Tamarind Sea Food Restaurant

When it comes to seafood the Tamarind Restaurant dives deeper than anyone to bring you the finest and freshest fare, and goes further than anyone to prepare it. Since our launch in 1972, The Tamarind has gained a reputation as Africas finest seafood restaurant. The menu is a blend of the best of French, Asian and African cuisine and The Prawns Piri Piri, Chilli Crab and Lobster Tamarind have earned the restaurant world-wide fame and rave reviews, from many international dining publications.

Built in Arab style architecture with high arches and a crenellated roof, the elegant, gleaming white building has the perfect setting, a starlit terrace perched on a cliff overlooking the picturesque Old Harbour of Mombasa.

The seating capacity of the restaurant is 160 covers, and it caters to local residents as well as seasonal tourists and visiting business people.

Some of the Tamarind's famous dishes are:

Starters

Fresh Kilifi oysters
Kenyan oysters grow wild and are small but very tasty. They are served on a bed of ice and accompanied with fresh brown bread, limes and tabasco.

Spicy tuna sashimi
Traditionally cut, but creatively complemented with mildly spiced Japanese eggplant

Smoked salmon mille feuille
A beautiful combination of Norwegian smoked salmon, mango, melon, oven dried tomato and a drizzle of horseradish cream (The salmon can also be sxerved plain with brown bread)

Lobster and crab guacamole
Freshly poached warm lobster medallions, complemented with crab meat in a guacamole dip and served with our classic French dressing. Allow 15 minutes

Baked salmon cheesecake
A smooth Gouda and fresh salmon cake, dressed with a champagne caviar cream

Vietamese prawn summer rolls
Mildly spiced crunchy prawns and vegetables, rolled in rice apper, served cold with a well-spiked sweet and tangy dip

Pâté of chicken and ostrich liver
A delicious creamy pâté served with Cumberland sauce

Palm heart Caesar salad
The classic Caesar salad enriched with marinated paolm hearts and green asparagus tips and served in a crispy parmesan basket

Carpaccio of seafish Takaungu
Fresh sea fish filets, thinly sliced and drizzled with a coconut, lime, garlic and coriander sauce

Avocado with prawns or crab
Avocado filled with baby prawns or crab meat in a piquant cocktail sauce

Oysters Mambrui
We lightly gratinate these tasty little oysters with soy sauce, garlic butter and coconut

Deep-fried crab claws
Crumbed crab claws, deep-fried and served with tartare and garlic piri-piri sauces

Crab moneybag
Crabmeat encased in wafer thin pastry served with a cream and dill sauce - light and delicious.

Calamari maridadi
Succulent grilled calamari with olive oil served with mixed green leaves and red sweet pepper salsa.

Szechuan duck parcels
Spiced duck meat and crunchy stir fried vegetables in thin pastry and enhanced with a sweet chilli dip

Soups

Tamarind fish soup
A house speciality. An Indian Ocean version of "Bouillabaisse served with croutons and rouille.

Cappuccino of lobster bisque
A stylish but authentic bisque topped with a paprika mousseline glaze

Thai prawn soup
A light spicy broth with crisp prawns, coriander and lemon grass.

Spicy chicken or crab and coconut soup
A brilliant combination of chicken or crab, sweetcorn, coconut, lemon grass and chilli

Fresh cream of tomato
Made with fresh tomatoes, vegetable stock, herbs and fresh Jersey cream

Seafood

Tamarind seafood platter
A spectacular assortment of all the seafood we have available to day - some hot and some cold. Minimum for two persons, the platter is served with a variety of dips and sauces. Perfect for those who want to try it all.

Tamarind seafood gumbo
An elegant Mardi Gras feast of lobster, crab, prawns, calamari, and garlic salami (optional) simmered in a Creole broth, white wine and okra

Seafood tagliolini
Al dente thin pasta topped with slightly spiced seafood and a coastal coconut touch

A Selection of Fish
We usually have a large selection of fresh fish form different origins

• red snapper (kungu), rock cod (tewa), sea bream (changu) or a game fish from the Indian Ocean
• Tilapia from the fresh water lakes of Kenya
• Fresh salmon fillets imported from Norway Some fish can be whole or filleted can be served poached, grilled, meuniere, deep-fried, masala, piri piri, chilli, Swahili, Tamarind, just to name a few.

We also recommend:

Red snapper and prawns Harissa
An exotic Moroccan speciality combining spices, salsa and a brandy green peppercorn cream.

Spanish baked fish fillet
Topped with a black olive and basil crust and served on saffron and garlic potatoes, sun dried tomatoes and a flavourful sherry and vanilla jus

Baked salmon in champagne sauce
Perfectly done, set on a bed of spinach, and served with parsley potatoes, asparagus tips and lightly covered with a champagne cream sauce

Lobster
Tropical lobsters are correctly known as "langouste" or "spiny rock lobster" and do not have claws but are excellent eating. Since they come in varying sizes, we sell them by the 100 grams. Bearing in mind that 70 percent of a lobster is carapace (shell), a small portion is 500 grams, a medium 700 grams and for the healthy appetite, a large one is 900 grams or more.

Grilled lobster flambéed with cognac
Charcoal grilled spiny rock lobster, flambéed with brandy and served with lemon butter sauce.

Lobster Swahili
The meat is taken out of the shell, sautéed in garlic, turmeric, saffron, tomatoes and coconut cream. Its then returned to the shell and served with coconut rice.

Poached lobster mojo
Gently poached in herbs, lime, black pepper and stock, anchored on a potato and horseradish mash and served with the poaching essence.

Crab
The Kenyan species of crabs are one of the best eating in the world. They are best served as they are, but if you would like us to do the work and take the shell off, please let us know when we take your order. We will supply all the implements needed; cracker, bib, lobster pick and a large finger bowl. Fingers are a must!

Whole steamed crab
Served hot with butter sauce or cold with mayonnaise.

Chilli crab
Not as hot as the name implies. A spicy and slightly sweet Indonesian dish that is truly sensational.

Crab in ginger
A bowl of cracked crab cooked in soy, chicken stock, garlic and fresh ginger.

Sunset pwani crab
The crab meat is lightly sauteed in olive oil, garlic,ginger and a touch of chilli and beautifully surrounded by grilled palm hearts and asparagus tips.

Prawns
All our prawns come from the Indian Ocean off the East African coast. If you insist on having the shells removed, please ask, but we think they are best left in the shell to retain their succulence.

Prawns Piri-piri
Grilled with garlic butter, chilli, paprika, lime juice and coriander.

Prawns en-brochette
Perfectly grilled on the skewer with an assortment of grilled baby vegetables and a herb lemon butter.

Garlic beach prawns
We have cooked these on beach picnics for years and they are simple but excellent, sautéed with their shells on in butter, garlic, salt and lime.

Punjabi tikka masala prawns
Succelent shelled queen prawns and spinach in a pungent tikka masala sauce, creatively set on a naan and topped with a refreshing pickle.

Grills and Entrees

Prime fillet steak
grilled plain or rubbed with coarsely ground pepper sautéed and served with a Madagascar green pepper sauce.

Prime T-bone steak
A large T-bone steak grilled over charcoal served with herb butter and a baked potato.

Ostrich fillet in a wild berry sauce
Farm reared ostrich marinated in red wine, succulently sautéed and served with saffron potatoes, fried beetroot and a fruity jus.

Supreme of Ruaraka duckling
Pan seared slices of duck breast and ripened camembert set around a sweet potato gallette, salad leaves and drizzled with a black currant and port gravy.

Grilled spring chicken
A whole spring chicken grilled with ginger, honey, and garlic and lime.

Spicy grilled Molo lamb chops
Mildly spiced with green curry paste and set on a potato and pea mash acccompanied by kachumbari and a flavourful minted lamb jus.

Desserts

Crispy kattafi and apple flambe
Lightly sauteed apple slices,laced with a shot of calvados, set on sweet filo nest and topped with vanilla ice cream.

Tree tomato teardrop
A smooth luscious tree tomato and white chocolate mousse layered with tree tomato compote and complemented with its own coulis

Crêpes
Mt Kenya Wafer thin pancakes cooked in butter, lime and orange juice, flambéed with cognac and Kenya Gold coffee liqueur. A dollop of ice cream complements this dish.

Chocolate and banana mille feuille
Layers of chocolate ganache, caramelized banana and rum infused sabayon, set on a crispy baked filo pastry and topped with a rum n raisin ice cream.

Sticky toffee popover brulee
A light hollow popover, filled with a creamy rich toffee brulee and complemented with a tangy citrus sauce.

True passion
A gorgeous white chocllate and passion fruit mousse served with a berry and passion coulis.

Poached pear in red wine
A delightful pear bavarian mousse, topped with a rich red wine ice-cream and enhanced with poached pear.

Homemade ice creams
Vanilla, coconut or chocolate served with a hot chocolate sauce.

Fresh fruit sorbet
Homemade lime, passion, mango, strawberry, tree tomato and banana. Try a combination of three flavours.

Seasonal fruit salad
All the tropical fruits garnished with seasonal berries and fresh whipped jersey cream.