Tamarind Seed Thai Cuisine places spices and Buddhist statues effectively throughout its simply decorated dining room to balance Asian authenticity with Americanization: The TV usually shows sporting events, for instance. Faculty and staff regulars from nearby Georgia Tech know that Tamarind Thai's splendid cuisine alone is worth braving traffic congestion and the restaurant's small parking lot. Inside, the atmosphere is casual, but the dishes are more upscale than your typical Thai fare. Try the Waterfall Beef when available, which is tamarind- and chile pepper-marinated steak with cooked shallots, sesame seeds and mint leaves. Other favorite menu items include the cucumber salad, chicken-coconut milk soup, basil rolls, pad thai, curries, and the sweet, sour and spicy sea bass. Beer and wine available. Serving lunch Mon-Fri, dinner nightly. Closed between meals. Named one of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Top 50 Restaurants of 2008 and one of Jezebel magazine's Top 100 Restaurants of 2008. Voted Best Thai Restaurant in the 2008 Creative Loafing critics poll.