A Little Bite of This or That? ¡Qué Bueno!

The evening began with a long wait. The restaurant is small in terms of seating, although the ceilings are high and the atmosphere welcoming and warm. And anticipation is an excellent appetizer. While we waited, we ordered the tamarind aqua fresca ($3.50), partly because they were out of all the other flavors, and partly because, hey, the place is called "Tamarindo," and when in Rome...

So, though some say that tamarind aqua fresca is usually unpleasantly cloying and sweet (we had never indulged before this night, ourselves) -- this one was lightly sweetened, pleasantly tart, with an earthy undertone. A bit reminiscent of the instant Lipton lemon-flavored iced tea that we loved as a kid, although that's probably not what we are supposed to be reminded of. Our husband had no childhood memory to reference, and is a bit less adventurous than us in general; one sip had him screwing up his face with surprise and dislike (how does one have any expectation really, when it is something one has never tasted?). We happily drained the rest of the glass.

Once seated, our group of four started with the Botana de Pico de Gallo ($4), a hand-blown goblet filled with spears of jicama, cucumber, and pinapple, all drizzled with a bright orange spicy chile sauce. A little too spicy for our taste, but the fruit and vegetables were cold and crisp, and the combo, while challenging, was also fun. Next came the Guacamole con Totopos ($8). The fresh buttery avocado, lime, and cilantro practically sang, the chips were thick, warm, just the right amount of oily. Heaven.

The meat eating side of the table next enjoyed to Sopecitos Surtidos (8), three small corn masa patties topped with chorizo and potato, carnitas, and rajas and cojita (roasted green chile and cheese). We didn't tell the veggies about that third one because we wanted to keep these gems all to ourselves. We were informed that night that the restaurant was subbing steamed pork for their carnitas, and unfortunately the pork we did receive was a little oddly dry. But with bites and prices this small, we didn't linger over that detail.

Meanwhile our friends were chowing down on refried black beans with handmade tortillas ($3) and grilled vegetables with a mildly sweet tamarind vinaigrette ($8), which they were kind enough to let us taste. Again, perfect portions of gem-like dishes. The beans were flavorful, tortillas soft and warm, vegetables crisp.

Round three brought Mulitas ($7) to the meat eaters, a mini tower comprised of a pile of grilled Niman Ranch steak, melted jack cheese, guacamole, and salsa fresca, perched between two handmade corn tortillas. For this one we had to close our eyes and chew slowly as the deep bright flavors melded in our mouths.

Veggies opted for the Chilaquiles en Salsa Chipotle ($9), tortilla chips tossed in a chipotle purée, garnished with cojita cheese and crema. The warm sauce entirely coats the chips, making them a bit mushy. Also, chipotle is not our personal favorite of the chile family, thus we found this dish not to be so pleasing, though the veggies seemed delighted with it.

Round four brought a special of the day, Camarones del Diablo ($14), six peel-your-own grilled shrimp in the center of a large plate covered thinly with a darker red chile sauce. These were enjoyed by all, despite the mess. (Our very kind and helpful waitress was quick to provide bowls of warm water and limes for washing up.)

We also ordered the white rice and fried plantains side dish ($3), which again, kind and helpful waitress was quick to point out is NOT vegetarian, but rather cooked in chicken broth, making for tasty fluffy rice that we did not have to share. The four golden disks of plantain were crisp outside, soft inside. Nice to dip in the black beans.

But it was at this point in the meal that we realized our preference in general is for the green chile family of sauces.

Honestly, by this time we were all already past full, but we were not quite finished adventuring.

So we ordered the empanaditas ($8) — and we did something a little tricky. We asked for all vegetarian (the menu said the dish included two with shrimp and Serrano chiles, and one with rajas and Monterey jack). These little fried pockets of melting cheese and roasted green chile were pure bliss. We each dipped our tiny bites into the accompanying electric green cilantro and lime sauce, which had a creamy yet light consistency, reminiscent of the cilantro dipping sauces that accompany Indian foods.

And so, we were too full to order dessert. But we did manage an Assam tea ($2.50), which was so fragrant, the entire table smelled of honey and flowers, and a Mexican mocha ($4.50), with fresh ground Ibarra, almonds, Piloncillo, cinnamon, cloves, and chile de arbol, Mr. Espresso coffee, and steamed milk. Dark, spicy, lightly sweet, a perfect end to a perfect, if overly abundant, small plates feast.

Tamarindo Antojeria
468 8th Street (x Broadway)
Oakland

no reservations.