Tamarind, Mount Hawthorn

I can hardly describe the Tamarind restaurant as a hidden gem as it has been in full view on the Mt Hawthorn foodie strip for more than 20 years, but it is definitely a gem.

Alongside such luminaries as Spritz and Lupo Lab on Scarborough Beach road, Tamarind was a great find for my friends and me.

We booked early as we were heading to a North Perth concert for 7pm. We were the only customers in the restaurant at 5:30 on a Saturday night – do the locals not like this place? But not to worry, by the time we left at 6:30 the place was heaving!

Tamarind has a no-nonsense modern décor with wooden tables and chairs – pictures on the wall reflect Cambodian heritage and the staff were unobtrusive but friendly.

Although billed as Cambodian cuisine, the Tamarind has a lot of south East Asian dishes on the menu. The restaurant prides itself on serving authentic dishes made with fresh produce.

Seven of us enjoyed five plates of excellent food – Massaman beef curry (thick red curry with fried shallots and coconut $26.90), Chicken Pad Thai (stir-fried rice noodles with spring onions and vegetables $20.90), Cambodian sizzling prawns (spicy sweet and sour prawns with vegetables $29.90), Choo Chee fish (slow cooked coconut cream with steamed vegetables and cashew nuts $27.90) and Teriyaki chicken (fried chicken pieces tossed in home-made teriyaki sauce and topped with sesame seeds $24.90).

We couldn’t fault any of the dishes, they were all really good but my favourite was the Choo Chee fish – crispy fish and a heavenly sauce – I will be having that one to myself next time around!

The only sour note was the corkage charge of $10 per bottle. I get it that Tamarind is licensed and BYO can undercut the profits but $10 is high.

Address: 148 Scarborough Beach Road, Mt Hawthorn

Phone: 08 9242 2988

Reservations: Yes

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 4pm-9pm

Gluten-free options: Yes

Vegetarian options: Yes

Restrooms: Clean and accessible

Parking: No on-street parking but parking is available behind the local IGA or The Paddington.

Website: www.tamarindcambodian.com.au

About the Author
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About Hazel Broomhead

My name is Hazel and I am a Perth senior!

Originally from Edinburgh in Scotland, my husband and I moved to New Zealand with our children in 1974. As my husband is in the oil business, we moved to several other countries including the Sultanate of Oman, the Netherlands, Singapore, the Philippines, the USA, Russia and Kazakhstan during the next 36 years before retiring to Perth.

We have six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who live in different parts of the globe – New Zealand, Scotland and Colombia - which makes a great excuse for us to travel and visit.

My career background is in radio and print journalism in Scotland and New Zealand as well as public relations in various other countries.

We love to eat out, walk, travel and enjoy the wonderful lifestyle here in Western Australia.