PALO ALTO, CA – SEPTEMBER 24: “Banh Khot – Uni & Crab Cupcakes; Crispy coconut rice flour filled with crab meat, uni, & scallions. Served with yuzu-tamari sauce (South Vietnam),” gluten free, for $12, at Tam Tam Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Sisters Tammy Huynh and Tanya Huynh Hartley have announced they are not renewing the lease for their Tam Tam restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, and will be shutting down at that location.
“Farewell for now” reads the note on their website. “We are grateful to our staff and guests who have supported us during these past 14 months. It was an honor to share the story of Vietnam and its food with you.”
This Sunday, Nov. 15, will be the last day of service at 140 University Ave., but they say they are looking for a new space to relocate the eatery. The pair had opened Tam Tam in September 2019 as a casual spinoff of their upscale restaurant, Tamarine, located at the other end of University Avenue.
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Kym Minick, private dining director, prepares the private dining room for guests at Tam Tam Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: "Banh Beo - Steamed Rice Cakes; Steamed rice cakes topped with shrimp, pork rinds, & scallions. Served with chili-fish sauce (Central Vietnam)," gluten free, for $8, at Tam Tam Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Tammy Huynh, left, co-owner and executive chef, and her sister Tanya Huynh Hartley, co-owner, pose for a photograph in their restaurant Tam Tam Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: "Goi Xoai Du Du - Mango & Papaya Salad; Fresh mango & green papaya tossed with grilled calamari, Vietnamese herbs, red onion, & peanuts. Drizzled with tamari fish sauce (South Vietnam)," gluten free, for $10 or $14, at Tam Tam Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: The dining room at Tam Tam Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Tam Tam Restaurant at the corner of University Ave. and High St. in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: "Goi Cuon Chay - Vegetarian Spring Rolls; fresh rice paper rolls filled with grilled tofu, carrot, cucumber, rice noodles, avocado, lettuce, & mint. Served with gf (gluten free) hoisin-peanut dipping sauce," gluten free, for $9, at Tam Tam Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: "Coconut Pandan Creme Brulee; Coconut egg custard, pandan, & burnt sugar crust," gluten free, for $9, at Tam Tam Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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Tammy, the executive chef, had focused the Tam Tam menu on regional dishes from South, Central and North Vietnam, with a few twists. Tamarine, in business for 18 years, specializes in Asian fusion.
“While we look for a new home please visit us at Tamarine Restaurant & Gallery, where a few Tam Tam favorites will be available soon,” they wrote.
