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.

Pho hits the spot at Nam

 

Rare beef Pho @Nam

When it’s chilly outside, the fam craves noodle soup. We wanted to try a different Vietnamese restaurant, as a change from our usual spot. I found Nam in Richmond Hill, close enough to 404 at Leslie. While dine-in was available, we decided to just do take out.

Grandma got her usual spring roll, nicely deep-fried rolls with pork, mushroom, veggies and noodles. It was tasty and not very oily.

Deep fried spring rolls @Nam

I know, I know, that Pad Thai is best ordered in a Thai restaurant, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to try their Shrimp Pad Thai. Of course, it was just okay. Nothing to call home about but not bad either. The serving was big and grandma and I were able to share that one order.

Pad Thai @Nam

 Now, when we ordered rare beef, we didn’t expect to get a big slab of fully raw sliced meat, separately packed with the noodles. In our other Vietnamese place, the sliced beef is slightly pink and once we add the soup, it will be almost cooked. With this, the beef was practically bloody still. We did make sure we reheated the soup well enough to “cook” the beef. The broth was good and the serving was hefty.

 

Rare beef Pho @Nam

I would love to try their Banh Mi and dumplings next time we are in the area. They have rice dishes and other types of noodle soup as well. Hubby is eyeing the spicy one.