Indian cuisine is vibrant, rich—one might even say sultry—and recipes are filled with flavors that saturate the taste buds. Enticed yet? Well, make your way to Tamba Las Vegas at Town Square, a newly opened Indian restaurant that adds contemporary touches and artful presentations to the traditional dining experience. Tamba long held court on the Las Vegas Strip before closing years ago, but thankfully for many a tourist and local alike, the restaurant, helmed by restaurateur Sunny Dhillon and executive chef Anand Singh, has found a new home.
Photo by: Anthony Mair
The home? A beautiful, thoughtfully designed space with a minimalist, upscale feel made up of a 60-seat bar and lounge soundtracked by a DJ spinning out downtempo tunes and a lively main dining room.
Start the Tamba Las Vegas experience by perusing the cocktail menu—an art book-like menu with stories that tell the tales of the cocktails you’ll be drinking. It must be acknowledged that the combination of ingredients within the cocktails are beyond creative and intriguing. One favorite is the deliciously curious Crown Lassi Luxe, made with Tahitian vanilla bean-infused vodka, cream, sugar, soda and Alphonso mango topped with rose dust and crushed pistachios. The Peacock Martini probably best demonstrates the creativity that director of beverage Giuseppe Gonzalez brought to the menu. The cocktail is made using a pousse café-style technique, meaning the ingredients are layered on one another—it’s mixed with gin, citrus solution and vapor-distilled house tonic syrup.
Now that your taste buds and interests are piqued, dive into a divine menu of traditional dishes with contemporary twists, beginning with a delightful threesome of specialty naan (garlic cilantro, goat cheese and togarashi and black truffle and fluer del sel). Must-order starters include the traditional baked samosa chaat, this version with the puff pastry filled with masala potatoes and green peas, served with drops of pomegranate seeds and a chickpea curry. The spiced tamarind hamachi, Indian tuna crudo and mixed sashimi platter all cool and spark the palate. And the sea bass Amritsari is made with pieces of fried sea bass served with a mint salsa and kimchi salad.
Indian Tuna Crudo Photo by: Anthony Mair
Main dishes include the Indian rice staple biryani with chicken, vegetables or goat. Don’t miss the dishes made in a traditional charcoal-fired josper, a cooking contraption that is a cross between a grill and oven. Go vegetarian with the bhuna gobi, a cut of bright purple cauliflower resting in a to-die-for green coconut curry and broccoli purée with a touch of Japanese chili oil. Or go with the carnivore option, 10 ounces of angara-spiced New York wagyu sauced with saffron porcini mushrooms and a balsamic curry glaze. The seafood route has a don’t-miss tawa charred octopus with beetroot and chat aioli. Traditional wok-cooked dishes and curries with herbs and spices shipped from India round out the menu.
For dessert, order the already-popular matcha ras malai, made with the traditional cheese flat dumplings that have been amped up with pistachio, lime mango cream and berries.
Town Square Las Vegas, 702.798.7889. tambalasvegas.com
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