Art is Life, Not to Mention Food, at Tamarine

It just so happened that in a bout of nostalgia I watched Jean Eustache's "The Mother and the Whore" one day, and discussed it over lunch at Tamarine the next. This place's signature dish of seared lemongrass bass with mango noodle salad, and a bowl of aromatic, flavorful rice evoked a quote from the film's protagonist about food and its taste. Alexandre--the French New Wave's typical character--jobless and poor, yet philosophising and striving for sophistication, said that hot and cold foods only make you feel the temperature, and hard and tough ones make you feel the texture, while you can only appreciate the real taste of food when it's warm and soft.
And that's what my favorite Empress rice was--warm, soft, perfectly sticky, infused with garlic, leeks, and ginger, gently mixed with freshly fried egg--I don't know which empress decided to give this dish her name, but she surely knew her food.
Everything in Tamarine, located in Palo Alto and owned by Anne Le, is enticing--its excellent Vietnamese cuisine, created by executive chef and co-owner Tammy Huynh, its art gallery, featuring contemporary Vietnamese artists in semi-annual exhibits, its full bar, its white-tablecloth ambiance, and its always friendly service. Clad in black, Tamarine servers deliver colorful dishes on rectangular ceramic glazed plates, emanating exotic aromas, to French bistro-style positioned tables, where it's easy to hold conversations, and to overhear your neighbors only if you are so inclined. Carlos Mancio, our lunch server--attentive, knowledgeable, and polite--was just one of the excellent staff, which always makes anyone coming through the door feel welcome. After my sixth or seventh visit to Tamarine, I inevitably return to it every time I visit Palo Alto, despite my natural curiosity toward new restaurants opened in the area. What could be the reason for that--warmth and softness? I was happy to learn that the proprietors opened a new venue, Bong Su in SF. Note to self: check it out. Soon.
Tamarine is located at 546 University Ave., Palo Alto, 650-325-8500, www.tamarinerestaurant.com
Bong Su is located at 311 Third St., San Francisco, 415-536-5800, www.bongsu.com