An Indian palace hidden deep inside a mini-mall

There are thousands of mom-and-pop and ethnic restaurants in L.A. strip malls, many quite ambitious. Even Masa Takayama, whose Ginza Sushiko garnered four stars when it was in Beverly Hills, started out in a mid-Wilshire mini-mall. Still, it’s a surprise to find Tamarin, a new contemporary Indian restaurant, tucked into a nondescript mall on Olympic Boulevard just west of Doheny Drive.

It’s a surprise because there are no laminated plastic tabletops or buzzing fluorescent lights here -- Tamarin has all the appointments of a serious restaurant, including a maitre d’ station, discreet lighting and a small bar. The walls are decorated with an impressive old palace door and an ornate antique Rajasthani window that chef-owner Uma Singh, former executive chef and co-owner of Nizam in Westwood, found in India. The tables are arranged in a semicircle and set with good china and stemware (yes, there is a small wine list too).

The menu describes the food as “a new wave of contemporary Indian-inspired cuisine with a European accent.” We got the idea when our first appetizer arrived, a lovely salad of tiny roasted eggplants, julienned red, green and yellow peppers and arugula arranged in a pattern on a square platter, with pecans and a little goat cheese strewn over the top. It looked like something from Table 8 or Grace.

Every dish at Tamarin is plated with an eye to color and composition. And the chef will sometimes introduce leeks, shallots, dill or heirloom tomatoes to her cooking.

Other starters include fried calamari, delicious nuggets of squid with a spicy red sauce clinging to each bite. She makes two kinds of samosa too, one filled with spiced potatoes and peas, the other with spinach and paneer cheese.

Among the more substantial dishes, chicken tikka masala (cooked in the tandoor oven and then simmered in a gently spiced tomato sauce) is terrific. I also enjoyed Singh’s biryani, incredibly delicate long-grained basmati rice steamed with spices and an array of vegetables. Her vindaloo may be more cautiously spiced than most; it’s also more subtle and includes a distinct splash of vinegar. The one dish that fell flat was a giant lamb wrap, which resembled a pumped-up burrito.

Vegetarians should zero in on the crispy sauteed okra seasoned with ginger and lime juice or her smoky eggplant bharta, which comes with a soothing cucumber raita and a small portion of vegetable biryani.

Dessert is a trio of sweets: a miniature (and quite wonderful) saffron-infused rice pudding with almonds, a silky flan and a sweet dumpling soaked in syrup scented with rosewater. All of which would be lovely with tea. That’s part of her idea, actually. Tamarin plans to serve tea in the afternoons and eventually open for brunch on Sunday.

Lunch here is a good deal: For $8 to $12, you get a choice of more than a dozen entrees, plus soup or salad or an appetizer, a vegetable of the day, rice, naan and a couple of chutneys.

*

Tamarin

Where: 9162 Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills

When: Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner 5:30 to 10 p.m. daily. Beer and wine. Lot parking.

Cost: Starters, $4 to $8; entrees, $12 to $17; vegetable dishes and biryani, $8 to $13; desserts, $4 to $6; lunch, $8 to $12

Info: (310) 777-0360