Quick Bites: Tamarind Seed moves aside for Chai Yo, Buckhead gets an Ayurvedic restaurant, 8arm celebrates one year and more

Food news roundup

Thai bistro Tamarind Seed is closing for two years while its home in Colony Square gets an overhaul. In the meantime, owner Dee Dee Niyomkul is working on opening her newest restaurant: Chai Yo in Buckhead. The restaurant broke ground in the former J Christopher’s space in July.

Buckhead is getting an Ayurvedic restaurant. Sama Food for Balance (56 East Andrews Dr.) is having soft openings this week and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as juices, smoothies and coffee. Order a Magical Beast with 1 Horn latte in a tranquil environment with the hope of soothing your body, mind and soul.”

On Thurs., Aug. 31, Poncey-Highland’s 8arm had its first anniversary. Congratulations, guys and gals! A celebration was postponed due to rain but stay tuned for information.

The Chai Pani team (Meherwan Irani, Michael Files and James Grogan) will soon will be shipping their spices for retail and restaurants worldwide. Spicewalla spice factory opens early September in Asheville with an adjacent test kitchen. Sounds like a weekend trip is in order; be sure to tack on a tour of neighboring French Broad Chocolate’s new giant factory as well.

Think your cooking skills could please Gordon Ramsay? Fox’s hit cooking show MasterChef is coming to Atlanta for an open casting call for season nine. Amateur home cooks interested in competing should assemble on Sat., Sept. 9 at Downtown’s Omni Hotel at CNN Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Forthcoming restaurants”Golden Eagle“and”Muchacho,“which will share a patio overlooking the Beltline in the former H. Harper Station building, have officially announced their culinary team. Taria Camerino, formerly of Sugar Coated Radical and Ford Fry Restaurants is in as culinary director. Jason Simpson, most recently at St. Cecilia, is chef de cuisine. Eduardo Guzman, former beverage director at Ford Fry Restaurants is beverage director. Nicholas Bown-Crawford, who most recently served as director of operations at Le Fat and Ton Ton, is general manager. Sarah Harlan of Condesa Coffee will serve as coffee director for Muchacho.

There will soon be a new place in town to get your DIY barbecue fix. Iron Age Korean Steak House is bringing tabletop Korean barbecue to the Prado in the former Kobe Steaks space.”

The underground supper club that started it all, Pushstart Kitchen, is back at founders Cristina and Zach Meloy’s restaurant Better Half (399 14th St.). On Sept. 10 the duo will be together in the kitchen serving an intimate dinner for 18 lucky guests. The evening begins with cocktails and canap̩s, flows into three courses and finishes with candy and cordial. Call for reservations.

Pop-up alert! OK YAKI in my Belly, with a menu of okonomiyaki (those savory Japanese pancakes topped with all sorts of stuff) and yakisoba takes over Sun in my Belly (2161 College Ave.) on Fri., Sept. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m.

The Akers Mill Square location of”Maddio’s Pizza”(2955 Cobb Pkwy) has closed.