Tamarind Hills

Imagine being smack in the middle of KL walking up a long flight of stairs and emerging into paradise; this is Tamarind Hills, a beautiful escape from the bustling city life. For those who are familiar, this exotic restaurant was located in Ampang however, due to new developments sprouting up in the area they uprooted and moved to their new location right on Sultan Ismail in a bungalow that previously housed Scalini's.

The décor is impeccable with custom made lamps, intricate statues placed within the walls surrounded by candles, and bamboo partitions which are said to glow with flames during the night.

The outdoor section is lovely with ponds strewn throughout the tables; you would hardly know you’re in the city. The new Tamarind Hills currently serves Thai Burmese fine dining on their introductory menu, and they soon will have experimental contemporary French Thai fusion offerings as well. In addition to the food, they will be offering a unique beverage list with quirky martini flavours such as Tom Yam and curry.

My lunch started off with the welcome drink, a tamarind juice, sour and sweet at the same time perfect for stirring up my appetite. A platter of appetizers followed with citrus scallops in their shell, rice paper rolls filled with fruits and chicken, sugarcane beef with chilli jam, fishcakes, and tangerines stuffed with peanuts and chicken. I especially enjoyed the scallops paired with a spicy green sauce and I found the rice papers rolls a treat for the palate with a filling of star fruit, apple, pineapple, basil and chicken.

For a soup I had the coconut tom yam, an incredibly deceptive dish. It looks tame enough with its milky white colour but it packs a spicy punch!

I also enjoyed the delicious Wagyu beef salad, tender stuffed squid, and a Mandalay curry faintly reminiscent of an Indian chicken curry as many of the Burmese dishes use similar ingredients.

Once the time came for a sweet treat I chose the mango sticky rice. Here they use the black glutinous rice which has a pleasant fragrance and texture which I prefer to the white glutinous rice. I can’t wait to go back and try the French Thai fusion menu and maybe indulge in a spicy Tom Yam martini!