: Well if you ever have the opportunity to meet Khan he is a very well dressed man and is a great host. Very humble and takes great pride in his amazing restaurant. They have a lunch buffet $9.95. I have read from other posts that it is very busy during these times. (A sign that it is a good buffet) So if you don't mind crowds or waiting, it is a great way to try a few different things you usually would not on your own. This is our 2nd time here and most definitely not our last! I am so glad that we tried this fabulous Pakistani/Indian establishment, marks one off my FOODIE LIST....

    (5)
  • The H.

    Came with my fiancé tonight and everything was delicious! I had a scrumptious paneer tikka masala and my fiancé had the bhaingen burta (eggplant with tomatoes and onion). You could taste that the herbs were fresh, mmmm. We shared vegetable samosas and some garlic naan (yum!). I would also recommend the masala tea if you like chai tea. Nice ambiance & the waitress was quite sweet. :)

    (5)
  • Lin V.

    Came here 2 weekends ago, always loved Indian food and hardly ever goes. But been eye-ing on this place for quite some time. The friend I went with had tried it before and didn't mind going back as she said it was good. I tried pretty much everything on their buffet line even though I am gestational diabetic... with 2-3 plates of food I ate, my glucose came out right on target! Love it when that happens when grubbing at the buffet. I am always a chicken masala girl but their was mediocre, I am giving a 4 star because of the constant attention we got from the waitress. Small place which is very manageable and the cooks kept on bringing out the food! I'll sure be back!

    (4)
  • Ray D.

    Excellent quality food. I have been several times for lunch. Their buffet has a good mix of dishes. I specially like their chicken Tikka and the desert kheer.

    (5)
  • Ryuichi L.

    NOT AUTHENTIC! I'm only giving two stars instead of one cause I don't like being a dick. Service was pretty rude... was a party of 7 in front of us and told us she couldn't seat us in a corner table that was clearly free for 2 people, I had to go out of my way to nearly beg her "can we sit at that empty table while you get your big party put together?" She shrugged and finally said yes. However I learned later on she was new and the only staffed server during lunch rush?!! What's the management thinking?! Bus boy was the highlight of our service very attentive trying to help the poor server stay on top of things. As we rush to try their amazingly priced buffet - I usually get very excited to try new places and before you say to yourself "it's a buffet so what do you expect?" I've been to very excellent buffets where the food is on par with the "made to order" quality so it's no excuse!! What I tried 1. Basmati Rice - kinda hard to f**k this up, was decent and multicolored. 2. Aloo Paneer - suppose to contain potatoes and of course spinach however like some places they don't put the counter ingredient in!! IE: "saag paneer without any CHEESE!!" Also the flavor was very bland. ALL spinach and not one single potato!!! 3. - Dal Masala - Lentils with a cumin based sauce this was terribly bland who would ever think you would need salt with Indian food just to stomach it?! 4. Chicken Tandoori - Was bland... and NOT EVEN the correct spices, I'm starting to become depressed repeating almost the same style review for each item but not even authentic in flavor 5. Chicken Tikka Masala - Okay so this is usually the most popular item anyone gets and I have to admit I'm a sucker for the amazing creamy tomato based item. This is a pure SIN!!!!!! Not even correctly done flavor is way off and they don't use real CREAM!!! If you don't know or never tried Indian food you might like this but for the love of God they screwed up on one of the best items. 6. Garlic Naan - bread texture was correct but lacked the correct taste of fresh garlic and ghee butter ;( Seriously how do you get garlic naan wrong? 7. Mint Sauce - NOT EVEN REAL! Lacked that amazing cilantro and garlic vibe...... it was almost made like salsa......?!?? For the first time I feel let down by the stellar reviews of yelp...... does chino hills not know what good Indian food is? Please do yourself a favor and find another place. The owners are doing everyone a terrible injustice by destroying such an amazing cuisine.

    (2)
  • Scott T.

    Second time here with my friend, and guess im fall in Love with Indian Curry, and this restaurant strongly recommend and most Try!! Love it

    (5)
  • Alexander N.

    Great lunch buffet, the chicken tikka is tender, juicy, and flavorful, a bit on the salty side but overall pretty good. The lunch buffet also has a citrusy salad that complements the heavy flavors from the curries and their garlic naan is, to date, the best garlic naan I've had in Southern California. The dinner prices are a bit higher and the portion sizes for dinner aren't particularly large so go for lunch if you can and try a bit of everything.

    (4)
  • J N.

    Dinner time is good time to go there if you want eat without a wait. It's busy at lunch time for AYCE buffet special. Foods is great so as service.. Decor is nice and relaxing. Chicken Tikka Masala - Tender pieces of Chicken cooked in tandoor & tossed in rich tomato & butter sauce.. One of my favorite dish.. Sauce is good w/ plain rice & naan. Chicken is tender and juicy.. Lamb Curries - Achar Gosht - Tendor pieces of lambs cooked with chili, herbs & spices - It's a little spicy. Lamb do not have the smell which is good. Also, Sauce is good w/ plain rice & naan Mixed Tandoori Platter - Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Seekh Kabob & beef Boti Kabob. If u cant decide which meats to get, why not try the mixed meats.. Its have a little of everything. Everything is good except I am not fan of Seekh Kabob Garlic Naan is fresh make.. its big pieces. If u think u need another order. Recommended order after you finished the 1st one.. Its better when is hot Masala Lassi Tea - Taste like tea w/ milk

    (4)
  • Azhar M.

    Wonderful buffet. Always fresh Pakistani food. The owner is always making sure the customers are satisfied. Nice ambience. Would highly recommend.

    (5)
  • Andrew L.

    *Reviewing this place solely after trying the lunch buffet Came on a Sunday with 3 other friends around 1pm. Pretty much a full house. After 20 minutes of us getting seated a couple of parties had to wait 5-10 minutes for a table. It's a super small restaurant however and doesn't have a lot of seating to begin with. It's not a good spot to come with a big group. Most of the tables are for 2-4 people and they would have to accommodate for your large group. Food: About a selection of 5-6 types of curries plus one tray for salad, one for rice, another for chicken tandoori and lastly another one for rice pudding. In terms of selection, there isn't as much as Curry India Bistro which is located in Diamond Bar (although they are priced at $12 for lunch if I remember correctly). One of the curries I had with beef tasted like the Chinese incense (like imagine the smell of the incense but eating it). It was gross. What is really good was the chicken tandoori, and the chicken curry I believe over rice. Add some garlic naan and I'm set. I could eat those three dishes and feel like I made my money's worth haha. Rice pudding was also on point! Not overly sweet, just right! For $10, it's hard to beat the price. Quality of the food is there but honestly I would prefer to go to Curry India Bistro, pay a little more but have more selection and not feel cramped. Still a solid place though and worth trying and knowing my friends, I'll probably find myself coming back here for the buffet.

    (3)
  • Victoria F.

    One of my favorite places of all times. I have the lunch buffet at least once a weem. Simply to die for.. amazing flavors and great selections each time.

    (5)
  • Emma W.

    This is an incredibly small restaurant. It was really busy for lunch around 12:15 on a Sunday. The front man was awkward about seating us. He seemed very flustered and didn't know how to ask us to wait for a seat, but that was minor. The quality of food is mediocre. There were like 6 or 7 different types of curry, but none of them stood out to me. My favorite is the chicken tikka masala but Tamarind's was lacking. The way the food was displayed was a little sloppy. The service is horrendous. While I was getting food, I was pushed into the food by a server a few times. I was annoyed. and more annoyed when he reached over me , while I was getting food, to check the adjacent containers.... but he really could've just waited. And the servers ignored us a few times when we wanted the check even when it was clear they saw us. I would not recommend this place to my friends and especially people who've never had Indian food

    (2)
  • Liz D.

    It was a spontaneous decision to come here and try it out...best choice I could have made. Hubby and I were lost on the menu but the nice waitress helped us choose medium tikki chicken masala which was a hit. And best part was hubby had to admit I picked a delicious place! ;) he now loves Indian food. Owner even came around greeting his guests which made us feel important.

    (5)
  • Alper A.

    The owner of restaurant is rude and racist as he told people to go back their country!! Service is very poor as well!!!. Very strange attitude we experienced. We do not suggest this restaurant at all.

    (1)
  • Francine L.

    Haven't been to Chino in so long and when shopping in the early morning you can build up a pretty crazy appetitie All around this place was different restaraunts but I wasn't feeling any of them at all. Then my friend asked me if I wanted to go and eat some Indian food. I was excited because I haven't had it in awhile and the buffet is here seven days a week during lunch time. We made it inside and this place was super packed. Got one of the two last tables and then we got up from the tables to get some delicious yummy foods. Started off with one plate full and then I got a second plate filled with tandoori chicken, at least five pieces! I was a beast at this place for sure. I was pretty satisfied with the flavors and the lovely different curries they had. My least favorite or not the best was the Naan bread. I didn't think it had enough flavor for it. Pretty light with garlic and it wasn't as crispy as I have it in other places. Still it was good though don't get me wrong. I was a satisfied customer and if I am ever in the Chino area I will for sure come back to this place!

    (3)
  • Damon S.

    I just don't throw out 5 stars, but I've been eating here for a very long time. The food here is absolutely fabulous each and every time that I've eaten here. It's consistantly mouthwatering good. The only reason they don't have a 5 star from me is because of the ambiance and the service. While they are always super nice people, you can be left wanting a little more attention. The interior is really nice and it's a shame that this place isn't consistantly packed. Especially when you have such worse places to eat in a very close proximity that are packed serving garbage. This place is a jewel of a find if you like Indian food. Kudos!

    (4)
  • Tori V.

    First off, I am not big on cultural cuisines such as Indian. I will say this though. My first time trying it, I was NOT disappointed. I don't have much experience with Indian food mainly because I've always been intimidated by the overwhelming aroma's of all the spices. I was invited for lunch here and the smell is super pungent right when you open the door. Pungent as in you will smell like it for the rest of your day. The food was rather tasty though. It was so aesthetically pleasing and the service was beyond amazing. Our waitress kept our table clear and beverages refilled without us even having to ask. The basmati rice complemented the tandoori chicken and chicken masala well. The garlic naan was amazing. There was also this dish that was made of spinach and potato(can't remember the name) and it reminded me a bit of pesto. The flavor was very light so it toned down the flavored from the masala well and was wonderful with the garlic naan! Will be returning for lunch because they have awesome specials; I just wished they had a little more variety during lunch.

    (4)
  • Erica M.

    My favorite Indian restaurant in Chino! We ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer, garlic naan, and spicy milk tea! Everything was delicious and service was great! Highly recommend this place!

    (5)
  • Tyler B.

    The naan makes eating here worth it. It's the best I've ever had. The chicken tikka masala is also excellent.

    (4)
  • Roehl A.

    Pretty good Indian food buffet. I particularly liked the chicken dishes and the salad. I usually place the sauce in a small dish and really enjoy dipping the garlic naan! Just didn't appreciate the waitress handling the naan. She transferred one from a basket in her hand to the basket on or table using her bare hands. I thought it was a bit odd specially since she was handling checks/ payments, used dishes, etc.

    (3)
  • Kendra H.

    I have always wanted to try this resturant and it did not disappoint. The food was great, every dish was tasty with flavors that excited my tounge! The service was excellent, top notch with a relaxed atmosphere. They welcomed us like family and genuinely thanked us for coming in. The owner shook all our hands when we left and invited us back. If you want great food, service, and something different then come to Tamarind!

    (5)
  • N P.

    OMG are u guys serious. Went to this place for lunch buffet on a weekday with a old coworker. This place sucks. Sorry but i have been to a ton of indian places for lunch buffet. THey didn't have one appetizer - are u serious. And pricey but then again they opened around chino hills so why not ppl there can afford it. Will never go back. Have way too many choices. TRY MANTRA IN CORONA AND hopefully you can see / taste the difference. Jusy my 2 cents.

    (1)
  • Gregory B.

    My third time in Tamarind, and first time I've been disappointed in my meal. My appetizers were ok, the lamb sausage (yum, especially with the 3 provided chutneys). The second starter was the potato plate, pretty good as well. For an entree course, my wife and I split the lamb roganjosh, and an order of the goat cheese naan. The goat cheese naan is just outstanding. I would come here just to eat this dish. However, the lamb roganjosh disappointed. The flavor of the dish was excellent, however the lamb was so tough as to be almost inedible. This dish is supposed to represent slow-cooked lamb that should be fork tender, hence my dismay. I want to say that the restaurant took the dish off our bill and offered to replace it with another dish, so that was a nice offer. My other "yelp" on this visit was the realization that the corkage fee at Tamarind is $25. Let's get with it and recognize that lots of diners want to bring their own wine these days, and embrace rather than punish that. I think Tamarind is a better restaurant than my experience yesterday would indicate, so give it a try.

    (3)
  • Kylie P.

    Me and my cousin had the tandoori mix platter and garlic naan. Really amazing I like the fact that the platter came all sizzling. It was enough for two people and I would go back for the lunch buffet if I had the chance. Also I really like the cucumber water they serve. It's just refreshing to me.

    (4)
  • Priscilla C.

    Come for lunch, the buffet is beyond phenomenal!!! It is at such a good price!! The food is fresh, with amazing flavors, and the restaurant has an enjoyable atmosphere. Love coming to this secret gem in chino hills, wish we had this type of quality indian food in orange county. Also the service is awesome, some of the best waitresses I've had the pleasure of experiencing.

    (5)
  • Shirley A.

    Everything is great here, from the service, the food and great price for lunch buffet with unlimited garlic naan which I like very much, it's highly recommended! Definitely will be coming back.

    (4)
  • R R.

    Really tasty. Outrageously expensive. Rice is not even included with your dishes (adding it to your order is 4.75 + tax per portion). I haven't tried their buffet, but it would be the only way that I could justify coming to this restaurant again. Service took forever too, but at least they were kinda nice.

    (2)
  • Tracy L.

    Came here for the lunch buffet. I was pretty impressed with the selections they have but a bit annoyed about how rushed I felt during my stay. We walked in and literally was asked to leave before even checking out the buffet line. The Asian lady was kind of rude and continued to rush us out, I would go back again because of the food but let's hope customer service is better.

    (2)
  • Hyun P.

    So many good things to say about this place. First of all, excellent service: I feel satisfied just by talking to the servers there. They make sure you are enjoying your meal, which I did, every single bite and second. The service was enough to make me enjoy the restaurant. However, it does not end there. The food was served in a buffet-like manner so I was able to endlessly enjoy every single plate. I had Chicken Tikka Masala, Keema beef curry (spicy), eggplant spicy curry, and many more and I could still get each delightful curry when I want more. Me and my family could only visit on the Wednesdays but I later figured out that they serve different dishes on different days per week. If you ever happen to visit this place on Wednesdays, TRY the keema beef & potato curry. Later, if you're done with the curry or the curry's too spicy for you, try the Kheer, which is a sweet rice pudding that helps water down the spiciness. The price wasn't bad either. I usually go there during lunch hour and their price was $8.99, which doesn't compare to the curry houses in L.A. (which ranges $11 - $20). Overall, great local curry house that you MUST visit

    (5)
  • Janine N.

    Good service and GREAT price on the lunch time buffet. $9.99 and 7 days a week you can't beat that. Plus the waiters and waitresses are on top of picking up your old plates and filling you beverage. The flavor was outstanding, I have nothing bad to say. I had a great first time experience and will be going back.

    (5)
  • Ali H.

    Great tasty spicy food... The Marsella teka chicken is the best... Beef kabob is no joke...if u like to mix it up the open buffet is great way to try everything... Great owner and nice hard working staff

    (5)
  • Courtney H.

    Excellent food and service. The buffet was flavorful and good spicy, none of that watered down Indian food you sometimes get. The owner (I believe) came by to check on our table and even dished us up a fresh serving of tika masala when it came out. We will definitely come back!

    (5)
  • Fred N.

    We went to eat at this restaurant , by the time we got there we found out they already closed and we stand outside the restaurant thinking what to do then the restaurant owner step out and ask us to come in and set and he says he will cook our food ..... We was so happy and starving .... And he really cook the food for us ..... The food was amazing we ate a lot we love the food and the restaurant....... Defiantly we will come back again ..... Service was very very good ....... One more thing to say they are great .................

    (5)
  • Emily S.

    We came here for their lunch buffet. I am usually a fan of Indian and Pakistani food so I was happy. What I liked about Tamarind was that there was enough of a variety in their lunch buffet. The goat karahi was good and spicy. The chicken karahi was very moist. Not only that but this place is the only place where I've had moist Tandoor Chicken. All the other places I've been to have served it super dry. Their chicken tikka masala was good, but not the best I've had. The sauce was good but not as thick as I'm used to it being. And the chicken in it seemed to have lots of shredded pieces vs. chunks of chicken. I enjoyed the chicken tikka masala and got more of that on my second time up to the buffet. Their garlic naan was also great, it was brought out to us when we arrived so it was nice and hot. I've been to other places where they just left the naan out in the buffet line so it got cold and hard. Service was good, and the restaurant was clean. I would be back!

    (4)
  • Dre D.

    Best Indian Food ever!! My children LOVE the garlic Naan and chicken tikka masala! A must try if you are in the area! A little gem! You won't be disappointed!

    (5)
  • Pamela L.

    I was pleasantly surprised at this little place. It was actually really nice inside and a bit pricey, but the food was delicious. I'd compare this most to India Bistro in Diamond Bar. You have to pay extra for the naan and rice. I had the chicken masala with garlic naan and shrimp rice. The rice was plenty for two people and the small bowl of chicken masala was oddly filling. I do wish they gave more naan though for $3. We only got basically one piece cut into four. The table next to us brought their own wine bottle. This place doesn't have a spirits selection but does carry sodas and lassi. I would come back but probably only for special occasions. They had a good selection of food for different diets. They include some fusion foods of other places in the area.

    (4)
  • Anu M.

    Oh I am glad it was written in bold outside that it was an Indian restaurant. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known because the food was nowhere close to Indian food. After reading the good reviews, we decided to stop here for lunch buffet on a weekday. $8.99/person (without tax) didn't sound too bad at all until I had a bite of their so-called Indian food. This is the buffet spread they had - Rice, Lentils, Baigan Bharta, Chicken Tikka Masala, Beef Korma, Tandoori chicken, some kind of chicken curry and Kheer. Nothing, really NOTHING was good. Service was terrible; the used plates were hardly cleared up and they didn't do a good job with replenishing water. All in all, it was a waste of time and money.

    (1)
  • Nala H.

    Great food, atmosphere good for strip mall. It is my First time Curry Experience Fabulous. NOW I am regular customer every other week. Boneless chicken special curry and vegetable biraya and garlic naan They are soooooooo Goooooood!

    (5)
  • Natalia N.

    I was a regular customer of this restaurant for an over 2 years and all my friends became customers too. But today I faced horrible customer service. I got a lot of negative attitude from a waitress I never saw before. The restaurant was half empty and I asked for a booth seat because I have a back problem. The waitress stated that she can't let us sit there because there is only two of us and that table is for 4 people. She was extremely rude and argued with me for 5 min over a seat. Seriously, the restaurant was half empty! I work with customers myself and know how important is to provide the best service for people. I really like the guys who work in the kitchen, and I was always happy with the food, but I don't think that that was the right way to treat your loyal customers!!!! I don't think I will go back there.

    (1)
  • Adrienne P.

    I really don't like Indian food, but I went here with a group of girls from work. I'm rating it 4 stars because I know that it was delicious food based on the comments from all of my friends. We ordered a variety of dishes, and I only like one of the chicken dishes. I'm just not big on all the bold Indian flavors, and I'm never going to be. Curry... yuck. However, I could not stop scarfing down the naan. It was the best naan I've had. Also had this dessert thing that was basically a sugar ball soaking in sugar water. It was disgusting. If you like Indian food (and you're not expecting dessert), this is a great restaurant.

    (4)
  • Paul E.

    Great food and an intimate setting. You can even watch them make the nan bread in the special cooker. I have eaten there at least 5 times and never had a bad meal. Another good thing it is never too crowed. : )

    (4)
  • Stephen D.

    I just went here tonight and I was blown away by the amazing service. 5 of us walked in as they were closing but it didn't seem to bother them at all, they have hookah set up so you can smoke outside so we decided to relax and have some. While we were out there not only were we all poured complimentary cups of ginger and cinnamon teas but also free rolls that were the best I've had out of many places I have been to. Needless to say the service and care that this restaurant puts in to making sure every customer is completely happy is definitely shown through and I will be frequenting this place because of the atmosphere and service.

    (5)
  • Leonard W.

    I never had indian food before and was deciding between this place or joey's bbq. Saw that the lunch buffet was 8.99 so decided to try it. WOW is all I could say. The food was amazing, the naan was awesome, and the chicken was deliciouso. The service was amazing too, the manager guy explained what some stuff was, the waiter was refilling drinks without being asked. The items may have been limited, I believe around 8 items total, it was all good, they ahd like 3 chicken dishes, 3 vegetable dishes, salad, and a desert. Overall I would say at least give this place a try, it impressed me with its high quality and cheap price.

    (4)
  • Gaby B.

    I went to Tamarind for their lunch buffet and I was extremely pleased with the food and service. For 8.99 I was able to have a good salad, chiken, some side dishes, and even dessert. The only down side was the lamb which was too dry fr my taste but my brother loved it. Granted, I know nothing about authentic Indian cuisine but if you're looking for a good deal on a big lunch then head here.

    (4)
  • Pam M.

    I anxiously awaited the grand opening of Tamarind, as a good Indian restaurant is hard to come by in this area. Upon first walking in immediately I was taken back to when I lived in NY. The restaurant is chic and modern in decor displaying spandex light fixtures, brick hued earth tones paint the walls and tables set so close together you are almost forced to participate in the converstation at the table next to you. Every inch of space has it's purpose, wine storage is exposed and doubles as an art fixture, you can watch as the chef cooks up orders while putting on a smell and sizzle show and the cash register/server station is also exposed, so most of the time the servers are easy to flag down . I took a good several minutes to appreciate the time and effort put in to the contemporary interior design of Tamarind, someone did their homework in that department. Lunch: Lunch buffet is reasonably priced although there is not a huge selection. I usually make at least 3 trips back to the buffet making it well worth my money, especially since chicken and beef entrees are plentiful. The entrees are fresh and seasoned well. All the chicken dishes are mighty tasty (see comments below on tandoori chix) and I like to save half my plate to load up on the saucy spinach. I usually stay away from tandoori chicken on the bone, anywhere I have tasted it, it's too dry for my palate, and unfortunately, Tamarind tandoori chicken was dry as well, even drenched in yogurt sauce, but I expected that, so no deduction of points. During my pregnancy I frequented Tamarind for lunch, as "buffet" was a buzzword in my preganant dictionary. I even went a few times by myself at the risk of looking like a loner, but it didn't matter, as Tamarind really satisfied my craving for hearty, spicy, tasty comfort food. Dinner: Too expensive and not worth it, as I like to have appetizers, a hearty meal, dessert and wine. Our bill was around $100 for two and I didn't leave full. Customer service is always friendly, but sometimes the restaurant is understaffed during lunch, so you may have to wait a few minutes for a refill on water. On the other hand, to my delight, everytime I go during lunch, the crowd gets larger and more diverse, how pleasant to see an Indian restaurant thriving in Chino Hills.

    (4)
  • anita s.

    walking in, i have to say for chino hills, i was impressed for the decor. usually indian restaurants have that wonderfully tacky feel with an explosion of randomly strewn crafts/idols/etc scattered about. this was a nice change of pace - definitely giving an upscale aura to it. the food was different from used to for indian restaurants but i enjoyed my dishes. i came once for dinner and once for brunch. the brunch is a buffet and there were two veggie dishes that i tried - one i was disappointed with because the veggie pieces were much too large and hadn't been cooked long enough. the other dish made up for it - mixture of eggplant/zucchini/etc - great flavor. the dinner i have to say was definitely better in terms of quality, however the price was a little over the top for both buffet & dinner. def paying more for the ambiance. worth a trip if you're craving good indian food. *update* after visiting a few more times i have to say that i'm disappointed with the lack of consistency with the restaurant...on one visit they totally skimped on salt on every dish I had. made for a pretty bland meal. and they still need to cut their dishes into smaller more edible pieces - having a potato sliced into quarters just doesn't work for me.

    (3)
  • Jo T.

    Not bad Indian food. A little expensive for what it is. the ambiance is simple and elegant. the service is good. its nice having something different next to all these chain restaurants in the area.

    (4)
  • B. F.

    Tamarind is the only meat-serving Indian restaurant located in Chino Hills. A great lunch spot. The lunch buffet is affordable and they have a pretty good variety of meat and vegetarian dishes. Truly a crowd-pleaser amongst my coworkers because it has something for everybody. I like this much more than Bombay Restaurant in Ontario. It does not seem as authentic Indian here, but the food variety is better. The service here is a little hit-or-miss. You have to wait for the naan because I guess they start baking it when people get there. They don't come by to fill up water very often. The one downside is that you really don't feel like you are in an authentic Indian restaurant. I don't recall seeing one Indian face is there. Maybe they are in the back preparing the food. If you are looking for a quick lunch at a reasonable price, this is the place to go. As long as you don't mind smelling of curry when you get back to work.

    (4)
  • Nutter B.

    Decor/Atmosphere: Beautiful, very well-kept. I felt like i had to sit up straight and talk proper English. Cost: A little pricy, which probably helps pay for the decor and they've taken advantage of the fact that they're the only Indian restaurant for miles. Food: Decent, but the portions were small and swimming in oil. For an average of $20 for a meat dish, we were expecting (and were told) it would feed me and my parents. I've had yummier for much cheaper. Service: Great! No complaints, very professional and attentive. It was the first time my parents ever had Indian food, and I think it was a good experience for them. However, I think we didn't get to gauge the spice level well enough and for one of the dishes, my mom couldn't handle even the "mild" version we ordered.

    (4)
  • Laurent H.

    The food is mediocre at best and the owner feels like she has to talk to the customers throughout their entire meal. She came up to us 3 times to try and sell us beer when we politely said no the first time. I felt like she was trying to sell Chiclet gum at the mexican border.

    (3)
  • Nate J.

    Good Food, Good Ambiance, the only reason this doesn't get 5 Stars is because the drinks are WAY overpriced. $10 for a beer is expensive in Beverly Hills, and this is CHINO HILLS!!

    (4)
  • Reyna A.

    Upscale restaurant for Chino. A date place. More impressed with the decor than the food. For that, could be a place in LA. Beware of the ice cream. It came to us super-frozen in a ceramic cup, and the server offered to microwave it a bit more to make it soft. Yikes.

    (3)
  • nancy R.

    i dont live in chino so im not familiar with the indian food options out there but the food was okay and the ambience is alright. i was expecting a darker/moodier ambience ... the decor was very sleek / modern which was okay...but i was expecting something different by the sound of the other reviews.

    (3)
  • Sean R.

    The Buffet is great and always has great variety. Decor is great. I found myself looking around and just checking out the surroundings. Great service and they are very hospitable in helping you our choose your meal. Located in a very busy area, but it holds it own. Food is great and is one of the better Indian restaurants in the area.

    (5)
  • Carlene C.

    Tamarind Indian restaurant in the Spectrum Towne Center in Chino is a new and very exciting up-scale Indian restaurant serving some of the most intriguing and tasty Indian dishes in the Inland Valley. The dining room is decorated in a elegant yet casual setting complete with beautiful decrative lamps hanging from the ceiling while peach and tamarind colored walls and trim set the stage for a most memorable dining experience.

    (5)
  • Thomas H.

    Nice size. Nice ambiance. Mediocre food. Decent service. High cost ($8.99) lunch buffet for only seven trays of food (one being salad, one being rice and one being rice pudding). Only one vegetarian meal during whole lunch buffet. The curry was decent, the chicken was slightly mooshy (lots of dark meat), the chicken tandori was lightly seasoned and the naan was very plain, it almost tasted like pizza dough with nothing on it. Might be a nice place to take your wife to for a date, but not that great for a good lunch buffet.

    (2)
  • Arnold F.

    This place is excellent. The ambiance is calming and the people are tentative to ones needs. I usually order Murgh Shahi Korma (brown chicken curry) and mild chicken Biryani. Oh, good stuff! A nice bonus, your glass of water is never empty! If you want to eat your food a home, you can easily call in your order and pick it up.

    (5)
  • Sonny C.

    This place is like a hidden indian jewel in the the Hills of Chino! The ambience is quite nice, the food is amazing and service is close to perfect. Looking for a place with high-end appeal but with prices that won't hurt your pocket? Tamirind is the place to enjoy great curry and tandori. Not to mention that they have freshly made naan and their frozen desert is hand made.

    (5)
  • mike r.

    My wife and I love this place. It's a small place but elegant. Service is good, the owner is often in and very friendly and helpful. It's THE FOOD that keeps us coming back. Presentation is excellent and it's just delicious!

    (5)
  • Zarfeen S.

    awesome food and equally cool ambience.

    (4)
  • hus s.

    I'm sorry but you people dont know anything. this place straight up sucks. its for retarded people who are so mesmerized by above average decor that they forget about what they're eating. hell, then again, this is an Indian restaurant (not Pakistani) so i guess for their standards its ok. bottom line--this place is a zero compared to Aashiana on other side of the 57fwy.

    (1)
  • Matthew A.

    the prices are about 12-13.00 per entree 4.00 for naan or other flatbread , 4.00 for a side of rice this is good quality food ! it's so tasty and exotic be careful with the spiciness levels !. the dishes are very flavorful ,and you can tell every entree is made to order and they use fresh, high quality ingredients the black and green sauces that come with the samosas are mouthwateringly tangy and spicy! the waiter is very kind and helpful and he seems authentically so . unlike the superficial "customer service you'll receive just about anywhere else I'll be back on payday! I forgot to mention the ambience , very very nice the lighting and cloth covered tables is such a relaxing environment to destress ! Paired with the excellent customer service this place is a blessing

    (5)
  • Andrew W.

    Excellent Indian/Pakistani place. I have been here many times and again today for the lunch buffet. There are several dishes to choose from along with rice and salads. Cooling tapioca provided and Naan is hot and plentiful. All at a extremely reasonable price. This place is great!

    (5)
  • Brian W.

    $8.99 + tax + tip lunch buffet here is WHERE IT'S AT. But let's start off with some quick disclaimers. Disclaimer#1: I have no clue about Indian food. This stuff tastes pretty authentic to me, but hopefully I'm not just completely wrong. Disclaimer#2: I looooove AYCE buffets. That's five O's, COUNT THEM. There's just something that's so satisfying about knowing that you can eat once. And then again. AND THEN AGAIN... etc, etc. Pretty sure every buffet gets like an automatic one-star bump up from me, so this restaurant may or may not actually be a 4. Whatever. Small place, so if you come right at lunch time, there may be a wait. My family came and snagged the last four person table, so that was sweet. The fun thing about this place is literally the second after you sit down, you jump right back up and get food. It's like musical chairs without the tension and drama and with a lot more food. The buffet is pretty extensive, they have salad, rice, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, lentils, lamb/chicken curry, and rice pudding. Also, they give you naan. I may or may not have missed something. I recommend the rice, chicken tikka masala, and lentils (I avoid the bones, lolz). Make a beautiful plate with a third of each and SINK INTO PURE HAPPINESS. Rinse (or actually just grab a new plate) and repeat. I was full within fifteen minutes, and I was so happy. And what's more, after all is said and done, that bill will arrive and you'll have forgotten that all this glory was only $8.99. WHAT?! YES.

    (5)
  • Patricia D.

    First time coming here today, gotta say I was impressed! I haven't tried any of the Indian restaurants around this area since I've moved here but I gotta say I'll be coming back to Tamarind! I went to the lunch buffet - had a decent amount of food. They were all delicious though - my personal favorites were the Chicken Tikka Masala (probably my favorite out of all of them), the eggplant curry, the Tandoori Chicken (TASTY!), the garlic naan, and the Kheer! Since I was paying $10 for the buffet, of course I ate my money's worth! The only reason I'm taking off one star is because there were no appetizers on the fancy buffet tables! I was looking forward to eating some pakoras and samosas but there were none, unlike the other Indian buffets I go to. :( Overall, I really like this place. The food is fresh, the setting is gorgeous, the waitress was nice, the manager was really caring of his customers as he'd ask them how their food was. They definitely care about their customers and their food. I'll be coming back!

    (4)
  • Omar M.

    Holy moly that's some curry!!! We catered a get together for about 20 people. Talk about EXCELLENCE!! This was my first time but was recommended from a friend and man oh man was I happy!!! This food was amazing! I've eaten indian food in diamond bar and the 2 or 3 spots there are REALLY bad. Don't want to mention them but they are bad. Not this place! High quality, excellent service and fair prices!! People crying about prices....sorry this is not your $8 all you can eat cheap buffet...this is high quality food. You get what you pay for! We catered the food from here to 20 people and everyone of our guests took some home, along with the restaurants contact info!! Will be ordering again VERY soon!!! -Excellent food -Great service -Fair Prices Please do not come here if you are looking for cheap quality and cheap priced food.

    (5)
  • Janelle A.

    First time trying Indian, Pakistani food and I'm in love!! I've been wanting to try Indian food, but I've never known where to go! Luckily, this little gem was in the area close to me in the Chino Spectrum. You first walk through a grand door into a nice little restaurant. The place is clean and the decor is simple. They will seat you once you come in. It looks like they'd be able to fit about 30-45 people. Since it was my first time I got what my boyfriend recommended since he's had Indian food before. We came for dinner. I love potatoes, so for an appetizer we got Vegetable Samosas. They are described as crispy flour stuffed delicately spiced potatoes and peas. They gave 6 pieces and were a little bigger than bite sized. For $3.75 I'm for sure going to always be ordering this tasty treat!! Super crispy and full of flavor! Everything you order is one item, so make sure you don't forget the rice or the naan to pair with your dish of choice. My personal favorites of the night was the Chicken Tikka and Garlic Naan. I've never had anything like the chicken tikka(12.50)! It was packed with so much flavor and spices with a hint of spice! The chicken is boneless, tender, marinated, and covered in the most amazing sauce! Just writing about it is making my mouth water! The best part of the chicken tikka was pairing it with the garlic naan($3)!!! It was well made white wheat stuffed with fresh garlic and herbs! I cannot emphasize how fresh the naan was! One order is enough for two people, but I'd recommend two orders since they give you two pieces. Plus, no one really wants to share all that goodness! Thank you Tamarind for giving me an amazing experience trying new foods!! I'll be back soon!!

    (4)
  • Robert D.

    I frequently come here for lunch and always have had a great lunch time experience. The food is delicious and the service is excellent.

    (5)
  • Fahad A.

    The food is amazing here, servers are very nice, the best part about their buffet is that is all FRESH! people are eating fast and if you go in peak time, its amazing. i love their items everyday! Owner is very nice as well. their naan is SOOO good. i absolutely recommend this place in chino

    (5)
  • Sherri Z.

    3.5 stars. Hubby was craving Indian food, so I quickly checked up Yelp and off we Tamarind we went! This review is for the *LUNCH BUFFET ONLY* Ambiance- 4 stars; cute decor with warm burgundy hues Service- 3.5 stars; the waitress was friendly enough, but sometimes she just disappeared and it took us a little while to flag her down again Food- 3 stars -tikka masala- This should be STAPLE in any Indian restaurant but alas...I'm not a fan of this dish at all here! If I were to go here just for the tikka masala I would have been disappointed, it has a really strong tomato flavor, and the sauce wasn't good at all. -garlic naan- endless amounts of naan, they were all piping hot and delicious!! -the rest of the buffet foods all ranged around 3.5 stars Price- cheap! less then $10 bucks a person for their lunch buffet. This is worth a try if you wanna stay in Chino Hills, but I think we'll drive a little farther next time for better Indian food

    (3)
  • Jason H.

    Lunch buffet was great. They alternate the choices daily. The service was outstanding..fast and very friendly. I will most definitely return.

    (5)
  • Princess P.

    Service: AMAZING The servers were very responsive.. also the manager came out to greet us! food: AMAZING Came for lunch buffet! Not greasy like most indian food places... very clean and delicious! Decor: EVEN MORE AMAZING!

    (5)
  • Brittany N.

    Possibly my friends and my favorite restaurant of all time. The food is delicious and comes in portion sizes that are great for sharing. The lunch buffet is a great deal but come hungry so you can try everything! If you don't like spicy food they can cook your food mild and the lunch buffet isn't spicy so it's great if you want to try out a little bit of everything. Another great thing is that they do take out! They won't deliver but you can enjoy the deliciousness from the comfort of your own home! The service is excellent and the wait staff is very nice. A great place to grab lunch if you're in the mood to try something different

    (5)
  • Ayami H.

    First time having this sort of food and was pretty surprised to find out how much I loved their beef and tomato dish.... I made two trips with my plate full of that stuff. Their endless garlic pita bread thing is amazing... I'd definitely come back again, just for the beef and tomato dish and the bread, but I'll make sure to pack extra pepcid ac.

    (4)
  • Mark B.

    Great place to dip your toe into the water and try Indian/Pakistani food. They have a great lunch buffet deal, used to be $8.99, but even at the current price of $9.99, it's a great value. Pick a Saturday and head over around 11:00 or so, they have a selection of food that is very tasty. If you like garlic order the Garlic Nan, it's all you can eat, and you won't be disappointed. I love...love...love the rice, their salad has a nice tangy dressing. As far as the main course goes, I like the Chicken Tika Masala, which is in a red Masala sauce. Grab that and the pieces of chicken, you won't be sorry. For dessert, they offer a rice pudding. Once you've tried the buffet, you'll be ready to for the full menu during dinner time, the pricing's not as good, but there's a wider variety to tangle and tantalize your taste buds.

    (4)
  • Cilla H.

    This place is nice..the service has always been excellent each time I've visited and today was exception. I've only been during lunch and the buffet selection is good. You must try each item. My plan is to take my daughter the next time she visits. If you're ever in the area give the a try..I'm sure you will enjoy..

    (4)
  • Stephanie S.

    I always get food here to-go for my office, so this review is strictly for take-out. Their mango lassi is delicious, although I find it kind of weird that they don't have any lids for their cups... driving back to work is always a balancing act! Very inconvenient. When ordering dishes to-go, entree, rice, and naan are all priced separately. My chicken tikka masala was a whopping $11.75, garlic naan $3.00, and plain rice $4.75. Let me repeat myself. PLAIN RICE WAS $4.75!!! Wth.. I'd come for the lunch buffet, but I'm usually at work. Dishes a la carte are too overpriced! Not worth it.

    (3)
  • Erwin C.

    We love this place. Excellent food and service.

    (4)
  • Tony M.

    Awesome food and great prices!!! Sunday brunch should be your first trip here! The owner is down to earth and very friend! This place never disappoints!

    (5)
  • Jen C.

    I went here for the lunch buffet during a weekday. It's $8.99 per person. This place is pretty good. The only thing that is a negative is that there's no appetizers or a wide selection of desserts. They only had Kheer (rice pudding) as a dessert. They have a lot of poultry dishes and a good variety of vegetable dishes. Everything was really good including the naan. The waitress (only one that I saw) was nice and came by often to pick up plates. I thought it kind of sucked that the manager(?) was just making her to do everything like put more plates for the buffet, cleaning tables, refill waters, getting the check, etc. She did everything while he just brought food from the kitchen to the buffet table. He also sat at the bar. It was pretty busy too. The restaurant is small. There was a large group in the restaurant so they can accommodate a large group. Overall, pretty good food. I'd come here again.

    (4)
  • Mel L.

    The first time I fell in love with Indian food was at an Indian friend's sweet sixteen party three years ago. I haven't had it since, but a visit to Tamarind during their lunch buffet more than made up for lost time. All of the food offered was delicious. The spices danced on my tongue like they were Fred Astaire and I was Ginger Rogers. The basmati rice was not only colorful and gorgeous, it also served as a great companion to the other items. I especially loved the ground beef and potato which had a great texture and flavor. The chicken curry (I forget its actual name) was one of my favorites of the day. They cooked it until the chicken pieces were so tender that they melted in my mouth. I also liked the potatoes and cauliflowers, although the potato was on the tougher side (personal preference; I like my potatoes really tender.) A note on the garlic naan: fantastic. Light and delicious. I usually despise cilantro, but I didn't even care that the naan was sprinkled with it. A lot of good things are being said about the tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala, neither of which truly wowed me. I think I know why: 1. When I got the chicken tikka masala, it might have gotten too mixed up on my plate with the other items that I couldn't get a good, clear taste. 2. I got the tandoori chicken when I was getting to be really full, so I ate it more out of principle (I gotta finish!) than out of curiosity. But I DO know that I preferred the flavor and texture of the curry and tikka masala. The waitress was very attentive and friendly. She refilled our water without being asked, and she also kept bringing out the garlic naan before we noticed we needed more. I loved her! The total came out to be just under $20 for two people and four to five plates of food. I mean, I can't even complain.

    (4)
  • June B.

    Awesome Food !! I know Indian food and been to quite a few places in the area. This is one of my favorites in the area. Buffets are great, especially the rice pudding is out of this world good.

    (5)
  • Kelly S.

    Very good and quality food. Except for that the food selection is very limited compared to Diamond bar Indian buffet. Monday - Sunday Lunch Buffet is always $9.99, excluding massala tea, mango lassi ($4-5+), or tea/soda ($2-3+). Those have to pay extra. No LAMB/GOAT meat. It is Interesting to see Indian restaurant serving beef curry. Many of the Indians that we know do not eat beef due to religions. but, it was still good curry although we both refer lamb/goat meat some how taste better! overall, we will still go back since it is closed by! restaurant light is a little bit on the darker side and small space than normal restaurant....

    (4)
  • A W.

    Excellent food coupled with outstanding attentive service. Everything tastes fresh and well seasoned. Ordering off the menu is a bit more expensive but well worth it. Great job Tamarind!

    (5)
  • Ian C.

    Not the best chicken tikka masala I have had but it was ok. It looks and smells flavorful but tastes kind of bland. Garlic naan is really good though. I guess this is place is worth it if you go for the lunch buffet. I went for dinner and it was really expensive compared to other Indian places I have been to. I got an order of chicken tikka masala, rice, and garlic naan and it came out to $20.

    (3)
  • Sean K.

    I rarely am impressed by restaurants, as they are often subpar to my mother's homemade dishes, so I was surprised to have been extremely pleased with this meal. My friend suggested the lunch buffet for lunch on a Sunday, so we decided to drive over to the Spectrum to try some Pakistani food. What can I say, the food was amazing! The lunch buffet had about four to five different types of curry, and most of them were very good. My favorite was the jade colored one with lamb; it was so flavorful and well spiced that the lamb lost its gamy taste, which is extremely hard to do. I recommend skipping over the rice and just asking for the nan (seasoned bread) that they bring to your table; it complements the curry extremely well. In addition, they have a sweet rice pudding that was a very nice ending to the meal. I was hesitant at first to try it, but I after tasting a scoop, I was in love. It looks bland, but do not be fooled by the look; the dessert is very refreshing and sweet. The service was limited to taking dishes out of the way and brining refills on water and nan, as it was a buffet. Although not as extensive, the duties were carried out in a timely fashion. Every time I got up to get more food, my old plate was taken away before I got back. The only negative thing was the one time that we were out of nan for a few minutes; however, it was a minor error, and the waitress apologized for the wait and quickly brought us out a new batch. The restaurant is very cozy with about 30-40 seats inside. Well decorated with earthly colors, it is a nice place to eat. The tables are covered with nice white table cloths, and actual glass is used to give the restaurant a more elegant look. The high ceilings give another element of space that relieves the somewhat crowded conditions inside the small suite. Overall, it was a very good meal at a great price; the lunch buffet is only $8.99! I will definitely be back to have more food with rich spices and Pakistani influence. Food - 5 Service - 4.5 Atmosphere - 4.5

    (5)
  • Josephine H.

    Lunch buffet for $8.99! Not the cheapest Indian lunch buffet I've had, but decent. Their selection for lunch buffet is limited compared to other places like Koyla located in Rancho Cucamonga. I was disappointed to find out that they didn't serve samosas or pakora as an option for their lunch buffet, but enjoyed the fresh salad as an option. I liked their carb options: rice and naan. Naan was delicious and wasn't burnt to a crisp. The rice held a great texture and great flavor. But unfortunately the chicken tikki masala was my least favorite. It almost felt as if I were eating tomato sauce and not chicken tikki masala. No spices no dynamic flavor, just tomato sauce and chicken. The other options were mediocre as well. I sat there with my friend eating 2.5 baskets of garlic naan. That was probably the highlight of our Tamarind adventure. Service is quick and friendly. The young asian woman working there was polite and sweet, making sure our plates were cleared, water cups filled, and a basket full of naan on our table at all times. Unfortunately, I probably won't be coming back here because there are other options closer to me and for cheaper. But for the price and in the area, it's not too shabby! Tip: this place is in the same plaza as Sam's Club, Walmart, and Del Taco. It's right near Del Taco. Even though this place was only 2 miles from our original location, it took us 20 minutes to circle the plaza to find it.

    (3)
  • Phani G.

    Bad customer service. we went there around 8:30pm last night - Only one waiter for the whole restaurant and that poor guy is an old man with vision problems. He was doing everything from setting up the tables, taking orders, getting the food and cleaning up the tables - in addition to that he was also helping set up for next day :-( This place was full of customers. We went there with two adults and two kids - By the time the order was taken it was already 30mins after our arrival. It took another 30 minutes for what we ordered. We had just ordered two Parathas and one Naan --and a curry. Kids were very hungry from our road trip and hence we stopped at this exit and had a worst Indian food experience in terms of customer service. Ambiance was bad too - carpet is unclean - kind of threw us off with everything. not going there ever.

    (1)
  • Y Y.

    Love the food and the excellent service! The garlic naan, chicken tikka masala, lamb, and rice pudding was absolutely delicious. We ordered extra rice, three dishes with three orders of naan, it was only $20 per person including tip. I'm definitely going back again for dinner and also for their famous $8.99 AYCE lunch buffet!

    (5)
  • Diana L.

    Obsessed! I love the lunch buffet here. So delicious and a great selection. The garlic naan is to die for. I feel that they maintain quality of food even with a buffet menu. Ill be back again and again.

    (4)
  • Ben D.

    My brother and his wife love this place and I have to say I am a fan too! This was my second time here, we were about 5 min past the lunch buffet special but the owner came out and said he would bring more food out!! Everything was tasty! Good thing we were a little late because my 18 month old niece started acting up just as the lunch crowd was leaving. We had the place to ourselves and the owner brought out fresh Nan and another plate of chicken! I'm thinking my brother goes there a lot!! Either way I'm a fan and will be back! The lunch special is a great deal!

    (5)
  • Ruwan G.

    The best asian food I have tried so far. Ive been here more than 3 times and will be coming back whenever I can. Food is delicious and in high quality. Service is great. Nice ambiance. Perfect for a date. Try there KEER(a dessert) and TEA after your meal. The owner and the staff is great. Prices are so low for compared to the place and the taste of food.

    (5)
  • Sam H.

    I love this place! My regular spot for a good meal, you must try the mango drink they have.

    (5)
  • Tom C.

    The $9 buffet is now $10. Fish curry available for the buffet on Mondays and Fridays. Karahi Goat available Tuesday's and Thursdays. Still delicious and still the same good service.

    (4)
  • L D.

    Loved their lunch buffet! $9.95 per person I believe. Garlic naan amazing! Owner is pretty awesome..as well as the service! Go try it!! It's worth it!

    (5)
  • Raquel G.

    first time trying this place... I've had Indian food before but this is my favorite place now! good portions, awesome flavor.. I ordered chicken tikka masala with garlic naan and it was awesome.. the chicken was tender, the sauce was on point.. the naan was perfect.. Ordered it to go but would definitely go back and try some more.

    (5)
  • Michael L.

    The cuisine here has some of the most amazing flavors.. My fist time here and the experience was great !! Everything was good!! - thank you khan - mike winesteward RD

    (5)
  • Jonathan L.

    Had the lunch buffet, loved everything. I never thought Lentils could taste so good, and the bread there is very tasty, soft and even a bit crunchy.

    (4)
  • S M.

    On Christmas day I went all around to find something was open. Luckily I found this Pakistani - Indian restaurant open in the afternoon. Place was jam packed. Food was excellent especially Tandoori Chicken and Nan Bread. I will highly recommended this place to my friend.

    (5)
  • Jess G.

    My family and I eat here regularly. The service is spectacular. Food is even better than the service. Chicken tikka is incredible. The tandoori fish is my wife's favorite. And she never orders fish anywhere else. So far, every dish we have tried has been fantastic.

    (5)
  • Steve H.

    My wife was craving for some Indian food and yelp help us tried a new restaurant around our area. Service is quick and friendly even though they were really busy. Restaurant is clean and choices of dishes in a lunch buffet presents very good value. We will come back again for dinner next time.

    (4)
  • Fei C.

    I came here for dinner. Chicken masala, garlic naan n pistachio ice cream were really delicious. I will need to come back to check out the lunch buffet :)

    (4)
  • Kareena R.

    This place is ok... I like spice and unless you order Indian spice it's pretty bland. I will however recommend the beef rolls. They're actually my favorite dish here.

    (3)
  • Elizabeth S.

    I think I fell in love with this place. My mom was the first person to introduce me to Indian curry and naan. Of all places, I tried Indian curry and naan for the first time in Korea . haha random I know but they had Indian chefs and all imported spices. After that, I was hooked. When I came back, I have been craving for Indian food and didn't know where a good place was. My friend Corey P, told me about this place and I couldn't believe my ears when he said they give AYCE curry and naan. To add to the cherry on top, he told me that you can get AYCE GARLIC NAAN! WOW! O.O I went here for the $8.99 lunch buffet and tried almost every curry and had the garlic naan. I was in heaven. AYCE curry and naan is the best idea ever! The place had a really quiet and well decorated. The service was very friendly and was very attentive to keep refilling our drinks and especially our naan! **UPDATE ALERT! They do dinner buffets now!!! Monday thru Thursdays only for a couple bucks more!! *Thumbs up* Now I can have more chances to go get my curry buffet and naan fix. The lunch buffet is everyday!

    (5)
  • Irene C.

    I ate here once maybe a year ago but never got around to writing a review. I remembered that I liked the food so I decided to order it to go again tonight. The boyfriend got me the chicken tikka masala with rice and garlic naan. The chicken tikka masala is more tomatoey than I'm used to but the chicken was tender and juicy. Good news is I asked for a level 7 spicy.. they listened.. and it was hot! Got a reality check on my tolerance there, haha. The garlic naan was off; it was really chewy and thick.

    (2)
  • Melissa S.

    This place is awesome. i really have no negatives. I came here for the $9 lunch buffet. There was a great variety of food and it was all really tasty. They also bring garlic naan to the table. The naan was incredibly garlicy. I asked for plain naan but my husband loved the garlic version. We also got the traditional black tea with milk which our server said was their version of coffee. It tastes pretty much like English breakfast tea and it comes in a good sized kettle for only $2. The service was incredible, friendly, and very attentive. We were so pleased we tipped about 50%. The bill was only about $20 so it was an incredible deal. This interior is very classy, upscale, and decorated beautifully. Suggestions: A placard with a description of each dish would be very helpful. It was kind of a mystery about what you are putting on your plate. ( for me at least, I am not super familiar with Indian/Pakistani foods.) It would be awesome to see which are the vegetarian options and perhaps a spicyness scale. We will be back!!

    (5)
  • Tim L.

    Good isn't even the word to describe this place! Phenomenal is more like it! For anyone wanting to try Indian food for the first time you should definitely come here during their lunch buffet. I took a couple friends who were reluctant to try Indian food but after eating here they love Indian food. My favorites from the buffet is the Tandoori chicken and the chicken tikka masala! I kind of wish i had a bowl of it in front of me right now as i type this. The spice level is toned down for lunch like many other yelpers say so its more friendly to non spice eaters. so now the pros of this place. Pros -Fantastic service. The waitress is very on top of things. She constantly refills naan and water without even asking. - GARLIC NAAN! The Naan is Absolutely superb compared to the other places I've tried. Always fresh as well never frozen. -price for lunch is exceptional! $8.99 is awesome for AYCE naan and a variety of different Indian dishes! I haven't been there for dinner yet but ill write another update review for that next time! -food is excellent! Its constantly refilled and none of the meat tastes like its just sitting there. The meat is never overcooked and each curry tastes different and not all the same. The Kheer dessert is exceptional as well! Its a great way to wash down all the spices considering it has a lot of condensed milk in it! It is slightly on the sweeter side but nothing wrong with that! Cons - I cant think of any Overall Review Cheap prices, great service, good food! What more do you need?!?! Be adventurous and come here!

    (5)
  • Ali R.

    My first and last visit to this restaurant ever. The food was dry and no where close to what it is suppose to taste like.. Take my advise, go somewhere else or face disappointment.

    (1)
  • Carlos C.

    The chicken marsala, the basmati rice, the eggplant plate, everything was top-taste here. We were fortunate enough to stumble in during the buffet and were able to sample lots of plates. Heck even the water(cucumber infused) was great. So glad we found this place. Will surely be back real soon.

    (5)
  • Wayne C.

    Came here on Sunday for lunch and the majority of the time I was there, the buffet food items were not replenished. There were times in which rice was not available to eat with their curries, and there were other times in which rice was available but all I was able to get were sauce and bone. I was also disappointed with the chicken tikka masala. It was lacking spices and tasted too much of tomato to my liking. The garlic naan was delicious, but again, it was a shame that I didn't like the sauce from the chicken tikka masala. The service was friendly and I appreciated the manager/owner thanking me and holding the door open while I left.

    (2)
  • C J.

    I went to for a take order yesterday..... got paneer tikka masala and it was just one item with 2 naan's and no one in the restaurant but employees.... took over 25 mins for it... and once it was done i went home and didnt bother to check cuz it was all wrapped up and what i got instead was spinach paneer... completely different... so now i had to go back another 10 miles to get it exchanged and the employees didnt seem to care too much when i got there... extremely UNHAPPY, FRUSTRATING, IRRITATING EXPERIENCE..... DO NOT RECOMMEND.... AT LEAST NOT FOR TAKE OUT ORDER

    (1)
  • Sake A.

    This is a great Pakistani restaurant!! I know many of the reviews state that it tastes different from other Indian restaurants...Well, yes, it should!!! It is more Pakistani than Indian! The samosas are great and the curries are delicious. Pakistani's are meat eaters so many of the meat dishes are different than Indian restaurants which are better in vegetarian food. I suggest the meat dishes here as they are very authentic. The veggie dishes are pretty good, just remember they are not the same as Indian. The owner is very pleasant and when he is around, he always greets his customers. He truly cares about what people think of his food and loves to hear how to make things better.

    (5)
  • Dan J.

    This place is a gem. My love for Pakistani cuisine is growing. My first time here was about 3 weeks ago and fell in love with it. My family and I ordered the appetizer Tamarind Chicken Pakora. Its kinda like the chicken tikka masala only a bit on the sour, lemony side. It's delicious. It comes with lettuce leaf wraps which adds a crunchiness to it. We also had karahi lamb/fish which is served with a bunch of spices. Both are delicious and spicy. We had tandoori chicken and fish which is served on a sizzling skillet with a variety of veggies and its delicious as well. Their main specialty, in my opinion, is their chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. Both are match made in heaven. Put rice on top is killer! The prices are a bit high but I'm pretty sure it's the spices they use. The restaurant itself is a bit tiny but no biggie. We have yet to try their "All You Can Eat Buffet." Check this place out!

    (5)
  • Alisha C.

    The price and quality of food here is excellent. You can taste that the owner and chef did not cut corners from the spice and time of preparing good food. The owner was so attentive that when we turn our heads, he quickly asked if we needed something. He greets clients personally and consistently keeps the restaurant clean. I have brought family, friend & clients here many times, always had great food & service!

    (5)
  • Alina M.

    AND, down the checklist for fantastic Indian buffet we go: Unlimited, piping hot, garlicky naan replenished the moment you can see the bottom of your basket? Check! Freshly made food set out in small batches? Check! (Hate it when there's a truckload that's going stale). Juicy tandoori? Check! Curries that are distinct from one another? In other words, not everything is smothered in the same garam masala-flavored goop? Check! Reasonable prices (i.e., under $10)? Check! Uhmmmm.......that's it. What more do you want? Adding to the above the fact that the service is smiley and quick, for lunch buffet, Tamarind is pretty much as good as it gets. Five stars.

    (5)
  • Annie L.

    The garlic naan is so fresh! The lunch buffet is so worth the price. Friendly waitress and vibe.

    (4)
  • Duke C.

    GARLIC NAAN! Came here for the AYCE lunch since Leonard W wouldn't stop raving about it. He's been talking about this place ever since he tried it out a few years ago. The selection's pretty small, but your usuals are there. Masala, tandoori, different types of curry, and an Indian-inspired salad. Chicken masala is much more tomato-y than most places, not that it is a bad thing, and the tandoori is surprisingly tender. Sometimes chicken tandoori can get chewy if it sits in a buffet tray but not here! The real star though, is definitely the garlic naan and you get unlimited servings during lunch! The naan here is thinner than other places and they brush this garlic oil over the naan. Each serving is freshly prepared so it is super hot when it arrives. It is just straight up addicting. Good thing Leonard W knew the waitress or else I'm sure she would've been annoyed by how many times we asked for more. Drinks are refillable which is always nice at a buffet! The place is clean with great service, and for the price, great value!

    (4)
  • A K.

    This is not authentic Indian/Pakistani food. I ordered food to go, and was very disappointed. The tikka masala was bland. The biryani was dry. It did not taste fresh. Ended up going to the restaurant another time to dine-in hoping it would be better. The food did not taste fresh. Do they serve the leftovers from their buffet??? Ew.

    (1)
  • Bonnie Y.

    the review is for the lunch buffet only - which i enjoyed very much! for $8.99, it is really a good value. the AYCE garlic naan was amazing... i think we had three baskets! everything was tasty... eggplants, chickens, the lamb, even the chef special salad was yummy too! thumbs to their services too... i didn't have to ask refills on the water or naan, they pay attention and see that you are low on things, they just refill right away. i love spicy indian food... the only complain i'd have is nothing here really is spicy or so that you could taste the indian spices/seasonings. maybe they blend down the taste a little so more 'averaging' ppl would adapt? i just wish there's ONE dish that's spicier.... i'd come back again and again... it's a good close to home indian weekend buffet spot!

    (4)
  • Michael G.

    i may need to try this place again because the reviews are a lot ore favorable than i expected or maybe just have high standards for indian food. growing up one of my best friends was of indian decent and her family spoiled me with not only their amazing home-made indian cuisine but they also introduced me to some great indian restaurants. i went for the lunch buffet and although reasonably priced, it just didn't taste that great. i found the chicken masala pretty bland and pretty much found everything else to be the same. i'm used to the great flavorful food of "diamond palace" in diamond bar and tamarind just doesn't compare.

    (3)
  • Erica M.

    They didn't have two of the three things we wanted to order and it was only 6:30 on a Friday night. No music, lights burnt out, no decorations other than the burnt out lighting. All you could hear was the loud hoods above the grill. Terrible experience.

    (1)
  • Marty G.

    My hubby and I love this place! The food is fantastic, the decor is inviting, and the owners are very kind.

    (5)
  • Ariel S.

    Edit- now that ive gone here a bunch of times i have to redo my review now that i have a bunch of different places to compare it to and this place hands down serves the freshes, tastiest indian food that I know of near me. Went to a place in diamond bar and promised never to cheat on this place again. The food here is amazing. Your always served fresh naan and have an array of different kinds of dishes to choose from. Im speaking in terms of the lunch buffet which has been one of my cravings every other week. I never had goat before til i went here and i have to say its delicious. The masala, all the way down to the excellent service makes me highly recommend this place. ENJOY! place is bomb, service is good... got a veggie curry dish that was recommended. I dont really like curry but this was actually really good. Got the Naan and the meat platter. Meat platter was aight. Will def/ be back for the lunch buffet though. Seems to be the best value

    (5)
  • Angela A.

    I just recently fell in love with Indian food. I think the combination of 4 or more spices intimidated me. Then I tried Indian food in India, and now I'm a sucker for it. Especially when I go to London, middle eastern food there is as abundant as a taco truck in LA. Tamarind is, I believe is the ONLY Indian restaurant in Chino Hills....??? We ate here for the brother-in-law's birthday with the entire family. He's been telling me about their Sunday's buffet for a loooong time and now after 8 months, FINALLY we got to eat here. DO NOT come here hungry! That was our mistake. When you step inside the restaurant, your nostrils are overloaded with the goodness that comes from the kitchen. You just sit, drooling, waiting for your food to come. Dishes are served family style - sharing is caring (^_^) Each portion, I'd say is about 2 cups. So order a lot. Each of us ordered a different dish. If you are a little weary about eating/trying Indian for the first time, here are fool proof dishes that you will love.....and take it from a girl who is super sensitive to spicy food. Trust me, it is soooooo delicious! CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA - THIS is the fool-proof, 1st timer dish for anyone to try. It is the national dish of England. So if the English say an Indian dish is their dish - dude, c'mon, it's gotta be good. TANDOORI CHICKEN - another fool proof dish. Tandoor is the clay oven used to roast skewered chicken marinated in yogurt & spices. NAAN BREAD - buttered, layered, leavened white bread. Used to soap us the sauces of dishes. A good substitute if you do not want to fill up on rice. Add garlic & herbs for added flavor. ALL PALAK - fresh spinach & potatoes stewed with tomatoes & spices BAINGAN BARTHA - eggplant mixed with tomato & onion gravy there was more food, but I forgot......BUT IT'S GOOD! The server advised that since we ordered a lot of food, to come back for Sunday's buffet. It's only $10 and you can eat all you want!!!

    (4)
  • David L.

    Had lunch buffet. Good food, good service. Felt a bit quiet and dead even though almost 80% of the seats were filled. Other than the semi-awkward ambience, the food was great.

    (4)
  • Jay K.

    Wooooooow, what a great find. Excellent service, great food. Authentic Pakistani food. Big variety of dishes in buffet. And the freshly baked bread is just irresistible. Try it out

    (5)
  • Melinda B.

    I'm in love! This place is awesome because the atmosphere is very warm and hospitable. The owner is very friendly and sociable, I like the price for the lunch buffet, and I'm a fan of the food (delicious!). Also, the hours of the lunch buffet are longer than other lunch buffet places. I like the chicken tikka masala, the lentils, the rice pudding, the goat, and of course Mango lassi. Most importantly, I always feel very welcome there. Well done guys... five stars!

    (5)
  • Jamie K.

    This place was amazing! Good ambience! We went here for a coworkers b-day dinner! They were so nice and patience with us as we kept adding tables. We order a variety of food 1. chicken tikka masala (red creamy chicken curry) - so good with the garlic naan !! Yummm! 2. palak paneer (spinach with cheese) - so good that the girls kept grabbing 2nd! It was the first dish gone on our side! 3. channa masala (garbanzo bean curry) - delicious and mouth watering 4. nihari (a thick beef stew) - very spicy, but VERY GOOD! 5. then a mixed bbq platter that had chicken tandoori, beef kabobs, and lamb kabobs - great way for a variety of food In general our experience was very good :D A coworker says their lunch buffet is well worth it :D

    (5)
  • Leo C.

    If you need to grab a quick bit to eat, or if you have time to spear, you can't beat the Tamarind's lunch buffet. At $8.99 (half price for children over 7), it's a quick healthy alternative to many of the standard food chains out in the Chino Hills Spectrum. The place is a bit on the small side, but they always have enough seating. The waitresses and management always welcome you in with a friendly smile. There is always a nice selection to choose from (vegetarian dishes as well) and the fresh hot buttery garlic (not too garlicky) naan is a great accompaniment to any of the dishes they serve. The level of spice is toned down during their lunch buffet, so if your a fan of spicy food and really want to get a taste of their menu, stroll in for dinner. Tell the waitress the level of spice your comfortable with and they will adjust as needed. The dinner portions are bit on the small side for larger groups, but perfect for two people to share.

    (5)
  • Corey P.

    I have a love and hate relationship with Indian food. I generally love Indian food buffets, but I hate eating Indian food usually because of the price, portions, and my stomach potentially not cooperating hours afterward. However, I was never one to turn my back on the word buffet. My buddy told me him and his wife found this place a while ago and they had a $8.99 lunch buffet. We rounded up our friends and headed over. Just as a note, this place also advertises Pakistani food as well, but I wouldn't have known if that was featured at all in the buffet selection. The place is a very neat, clean, and classy looking restaurant. There was 10 of us and they were super accommodating, put 4 tables together, and we all fit. The waitress there is an absolute attentive sweetheart. She gave all of us water (which was ALWAYS FULL) and told us to start eating whenever we were ready. They had rice, chicken tiki masala, sauté spinach, eggplant, ground beef and potatoes, tandoori chicken, lentils, and some other things. In terms of selection, it was a LITTLE limited. I would have personally liked to see lamb, but that's about it. If you have any experience with Indian food, you know that it's really flavorful and keeps the tongue interested with all its spices. Everything tasted different, the sauce from the chicken dishes complimented the rice very well. A really fantastic part of the meal was the naan bread (seen here: yelp.com/biz_photos/EORl… )! They had plain and garlic which had this lovely buttery/olive oil taste with that wonderful essence of garlic. I'm sure everyone knows, but the naan went well with the sauté vegetables and great for dipping in the sauces. The waitress kept them coming by the basket, we didn't even have to ask, it was wonderful. She was awesome enough to ask us before hand if we wanted it all on one bill or separate bills! So she split it 10 ways with a smile on her face. Everyone was full, happy, and very satisfied. The total bill after tip for me was $12 and it was money well spent. I'm not a guy that craves Indian food all the time, but for great food, excellent service, and price you should DEFINITELY check them out!

    (4)
  • Karen M.

    Likes: LUNCH buffet = good deal (notice the lunch in bold letters, NOT dinner. don't say I didn't warn you). You get to eat a variety of Indian food (instead of trying to figure out what to order on a menu) and it's bottomless naan bread (go for the garlic naan - your breath will smell heavenly). Plus they served goat meat which I haven't seen on their menu the last few times I've been there. Dislikes: Nothing much, except that it took forever to get our second basket of naan, and we got asked three times in between baskets 1 and 2 if we wanted more naan...just thought that was funny but hey, I really wanted my naan!

    (4)
  • Krystal K.

    Amazing food service and ambiance i recommend eating here if you love this kind of food. Try the Chicken tikki massala

    (5)
  • Shih Wanda D.

    Buffet is a must. For less than 10 dollars, you can't really go wrong with AYCE curry. The selection's a bit limited, but what they have is great. Service is consistently great too whenever I go. One of the more affordable places to eat in Chino Hills.

    (4)
  • Joel R.

    Ok this place has been the main reason why I opened a yelp account. We found this place about 4 years ago and have never turned back. This is truly a restaurant that has poured a lot of time and love into their food. I quickly get over the same old burgers,fries,burritos.....etc that you find at every restaurant. This is something that is truly unique and is sooooooooo full of flavor.The owner Khan is always super friendly as well as the rest of the staff that is there. So some of you out there are probably to scared to try something out side of your normal routine but just hear me out on this place. Its only $8.99 for lunch buffet. So go in grab a plate, scoop on some bastami rice, ladle the chicken tiki masala over the top of it and have a side of tandoori chicken and I promise you that you will have a party of delicious flavor in your mouth. Oh wait thats not even mentioning the bomb garlic naan that they serve with it. Can't say enough good things about Tamarind.

    (5)
  • Tnkbp Q.

    For $8.99 lunch Indian buffet, this place is amazing. I'm like in heaven. To tell you the truth, i will pay the same price for the unlimited garlic naan and chicken tikka masala (Salivating right now, just thinking about it). It's not all vegetarian food. They have 3 chicken entrees, a goat entree, 2 vegetable entrees, rice, salad and a dessert. Everything's delicious here. I've tried other Indian restaurants, and the taste of the food are almost the same. The only difference is that other restaurants are way pricier. Plus, the service here is good. They refill garlic naan and drinks fast, and they take out dirty plates quick as well.

    (5)
  • Sarita C.

    Went here for lunch. Only 8.99 for buffet, pretty good selection. Free garlic nan with the meal which was absolutely amazing. All the food tasted wonderful. I usually like my Indian food a little more spicy but I think they did a good moderate taste , still full of flavor. Perfect for my boyfriend who can't take a lot of heat.

    (5)
  • John S.

    Way too overpriced! You are an Indian restaurant.... And charge for rice! That's like ordering fried rice and charging extra for rice! Who adds sugar in Rita? Told the server that I Rita has sugar in it and not what I expected. He said sorry, but I still have to charge you.

    (1)
  • Veni T.

    I work right around the corner from this spot. I usually go there for their lunch buffet. If you like to eat great flavorful food, then this is the place for you. The food is great and the service staff is awesome. During the buffet they usually have 4 curries, a veggie dish, the rice and of course the tandori chicken which is a must!! And all the naan you can eat whether it be plain naan or garlic naan. Just make sure you don't have to work right after cause I could tell my customers didn't appreciate me having the garlic naan!! Lol!

    (5)
  • Elliot K.

    omg the lunch buffet is only $8.99 and it's a really good price for the amount of food you can eat! All the food is fantastic! I honestly dont know what else to say about the food other than that it is fantastic! They also give you baskets of garlic naan and it's refillable during the buffet for free. If you go during dinner then i dont suggest going hungry because for the cost the portion is very small (at least to me because i eat a lot) but the lunch buffet is more than worth it. Waitresses were great because i didnt even have to ask for refills and the restaurant itself has a very nice atmosphere.

    (4)
  • Nash K.

    Unauthentic, dull, unimpressive. This is a place only those who aren't familiar with South Asian cuisine would appreciate. It is unauthentic, overpriced, and lacks the richness of flavor in Indian and Pakistani food. I've tried the chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, chicken jalfrezi, chicken tikka masala (I like chicken!), some of the beef dishes, the various biryanis, the spinach (saag) dish, and the naans. They were all on the bland side and some of the dishes had an odd sweetness about them. The garlic naan is probably the only delicious treat. The ambience is okay for what it is supposed to be - a tempered down fusion middle class eatery. It's dimly-lit, and if candles burn out, you're out of luck. The service is lazy too. I came here a couple of times, because of its location - now I'd rather drive the distance to something worth the price and more satisfying to my ostensibly picky palate. The last time I encountered it, the manager or owner was caught up in a pretty malicious gossip session about someone. Can we say "unprofessional?"

    (1)
  • Rachel B.

    Dinner is way overpriced and definitely had better. I've been to true authentic indian places and this is not one of them. Don't be fooled by the fancy commercialized decor. Try somewhere else if you want worth wild indian food.

    (1)
  • Joanna V.

    Karahi fish with garlic naan & mango lassi. And a seemingly endless miniature pot of masala spice tea. I'm full and happy! Gonna sleep well; had a wonderful dinner.

    (4)
  • Jeenee Y.

    came here for dinner...Man! ..shouldn't have! Cant believe they charge EXTRA 50 cents for the garlic naan! WTH! Also, their Samosas are fairly SMALL! (Seriously they're half the size of normal Samosas at other places!) Plus, the naan came out all burnt! ewww! Will i come back here..ummm... eh, let me think about it..there are better places.

    (2)
  • Harrison T.

    Went for the lunch buffet and it was very tasty. $8.99 not too pricey and service was quite good even though there was only 1 waitress. Their naan is freshly made, but kind of flat in my opinion. All in all, this place is a very pleasant Indian buffet

    (4)
  • Jen W.

    The place is neat and clean. The food is good.

    (5)
  • A M.

    Love this place! Everything is so delicious here! I've only done take-out a few times, but I mostly go for their lunch buffet, which is very affordable. Their garlic na'an bread is sooo good! I have told friends about this place and how much I enjoy it. Would highly recommend it to others!

    (5)
  • Elaina S.

    Great food, reasonable prices, friendly staff. A little understaffed but no wait and kept oyr glasses full. The garlic naan is fabulous!!!

    (5)
  • Sonya G.

    I came here for lunch and when I walked in..the smell was not catchy. I figured I was already there I might as well try it. Dang it if I knew what I was ordering. I couldn't understand the waiter and when the food came I couldn't eat it. I was not impress by smell or taste. I'm not knocking it I just think I didn't know what to order. Sorry Tamarind :-/

    (2)
  • Connie C.

    This place is over rated. The food was not as good as Punjab Palace in Riverside. The spices weren't very good, and there were big chunks of ginger. The salad was the best over there and the naan was bland. The price was around $8.99 for the lunch buffet. The service there was ok, but not great. The waitress was kind of rude just doing other things and catering to people she only likes to talk to. She spilled a lot of water on the table when refilling the glasses and splashed all over our food and clothes.

    (1)
  • Andy C.

    Been here twice for the lunch buffet for 8.99. Not a huge selection but at the price cant be over demanding. Place is small and clean from what I can tell. Waitstaff kept bring us bread and water. Overall the food is average, go here more for the bargain if anything. But dont think I would dine for the dinner they offer

    (3)
  • Nana T.

    My boyfriend, Austin, and I adore this place! It has become one of our all-time favorite eateries~ I guess you can consider ourselves "regulars"...haha. The garlic naan, vegetable samosas, chicken tikka masala (with basmati rice), and fresh bhindi are only a few of our many favorites. OH! And you definitely have to get the mango lassi- whether it's for dessert or alongside your meal. If you don't like mango, get the rice pudding...they are both so good :) Right now, they have a special 'dinner for two' deal going on- only for $19.99! You can choose 1 chicken and 1 vegetable curry...and it comes with garlic naan and basmati rice. It's a great deal- on average, each curry costs about $10 a la carte. The owner, Khan, is delightful- he is a very humble, down to earth guy. He genuinely cares for his guests and the well being of his restaurant. You can tell by the way he treats his customers; he takes the time to stop by each and every table. Next time, we will be back to try the lunch buffet :)

    (5)
  • Niki S.

    The food was just average, nothing really impressive. The lunch buffet ends at 2:30 and we happened get there around 2. They still seated us. However, most meat dishes were having only few pieces left. We asked if they can refill the buffet table but they said there were no more left in the kitchen. Besides not having sufficient food, the chicken was skinny and the lamb had lot of bones. The only good thing I really like was the garlic nann which was fresh and chewy. Won't come back again. Mantra in Norco or Tandoori Garden in Anaheim have a lot better food and totally worth the drive.

    (2)
  • Lisa B.

    WOW I'm really confused by all of the great reviews for this place and wondering if we're all reviewing the same restaurant??? My husband and I decided to try the all you can eat buffet and long story short, not impressed at all. We got there at around 1.45pm and I believe that the buffet ends at 2.30pm. The hostess immediately seated us. The first thing I noticed was that the food was not very warm and wasn't as tasty as I had hoped for. Maybe we just arrived at a bad time or maybe the cook was having an "off" day? The server was VERY friendly and kept checking up on us and also ensured that we had naan in the basket at all times. I really wanted to like this place since it's closer to our house here in Chino Hills. I would not recommend this place at all. Sorry, it just didn't do it for me. We would rather drive the extra distance to Diamond Bar for much better Indian food.

    (2)
  • Sal P.

    This is one of the better Indian Buffets around. They have a decent variety of food. Not a huge selection but what they put out is always GREAT! They are not cheap on the spices. Very tasty!

    (4)
  • Stuart K.

    I must say that the lunch buffet is very good. I love the spinach when they have it as well as the Gobi aloo. Good chicken dishes with wonderful flavors. 2nd best to Diamond Palace in DB

    (4)
  • Rahul S.

    The food was definitely of excellent quality. They gave fresh garlic naans with their $9 lunch buffet. The only concern may be the limited selection in the buffet (especially if you are vegetarian). The food's quality is still not compromised though and they are continuously giving fresh food. We came here on Christmas day and we thought the service was a little slow, but the owner told us afterwards that he had to give some of his employees the day off and he knew service was slow. I truly respect that an owner can say this himself before we even comment on the service. If you are in the area, this is a great restaurant to visit!

    (4)
  • eric r.

    Awesome food! Great variety very flavorful food. the Garlic Naan is very good, but small portion. I ordered the dinner for two for $20. Comes with rice and choice of meat and veggie with an extra order of samosas. The samosa sauces were excellent, and the samosas were the stuffed style, not mixed which I usually do not prefer, but these were really good! I will be going back. No website or online menu though, so I had no clue what I was getting into when I decided to go.

    (4)
  • Nick J.

    I'm not too experienced when it comes to Indian cuisine. But Tamarind was incredible. I ordered: 1) Tamarind Special Biriani: A combination of Lamb Tikka, Chicken Tikka, and Prawn Tikka. 2) Garlic Naan: essentially very thin garlic cheese bread. 3) Basmati Aromatic Rice 4) A mixed vegetable curry : FREAKING DELICIOUS (if you like curry and broccoli) Everything was delectable. I hope to go to one of their lunch buffets sometime soon. The décor of the restaurant is very modern and exhibits warm tones. I will definitely come back for a second taste

    (4)
  • Bassem H.

    Great authentic menu... Family owned restaurant...everything on the menu is just delicious...prices are reasonable for the quality of food.

    (5)
  • syrus f.

    Service was good and the food was pretty good for $8.99 ayce. The selection was enough for me to choose from. The masala chicken was good. Even the rice pudding (the first time I had it) was not bad as well. The only complaint I had was their balsamic rice. It was HARD. Like rock hard. I think it's been on the warming pot for too long? So I had to dip all my entree with my garlic naan which was also really good. But it would be great if the rice was available for me as an option.

    (3)
  • Fazeel C.

    Best Pakistani / Indian food. Friendly, positive atmosphere. The lunch buffet is every day including weekends. Excellent way to try various dishes and to bring guests. The owner is super nice and friendly. Him and staff are very cooperative and the service is excellent. Their chutney, Bar B Q and fish curry are some of our favorites

    (5)
  • Ed G.

    My lunch buffet was AWESOME, so many options, great flavors, fresh garlic nan, and a great mango lassi, I only paid $8.99. The best Indian good I have gone lately.

    (4)
  • Mango T.

    I don't understand why this place gets such high marks. After reading the reviews on Yelp, I decided to try this place several days ago and it was terrible! I've traveled to India and this is NOT Indian food! It's not even Pakistani food!! Not to mention, this place is a huge ripoff. Yes, the prices appear cheap from the menu but what you get are tiny portions and not to mention, plain rice costs $4.99!! To eat curry, you have to order rice and/or nan so you have no choice but to order this crap. I know Indian places that give free rice or charge $1 per plate but $4.99?! For $4.99, you pretty much get old rice that's not refillable. The only good item from this entire place is the garlic nan. Other than that, EVERYTHING was terrible. The dish that Indian restaurants normally do not screw up is Chicken Tikka Masala and their Chicken Tikka Masala tasted like ketchup. Maybe the quality of their food went down since the last review or maybe people are missing taste buds. Who knows? All I know is, this place is a disgrace to Indian restaurants. I won't go into the details but they're also dishonest people. I would NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS return to this place!!! SCORE: Food: D Service: B+ Value: D Ambiance: B- Location: B-

    (1)
  • Jessica R.

    GARLIC NAAN! Great ambiance, service, price, and food.

    (4)
  • Jessica B.

    My first Yelp review! Why did I chose to review Tamarind first? Because I love this place so dearly! The food is authentic and beyond delicious, service is always great, the owner is very friendly, AND you can even bring your own bottle of wine and they won't charge you a corkage fee... can't beat that with a baseball bat! I've been to several Indian restaurants in the IE, OC, and LA area and nothing compares to Tamarind. Do yourself a favor and eat here. It's even a nice place to take a date or significant other for a special night. Oh and don't forget the wine, there's a Cost Plus World Market right behind it in case you do ;o)

    (5)
  • Kellea F.

    The garlic naan and chicken tikka masala are pretty good. Lots to choose from during the lunch buffet, but they are missing samosas. Wish they had them as part of the lunch buffet. Really nice ambiance and great service.

    (3)
  • Heywood J.

    I do not get to partake in Pakistani and Indian food nearly often enough. So when I get a chance to go I am excited about the possibilities and have high expectations for the meal. I was not to go away disappointed with either. My guest and I were extremely happy with our meals, the service, and the price. The next morning we were still talking about dinner and how good is was. Even with the 40 mile round trip factored in a return visit by me is guaranteed. I feel like I found a little gem in Chino Hills and I hope this restaurant is around for myself and others to enjoy for many years to come.

    (4)
  • J. S.

    The original owners had it right. Shebaz ,the world class chef was amazing. But I digress. Our server was very sweet and attentive. We started with Samosas. They were a sign of all the bad to come. Never had Samosas like these before. Wrapped in won ton wrappers, no potato, pretty flat, not yummy. Kind of reminded me of the paper triangles we made in grade school to play finger football with. But these didn't score too well. Both of their chutneys were HORRIBLE. Spicy mint and tamarind chutney were more like runny sauces or chunky vinegars than chutney. The saag paneer tasted OK but the paneer was mushy and not holding its cubed form. The chicken tikka was also OK (a little too much lemon. I like to squeeze my own lemon over it after it is brought to the table) the onions were burning into char on the too hot skillet. The chicken masala was in a flavorless greenish colored sauce instead of a rich tomato sauce which struck me as odd. And finally the rice was a Lil hard and confetti colored yellow, orange and white but didn't have a saffron flavor. Tamarind has come a long way from right when it first opened several years ago. This is my second attempt to like it since the original owners sold it. I think Tamarind may be on to their third set of owners. Oh! and I think they may be using MSG. I have negative side effects to MSG and they showed up within a half hour after eating this leads a lot to be desired meal. It really is sad because the decor of this restaurant is probably the best choice in decor of all the local Indian Restaurants. Again kudos to the original owners. If this was my first experience with Indian food I would have checked it off my list to never return again. This restaurant is giving Indian food a bad name.

    (1)
  • Mike U.

    I cannot say enough good things about this resturant. I eat there at least two times a month and have never left disappointed. All the dishes that we have tried here, were bursting with flavor. They ask what what spice level yoy want. My girl and i have taken it up to a level 8 and we enjoy spicy but i dont think we will ever ask for a 8 again. We keep at a 6 or 7. The garlic naan is amazing. Everything we have tried so far, which is several items, has been mouth watering good. The buffet is a good valve but lacks the spice that we have gotten used to so we just ask for the spicy sauce on the side. What my family really enjoys about the resturant is when the owner, Mr. Khan is in he greets all the customers. This place is one of Chino Hills best kept secrets. We rarely ever have to wait for a table even on the weekends. This is one of our favorite spots for dinning in Chino Hills.

    (5)
  • Diwata P.

    Tamarind is cozy, modern looking restaurant with a friendly and attentive staff. As for the food, I felt it was OK, nothing really memorable for me. We ordered saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, lamb chops (lamb tikka), basmati rice, garlic naan, and mango lassi. The saag paneer seemed a bit bland. Chicken tikka masala was ok. The lamb chops were a tad bit overcooked. Other than that, you can't go wrong with basmati rice, garlic naan and the mango lassi. It's pretty hard to mess those up. Overall, I wish I can say wonderful things about this place like the other reviewers, but I can't. This place is really just OK. I was loving the ambiance more than the food. At least it satisfied the Indian/Pakistani food craving I had,

    (3)
  • Randy O.

    Friends of mine suggested this place. I've always been opened mined about trying new places and eating new things. We all had the lunch buffet and everything was very delicious and I will be coming back. It was a nice change and treat. The service was amazing and they never let a dirty plate rest on the table. Bread was always on the table and warm. My only complaint would be its a little small inside.

    (4)
  • Jim H.

    Very good brunch buffet! We will definitely return.

    (4)
  • Patrick B.

    Great food and the garlic naan is amazing. Tamarind is a great place to eat.

    (4)
  • Marie T.

    me and my coworkers come here every so often for the AYCE lunch that they have. The service is always amazing and they easily remember faces. We came in a lil bit late after lunch was over but the boss was there and made us stay and said it was perfectly all right. while the dishes are always good and so is their naan bread, and their rice pudding is to die for, the only thing is that their lunch buffet rarely changes. the only thing that would change is their dessert, which i do mind because i wish it was rice pudding all the time. i really do like this place, just wish they would change their dishes around every so often. i wish i could recommend the food to you, but im horrible with names and i'd butcher the dishes just by describing it. so take my advice, go there during lunch.. its good and well worth it. including tax and tip per person it was $11.

    (4)
  • Beorn H.

    "tamarind" is a delicious ingredient that lends delicious flavor to Indian/Pakistani cuisine. As the name for a restaurant in Chino Hills it evokes an image of southeast-meets-west via a youthful yet understated lounge-style bistro. I tried the buffet. The good: Staples like garlic naan,tandoori,and karahi were good. (They limit you to 3 pieces if you're having the buffet) The bad: Saag was burnt, sauces were muddy. The floor was atrocious. Attentiveness to details enhances overall dining experiences. I feel I overpaid for my food($8.99). Until they improve, they shouldn't charge more than $6.49-$6.99 at the most. It's Opobvious management cut back on staffing(1 server for 40 seats) and 40% of the food was slapped together. Tamarind, you have potential, but you have to stop with the "fast food/steam table" Indian food. For now I suggest you lower your prices and improve the presentation of the buffet and keep your floors clean.

    (2)
  • chelsea j.

    My first Yelp review! This restaurant is *wonderful.* I am a total foodie and very picky with my Indian food... this place hits the spot like no other. I love bringing friends here for the first time and watching them fall in love with it too. Every dish I have ever tried here (and I have had many) is delicious. They home make everything - none of that pre-made stuff - and it definitely shows in what ends up on your table. The portions are generous, the price is good and the atmosphere is classy yet casual. Every time I eat there, the owner makes a special effort to come and chat with us for a minute - he and his staff are extremely hospitable. I ate there about 4 hours ago any my tummy is still purring in satisfaction! Definitely worth a try - my favorite Indian restaurant, hands down.

    (5)
  • Amy L.

    My review is for their weekend buffet. I love their naan, it's light and fluffy, you can request no garlic if you prefer the plain naan. Service is very good, price is affordable, great ambiance. I come here probably once a month to satisfy my craving. And I also LOVE their dessert, the rice pudding, it's to die for!

    (5)
  • Tracie S.

    I've been on the hunt for some good Indian food since having had some REALLY good ones in SF this past summer. We've even driven out to Artesia in search of some good places, but found that most dishes lacked the flavor we had hoped for. We decided to try this place for their lunch buffet and was pleasantly pleased. The garlic naan was piping hot, soft, and fresh. Our fav dish was the Chicken Masala dish. It was full of flavor and had a good spicy kick, great with the naan. Service was friendly and fast. Our water glasses were never empty and they brought out a new basket of naan before ours was completly finished. My bf tried the mango lassi and thought it was pretty good. We'll definitely be returing to this place!

    (4)
  • Earvin F.

    Overall, 2nd time eating Indian food. I'm glad I met up a family friend and his family for dinner here. Firstly, the ambiance appears to be very upscale with the decor. Definitely a place to bring a special someone. I am not a big curry fan but the Chicken Tiki Masala was delicious especially when complemented with an order of Garlic Naan. We ended up with 2 orders of the Naan. The mixed kabobs was seasoned and favored adequately to give the Indian/Pakistanian feel to the food. Good enough to build a liking for Indian food in general. The waitress was very polite and the food service was fast enough. I had ordered a mango smoothie which tasted freshly made to off-set the acidic/spicy flavorings from the dishes and it served its purpose well. Definitely a place I'd recommend for a person who is hesitant on trying Indian food.

    (4)
  • Jack H.

    I know many people have given this place a 4 out of 5 rating and I can see why they do that. Here is what I will say about this place and it is my opinion only. The good: Environment is very clean and trendy Waitress is attentive and friendly Food is very tasty and authentic Garlic bread is very delicious and thin crust. The bad: Not many selection for buffet (no lamb curry, fruits, or even dessert) For 8.99 per person, Tamarind is a decent place to check it out if you are in Chino area and looking for Indian food. Other than that, I would suggest to try something else.

    (3)
  • Lala V.

    I live in Chino Hills and always wanted to try Tamarind. So one day at lunch, I was passing by and noticed that they had an $8.99 lunch buffet. So I decided to try it. Definately worth the lunch price! The Garlic Naan was delicious!! I don't remember the names of all the other food I tasted, because I sampled everything there was on the buffet! I found the eggplant- delicious!! The rice was a little dry, and so were some of the chicken dishes. I think this might be because of the heaters that they were on, and not really the chef's preparation. I will definitely go back again, maybe during dinner time to sample some of the other dishes.

    (4)
  • Rohit K.

    I came across this restaurant about 6 months ago while I was at Sams Club. I told myself I'd have to come back someday and try it out. That day was yesterday. We (family of four) walked into the restaurant at around 8:20 PM. There was one other couple in the restaurant and the whole place looked kind of dead, but we went in anyways because it had a good ambiance. Our Server's were extremely nice and promptly filled our water glasses. We ordered samosas, one chicken curry, one paneer curry, 2 orders of naans, and an order of their Mughalai Chicken Biryani. Chicken Karahi Curry: I would order this dish again. It was spicy and it tasted great, although it could've used a little more salt. Paneer Tikka Masala: Arguably the best Paneer Tikka Masala I have ever had. You should definitely try this! Mughalai Biryani: This biryani is only available on the weekends. It was good, but this too could've used a little more salt. Garlic Naan: soft, chewy, and aromatic. Samosas: Terrible. These are the samosas that you can find at any Trader Joe's in the frozen aisle. These are not gourmet samosas. I was actually very disappointed with these. Pros: Most of the dishes taste good. Paneer Tikka Masala was awesome Cons: It's a very small restaurant They close at 9:00 PM (try to get there by 8:30) Samosa With tip and tax, the total came out to be $50, which isn't really that bad .

    (4)
  • Amit K.

    Had the buffet. Very tasty. Limited options. No starters. $9. VFM (value for money)

    (3)
  • Judgmental B.

    We were recently visiting California and happened to Stay in Chino overnight. Okay, great location, great ambience, but the food was bad. They do not know North Indian Food, it has to be really flavorful. I do not know about non-veg food at this place but We are vegetarians and all the veggie fare was bad... Such is the nature of the north Indian cuisine, that it cane make the vegetarian food soo delicious, that ppl remain vegetarian. I'm a North indian, so i know my cuisine, i know my food. The Paneer I ordered was, Blood red in color (too much food color used) and curry tasted sour, Totally disappointed. The Palak Paneer was still okayy. Overall bad experience, we were not able to finish our food, we were completely pissed.

    (2)
  • Todd N.

    Ok, lets just start off by telling you I am not a fan of food with too much seasoning, I'm white and grew up a meat and potatoes guy. HOWEVER, this place rocks! Every dish is packed with flavor, seasoning and the food is cook perfectly. They have a buffet that is off the hook, $8.99 every day (Sun-Mon). Galic Nan, regular Nan, Chicken Tandori..... I never thought I would like the tomatoe chicken, but it's one of the fav's I love the mango yorgurt drink...it sooths the heat when I try the spicy stuff, I love when you eat food and it makes you sweat...most of the food here does not do that...but maybe it's cause I stay away from the eggplant which I hear is spiiiicy. Safron rice...I could go on and on...but you just need to try this place.

    (5)
  • Irene M.

    I tried this place in 2008 and found it mediocre. That hasn't changed. I will not be going for round three. Service was better than my previous visit (barely) and the food was worse. The food just doesn't taste fresh and they tried to mask it by throwing in a mound of cloves and ginger. I could also complain that we were only given a half serving of the chicken koorma but, we didn't like it enough to eat what was given to us. This place is also overpriced. Don't waste your money. Meal: Samosas Aloo gobi chicken koorma rice naan

    (2)
  • Josh H.

    Great Food and Amazing Service! I'm new to Indian food and the staff helped me with my selections and all of their suggestions were perfect. I'll go back for sure!

    (4)
  • Chris S.

    Love this place - food is consistently good, great customer service, and in a nice location to run errands and walk off all the food you just consumed!

    (4)
  • Ruby C.

    Love the garlic naan. The buffet, service and cucumber water is awesome! Aida the server is very sweet! You beat the price for what you get (rice pudding.. Sooo good)

    (5)
  • Vicky C.

    The garlic naan was great! soft, tasty....The lunch buffet only has limited selection of meat dishes....but I loved them. Only 1 choice of dessert there during lunch...rice pudding...which was great as well....

    (4)
  • Yana V.

    I love this place!The food is delicious and the stuff is very friendly. Every time we go there a waitress makes sure that we enjoy our experience by providing an outstanding service and a cook takes care of a great food. Overall ,the atmosphere is very nice. The prices are fare . I keep coming back there every time I have cravings for a spicy food!

    (5)
  • Jennie C.

    My boyfriend and I found this place when we were seeking out another restaurant one day. Little did we know we would stumble upon such a gem. Tamarind has a great selection of very reasonably priced Indian dishes that are super scrumptous. I am a big fan of Chicken Tandoori and theirs is top notch. The naan bread is to die for, but I think what I liked best is a hot tea beverage with milk that arrives in a little cast iron tea pot of goodness. I want to say it's a chai drink, but I'm not sure. They also have great lunch specials where you can eat buffet style for a nice flat fee and sample numerous dishes in one sitting. Their servers are also very cordial. My only complaint is that when they are very busy, they tend to run out of naan very quickly, but it is worth the wait. It's been a few weeks since I've been, but I will definitely be back.

    (5)
  • R.B. S.

    Some of the best Indian I've found around. Went here for dinner tried 3 different dishes all excellent and the garlic nan was great as well. They are not very attentive and actually one of the things they brought me was not what I ordered (chicken tikka instead of some kabob dish) but it was good and I ate it anyway. Waited for a half hour to get my water refilled (and I ordered everything spicy) and wanted more nan about 5 minutes into the meal and couldn't put the order in. But they were being nice and happy to have customers obviously. I think they were just kind of spaced out or something. Will go back again for sure.

    (4)
  • Jalal B.

    This place used to serve much better food, they still have the same owners but the I guess the business is not doing very well...

    (3)
  • Priscilla L.

    If your craving Indian food and don't want to travel far, I guess you can come here. The place is small but the service is decent. I've only been to this place two times and both for lunch for the buffet. The price is good $10 like every where else. The first time I had it everything was good and the food was hot. The 2nd time around not every thing was heated. Tha tandori chicken however is really good and its not dry.

    (2)
  • Joanne E.

    This is the first place my husband tried Indian. We went on a Saturday afternoon when they had a nice buffet. It was a great time to go since we are not familiar with Indian cuisine. It's a nice way to sample the dishes. Everything my husband tried he absolutely loved. The Nan, Was the best ever! Fresh and delicious! Really glad hubby liked it since I begged him to try something different. He met an Indian person who said this wasn't like real Indian food......... But good is good no matter what.

    (4)
  • Ri O.

    I can't believe i haven't reviewed this place yet. Having never been to India i wouldn't know what authentic Indian food is. I just knows what i likes and like the food at Tamarind. I usually come on the weekends. Their lunch buffet is AMAZING! It's $8.99 and starts when they open until 2:30pm- the food is so above buffet quality. I recently went and the hostess/server Ida was on her game- my glass of water never dipped below the half way point and fresh warm garlic naan kept coming to the table. I put it down when i come here and by putting it down i mean i put as much food into my fat mouth and swallow it because it's so damn good. The ambiance is nice and the restaurant is clean. Check them out and stuff your face too!

    (5)
  • Jan T.

    I had eaten here once before during their lunch buffet and wasn't too impressed with the selection and slow service. The food was delicious though so I decided to give it a try for dinner. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and I love that the they have an open kitchen. You can see the chef cooking all your dishes and the aromas of spices coming out of the kitchen are amazing. I have to say I loved their dinner menu and service was great. They were very attentive and friendly. I wish I lived a little bit closer so that I can come more often. I need to give everything on their menu a try. If you love Indian food or even if you have never tried Indian food before you have to check out Tamarind. Great food with friendly service. What more can you ask for?

    (4)
  • Lizeth G.

    Only been here once for the lunch buffet. Overall experience was good. Friendly service. Lady brought us our drinks and garlic naan pretty quick. Food consisted of about 10 different stations which included lentils, salad, several types of chicken dishes, cauliflower and potatoes, and rice. All chicken dishes were really good. Loved almost everything in buffet except this one carrot dish not sure if it was a side dish or dessert. The naan was also a lil overcooked and crispy but kept on coming throughout our lunch. Would go back for just the lunch buffet.

    (4)
  • Vicki W.

    There all you can eat was most definitely worth it. They had a good variety. There wasn't too much, but the service was great and they kept the naan coming. I swear this is the best indian food ever. Their KHEER is my FAVORITE. the tamarind chicken is so tender and they have dishes such as a ground beef type thing, plus another eggplant one. They also have chicken marsala. The spinach is soooo delicious. I definitely love this place, and crave it all the time

    (4)
  • Ai M.

    I liked my mango shake better than my friend's mango lassi. My friends never had Indian food before so we didn't order much, just in case they didn't like it. The staff is patient but in return you have a wait for your food. They didn't have shrimp that night so we substituted it with a chicken curry. We had garlic naan and vegetable biryani but skipped dessert.

    (3)
  • Sara C.

    came here for sunday brunch, it was $8.99 per adult. i've been wanting to come here for the longest time and FINALLY got the opportunity. the place is small, but the decor is really nice. this place would be a great place for a late night bar. as soon as we walked in, we were greeted by a super nice waitress and the owner, or at least he looks to be the owner. the little buffet spread that have isn't too bad. forgive me since i dont know the names of the indian dishes but they had salad, rice, lentil (i think), about 2-3 curry style chicken dishes, curry lamb, and for dessert they had rice pudding. and of course, they serve you fresh naan (pita bread). even though it doesn't sound like a lot of food (like your typical buffets) but i couldn't remember the last time i was sooooo full after a buffet! oh wait....it was vegas. hahaha ok, beside the point. my only gripe is that they dont have enough dessert options. i've been to other indian buffets and they had at least 2 or 3 desserts. but overall, this place was really nice.

    (3)
  • ALEX Q.

    I have been going to this restaurant for the last 5 years, it is very good specially the buffet from 11:30 AM to 2:30 AM, nan is great but make sure u order nan as soon as you get there. As far as Indiana food goes I drive 45 min to eat there.

    (4)
  • Roger H.

    If you like Indian food, this place has got it for a very affordable price. I don't go to many Indian/Pakistani restaurants, so coming here was quite an adventure for someone who eats Indian food every now and then. There's definitely a lot of flavor in each of their dishes and all their meat is very tender and well-cooked. The best part I liked was putting everything in the Garlic Naan bread they serve and eating it like a burrito. That was delicious! I really don't have any complaints about this place just that it feels a little cramp when it gets busy while waiters are rushing past you. You are still able to flag waiters down as they see you when it gets busy. At a price that just barely scratches the 2 digit mark, this place is a steal for a buffet that serves quality food. The place is also very clean and tidy. I'm definitely coming back again when I'm around town.

    (5)
  • Si O.

    I come here for the lunch buffet. Its great. They have tandoori chicken, chicken masala and several curries out at the lunch buffet. The garlic naan is the best here. So good! I can put down at least 10 baskets by myself. The rice pudding with the naan is good too!

    (4)
  • Joe R.

    I HATE INDIAN FOOD, but do enjoy spicy food. Went here, the Chicken Tika was bomb! Will come back see u guys soon (especially cause I can walk to you)!

    (5)
  • Kaye M.

    I have to admit, the reason we ended up at Tamarind tonight was due to the severe lack of ethnic food in the Chino/Chino Hills area. Yeah, I took time to seperate the two. You like that don't you? So...the bf was very wary, and I assured him he did NOT have to order curry. Psh. So we got the Mixed Tandoori Platter, Shrimp Saag and an order of plain rice. Boyfriend didn't particularly care for it. I proceed to call him a racist for 15 minutes. Because honestly, for Indian food, in Chino Hills (land of chain restaurants and easy sushi), it was DAMN good. So, the service was pretty good. I really enjoyed the one manager who looked COMPLETELY stoned the whole time he was helping us. However, the dinner prices FOR portion sizes were a little exorbitant. Bottom line- good food, but I could probably pay my dad to make it better for cheaper. Not that he would. DAP!

    (3)
  • Lilo B.

    Love their lunch buffet! It's about $8-10 and it's AYCE! The variety of food that is served for the buffet is perfect! I had to try a little of everything to figure out which I liked the best! Dinner is good too, just a bit pricey. They decor is very modern and very clean!

    (5)
  • Audrey H.

    Great brunch for about $8.99. Great dinners too. I have liked everything I have tried, but my favorite is their Chicken Masala. The owner is very welcoming and gracious.

    (5)
  • Han M.

    The waitress was super nice (but I've got to admit the restaurant was practically empty). She brought us multiple refills of garlic nan sprinkled with oil. Unfortunately, the buffet was mediocre at best and the rice wasn't very good.

    (2)
  • Erika B.

    After taking him to a dinner buffet in Las Vegas six months prior, my boyfriend was hooked on Indian food. So last week we called a few places only to find out that there were only lunch buffets in the area (he's a skinny guy that can EAT.. I figured we'd try to get the most of our money). Yelp led us here and I'm glad we came! We ordered: samosas naan plain rice paneer (I can't remember the full name.. but it's the one with spinach and cheese) lamb curry We were stuffed afterwards! It came out to about $30 for an appetizer, two entrees, rice, and naan. More expensive than the delicious $11.99 all you can eat Indian at the off-strip Vegas restaurant, but oh well. As for the setting, it's very clean and well decorated with a modern style. My biggest pet peeve is smelling like food after leaving a restaurant (which is typical of Asian restaurants), but that didn't happen when I left this place. Everything about the food was delicious. I like my food served hot (I hate when it comes out luke warm! ugh!) and every dish from Tamarind passed my test. My boyfriend who has a huge appetite for a small guy was stuffed. While eating, the owner asked us how the food was. Always a good sign! At the end of the night, our server gave us free dessert pudding. Yumm! My only warning is that the food is a little more on the authentic side than the Indian places I've been to. If it's your first time eating Indian, I suggest you ask the server what their most popular dishes are.

    (5)
  • Natalie L.

    We moved to Chino Hills a couple months ago and noticed this place(the only Indian we've seen since moving here). We decided to try it, as we are SEASONED Indian food eaters:-)... We walk in and are greeted nicely by an Asian woman with an Indian accent (interesting;-) We asked if they do "to-go" orders and she said yes. We browsed the menu and knew what we wanted fairly quickly. As we began placing our order, she interrupts us and says "we don't have that"..so we picked something else...and the response was "we don't have that either. We ran out of that last night"....LAST NIGHT? WTF does that have to do with tonight?! You just, basically, told me that you pre-cook your food for the week!!! Disgusting, if you ask me. Anyways, we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala and Aloo Gobi as our entrees. If you have EVER eaten Indian food in your life, you KNOW that tikka masala has yogurt as the base of the sauce. THEIRS was tomato paste and WAY too many spices (flavor is good, but this was TOO much) No creamy texture whatsoever. The Gobi was dry and lifeless...as was the rice. As I was TRYING to pay and leave, I had to remind her to swipe my card, so we could go...she said "It's there!"(from the kitchen...because apparently she's also the lead cook as well as the server on duty) When I finally received my receipt to sign, I noticed there was no "customer copy" for me to take. WTF kinda place is this. Do you know how to run a business?...I asked for a copy of it and the guy that she sent over didn't even speak english. (but SHE was busy in the kitchen again) Whatever. Tasted like she just "took a stab" at trying to open an Indian restaurant. I've enjoyed Indian food all over the country as well as in England and Ireland...this was the worst.

    (1)
  • Jaclyn M.

    Best naan ever! They keep bringing it too, so it never finishes!

    (4)
  • Ronald S.

    All the haters out there saying, not as good as or so and so is better then go there. This place is awesome, I have been going here for years and the service is excellent and the food is great. the lunch buffet is great and the price is right. My wife and I love the food and service and the place is super clean

    (5)
  • Elton W.

    We've been here numerous times, and I'd always thought it was ok. Not as good as Diamond Palace in Diamond Bar... until the last time we went. I don't know if they changed owners, as we didn't recognize most of the staff, but last time we went it was very good. The garlic naan is very hot and excellent, and is an excellent complement to the buffet. Good chicken tikki masala, chicken tandori, ground beef with potatoes, and a bunch of other dishes.

    (4)
  • Loucid I.

    Pros: Friendly staff, decent food, fancy decor. Cons: Small amount of seating and compact location. The manager was very nice to us and instructed us it was a buffet and we can go ahead and help ourselves. I tried a little bit of each and even though I'm not a big fan of Indian food it was actually pretty decent here. I enjoyed the desert which was some type of rice pudding. Overall it's not a bad place but I prefer to order off the menu such as dinner time but I only went for lunch so I was limited. If Indian is your thing, give this place a try!

    (3)
  • Rick W.

    I'm sure Ya'll know or heard about Bollywood.. One of the waitress that works here sure reminds me of Bollywood. Pheeew. Hold on, what am i talking about? My sister sure love this place, and I've been hearing her compliments so much that I think she wouldnt stop unless I eat here for once. She sure was right though. It was good, but somewhat pricey, 20 singles for my dish, was Yikes!! I had the lamb curry, and yes it's spicy even though I said keep it to a minimum. It wasn't really helping that the water they serve had the cucumber taste. Yuck!! I hate cucumbers. This is a first. You see lots put lemon in their water but they put cucumbers instead. Back to my saying... Yes I will certainly come back again sometime if she still works there and order my Fanta Orange. "The roof, the roof, the roof is on Fireeeee" Sizzling..

    (2)
  • Tracey Q.

    I used to like this place and my husband used to REALLY like this place. But the last couple of times we've been there, the service has been LOUSY. We ordered tandoori prawns and got 6-7 shriveled-up shrimp. Unbelievable (and not in a good way). It also took FOREVER to get served. We must've been there for over two hours, and it wasn't because we were enjoying the ambiance. The food (despite the scrawny shrimp) is generally tasty, which is why we might consider going back there again...in a few months...after our memories have faded. If it continues to suck, our next trip to Tamarind will also very likely be our last.

    (2)
  • Jillian B.

    Tamarind is alright. It's a good place to go when I am craving Indian food and can't drive all the way to my favorite place in Rancho or when I can't have my best friend's home cooking. My friend and I ordered the lamb, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, saag paneer, and basmati rice. The rice was a bit dry and the chicken tikka masala was different from the ones I've had in the past. The garlic naan was good, and I enjoyed the seasoning on the lamb chops. The saag paneer was good, but something was different about the flavor. The service was good, and the ambiance is really nice. Good place for a date.

    (3)
  • Brenda B.

    This place is so great! My sister and I went for he lunch buffet. The food was very fresh and delicious. It definitely did not taste like the standard lunch buffet. It was a steal for $8.99. The decor is lovely. Very intimate and chic, The service was exceptional. Very friendly and professional. Very attentive. Can't wait to go back!!

    (5)
  • Faisel K.

    When I want to take my clients out for lunch and make a great impression I take them to Tamarind. You can smell tha aroma from the outside. It's clean and great service, not to mention the best indian/Pakistani food in town. Faisel Khan "Khan"

    (5)
  • Jose L.

    There are two truths when it comes to Indian food: 1) It freely gives mad food coma to all and to all a good night after eating a couple plate's full (which is a good thing unless you operate a vehicle or heavy machinery). 2) It's literally a 15-second rave in your mouth each time you take a bite cuz you get so many different flavors, spices, tastes, textures, and complex crazy deliciousness without the E. Tamarind Pakistani/Indian Restaurant is clean, contemporary, cozy, and casual. I remember wanting to try the one in New York, but I forgot all about it so this'll do. Our server had a friendly face and topped off our waters ALL the time. The water had a familiar fresh taste to it and my cousin told me they probably put cucumbers in it. Server/owner guy thanked us for coming and asked us if we'd bring others if we came back. Is Modern Warfare 2 one of the best selling and most anticipated video games of all time? That's a resounding, "Yes." I'll break down the food details here: -The long-grained rice was yellow and probably cooked with saffron. -Salad was sweet and a bit tart. -The Mint Chutney was spicy and didn't have a super-refreshing blast of mint like Haandi's (Rancho Cucamonga, CA). Instead, it closely resembled salsa. You'd think their Tamarind Chutney was the star because it has its restaurant's namesake. Nope. It tasted like sweet jam. -The Chicken Tandoori was like AT&T! Off the signal! I mean off the hook! The small pieces were juicy, flavorful, but not spicy. Or was it called Chicken Tikka? Sorry, I forgot. -The Chicken Tikka Masala was fantastic, but couldn't find much chicken. Plus, the sauce seemed more tomato-like and reddish. It didn't have yogurt and definitely wasn't (in IKEA terms) birch veneer in color. -The Chicken Karahi was shredded and reminded me of Mexican shredded chicken with slightly different flavors. -Their Eggplant dish was slightly bitter upon second tasting as I inhaled my first plate, but still fantastic as it complemented everything else (I'm not a big eggplant fan). -Their Spinach dish was delish (Thought that rhymed well). -Their Daal Lentil soup was one of my favorites - richly satisfying and fibrous! -Garlic Nan and Sesame Nan were soft, flaky, and reminiscent of super-thin New York style pizza crusts. They even had a few brushes of oil on them to keep them from burning. You will like it. Oh yes. You will. -The Ground Beef and Potato dish was a new one for me, but also worth diving into. See? The non-adventurous can fill their plate with this and the Tandoori Chicken and rice. -The Aloo Gobi (Potatoes and Cauliflower) was heavy because of the starches, but I couldn't say no to seconds. -The Kheer Rice Pudding was sweet and tapioca-like and could've come in handy dousing some of the minor flames. Me and my stupid, "Dessert is saved for last" mentality. There you have it. Or at least as many dishes as I can remember (Still drowsy). All you can eat Indian lunch for under $9. The consistency and texture of most of the dishes were more thick and stew-like rather than soupy. I wonder if that's the Pakistani cuisine style? It's a matter of preference for some and not so much of a big deal for others. Overall, there wasn't a dish I didn't like. I don't know if most of the dishes had a medium spiciness or it was one dish head-butting the rest of its neighbors. Just be prepared because you may sweat. Sweats 'til you can't sweats no mo-hore/ And if u cryyy out/ I'm gonna push it, push it some more. There is no truth number three.

    (4)
  • Johnny L.

    Had a very enjoyable dinner on Friday evening. The hospitable owner walked around to talk to people, which was a very nice touch. We ordered the shrimp masala and dal masala, with vegetable biryani and garlic naan. All were excellent, but the shrimp masala stood out with its delicious sauce and portions that didn't leave you unfulfilled. The only thing weird about the service was that instead of offering us dessert, the waitress brought the check directly. Not a big deal, but I would've liked the option no less. A beautiful place in the middle of a gigantic suburban open mall area. I highly recommend it for great food and a break from what one usually settles for in the region.

    (4)
  • Veronica P.

    Small, quaint and nicely decorated, I was expecting a lot more from Tamarind than I got. I am by no means an Indian food expert, but their lunch buffet selection was rather limited and costly ($8.99) for the small number of dishes that they offer, I believe it was about 10 dishes. One of the dishes even had undercooked pieces of chicken. The naan was overcooked with many areas that were burnt and inedible, not just charred to give a smoky flavor. Service was also subpar. Drinks were not refilled and a wait person often was no where in sight.

    (4)
  • Steve D.

    I've only been in for the lunch buffet a few times but it is great. Very reasonably priced at 8.99 and a nice selection of delicious dishes tastefully laid out so you never get the feeling that you're in one of those "other" buffets that strives to keep people fat at 5 bucks a pop! The dishes are consistently good (Tandoori chicken was a bit dry once), service is great - they keep the Naan coming! A nice treat tucked in an area I would otherwise avoid.

    (5)
  • Anne L.

    This is a very flavorful buffet. Great customer service.

    (4)
  • Nancy W.

    I knew nothing about Indian food, and Tamarind was the first one I tried. I like it very much, especially their $8.99 lunch buffet. They do not have too many selection, but it is enough for me. I go there very often. The buffet has grill chicken, spinach with potatoes, eggplant, garlic or plain naan, rice, lentiles, chicken with tomato sauce, curry chicken, salad, rice/coconut pudding, cauliflower. Once they have the lamb. Service is good, decor is very nice, buffet price is cheap and most important, the food is great. Try it.

    (5)
  • Tanya G.

    I had my first Indian experience here and it was great!!! The salad was so fresh and the rice was perfect with all the dishes. The service was great...very attentive and the manager heard it was mine and my coworkers first time and he came out and chatted with us a bit about the food. I will be back for sure!

    (4)
  • Stuart K.

    Good food. I wish there was a bit more though, as the dishes are fairly small. A lot of oil too but good

    (4)
  • RM A.

    Tamarind's food and service is so worth the drive from Orange County - the restaurant is very quaint and cozy. We usually have a large crowd and the staff is always so friendly and accommodating. My favorites are their Garlic Naan, Chicken Tikka, ****Chicken Tikka Masala **** and I love to end the night with Kheer.

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Categories

India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.

Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.

Tamarind Restaurant & Catering

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