Tâm Tâm

We went to a small, new restaurant in Downtown Miami named, “Tam Tam”. Vietnamese. With perhaps one other it was so much more truly Vietnamese than what we have seen in town thus far. So we could watch the action best we sat at a counter directly in front of the expo window. We could see the small crew in the kitchen hustling as they plated. The chef is from Vietnam and his partner is a handsome young man who went to Vietnam some years ago to teach English. The restaurant is directly across from the huge Miami courthouse and is packed every night. They knew who we were and took excellent care of us. But even if they didn’t know us I think the food would have been equally as good. To start we ordered a “Lotus Root Salad with Shrimp and Pork Belly”. Also the “Nhau Bone Marrow with Grilled Sourdough, Garlic Herb Salad and Bird’s Eye Chilies”. After that the chef sent out, “Scallop Pomelo Goi” which turned out to be our favorite of the night. In addition to the citrus fruit (pomelo) and the sea scallops, (raw and cut) it also had “Coconut Nuoc Cham, Rice Paddy Herb, Crispy Garlic and Thai Basil.” The interaction of the ingredients was memorable! We had a Kerner, Kloster Neustift from the Alto Adige to drink. It went very well with the mix of foods. Service was joyous. A party-like one but not silly like so much of Miami as of late. Harrison, (co-owner) spoke w us about their journey creating “Tam Tam”. Not easy but they have gotten their dream in full gear now. For the main dish we had “Tamarind Glazed Pork Ribs” for our final course. Very good. But Man… that Scallop dish! Wish I could take our chefs in for that! One day we will. Highly recommended!