Sweet Tamarind

Ernie and I were walking around on a sunny Saturday and stopped into Sweet Tamarind. I dry by this restaurant situated west of Sheffield on Belmont often but had never made time to stop in for a bite.  Deciding on Thai over Falafel, we walked to Sweet Tamarind with hunger in our eyes.

The restaurant was sparse with only one other family of four (with mom pregnant with a fifth family member) in the small, maybe 800 sq foot dining area.  The decorations were tasteful with gold painted artifacts from Thailand hanging on the walls.

Sweet Tamarind offers a fantastic value for their lunch special.  Each dish is served with a cup of soup and a small salad to whet the appetite.  The broth soup was light and refreshing; to spice things up, I added some thai chili sauce.  The salad was also light with shaved leafy green lettuce and cabbage.

For our main course, I went for the Paad Thai. Similar to my preference for fish tacos or carne asada at Mexican restaurants, I like to start each new Thai restaurant by sampling their Paad Thai.  I have to say, this is one of the most authentic Paad Thai dishes I’ve had in Chicago.  I can say that because we ate thai food for 10 days back in December.  Although it was authentic and therefore quite good, I still prefer the Paad Thai at Star of Siam in the Gold Coast or Thalia Spice in River North because those places have a bit of a sweeter sauce. The noodles here are still good but a bit too much fish sauce for my liking. 

Ernie ordered the Red Curry with white rice.  I had a little taste and his meal was delightful. It was a lightly creamy, mildly spicy but completely flavorful red curry atop chicken and chopped vegetables.  Next time we return, I will probably try the red curry or maybe go for the thai fried rice (though Penny’s noodles still makes my favorite thai fried rice of all time). 

With the generous portions and the soup / salad starter, our total bill was under $15.

The best part of our meal was the conversation. Ernie was convincing me that “bouncing” is the best method for fast and efficient pooping.  I never tried that one before!

1034 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657-6743
(773) 281-5300

http://www.sweettamarindthaicuisine.com/