Italian dining at Carmelina

Surf N Turf @Carmelina

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Hubby took me for a date night at Carmelina. We pass by this place when we go to Diana’s Oyster bar but we haven’t gotten around to going here. Early evening one Friday, we went here when there was only one other table of diners. By the end of our evening, almost all the tables were full.

We got some garlic bread while waiting for our appetizers. It was so delicious and came with a garlic dipping sauce. It was hard to stop eating, even if we wanted to make sure we had space for what was coming!

Garlic bread @Carmelina

I started with the Caesar salad with romaine, herbed focaccia croutons, prosciutto crisp and parmigiana crisp. It was good but the dressing was most likely packaged. For the fine dining experience (and price), I was hoping that even if it will not be served table-side, it would at least be prepared fresh. The crispy prosciutto and parmigiana crisp were divine.

Caesar salad @Carmelina

Hubby got the Carpaccio di Manzo for appetizers. The thinly sliced beef was served with roasted red peppers, parmigiana cheese, lemon mustard dressing and extra virgin olive oil. It was also nice but they were a tad heavy handed with the lemon.

Carpaccio di Manzo @Carmelina

For mains, I ordered the Spaghettini alla Francoise. The pasta came with sautéed lobster, sea scallop, tiger shrimps, bell peppers, carrots on a sauce of white wine and brandy as well as a touch of cream. The lobster was over-cooked and on the rubbery side which was unfortunate. However, the scallops were melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly done.

Spaghettini alla Francoise @Carmelina

Hubby got the Surf N Turf, which seemed to be a popular dish of theirs as I heard overheard all of the four patrons in the other table order. Of course, I had a taste of the grilled beef striploin and jumbo tiger shrimp. The steak was beautifully cooked medium rare and the red wine sauce, mixed herbs and garlic butter, brought out the flavours. The dish also came with potatoes and vegetables.

Surf N Turf @Carmelina

At the end of the meal, we were too stuffed to even think about dessert. All in all a nice meal with a nice ambience and friendly service.