Donna Carmela

Donna Carmela / Caipirinha
2 Greenwood Ave
6463 4206

Judging by the full house on a Saturday night, this place seems to be very popular, more so with the expatriates than the locals. Both Italian and Brazilian fare are served here so you can get both carbs and protein.


Unremarkable bread was served while we waited for our 1st course to arrive.

Complimentary appetisers comprising of pickled onions, capsicums and sliced mushrooms were also served. These were quite good to nibble on!

The Porcini Soup ($9++) was quite a disappointment as the sodium level was rocket high. This tasted very akin to canned soup rather than freshly made.

The Asparagus Soup ($9++) fared much better. Don't be put off by the green hue! It was thick enough and had bits of the healthy spears in it.

The pasta menu was very comprehensive with many choices to choose from. In fact, I dare say this is the place that offers the most types of pasta. There's different kinds of pasta from the ubiquitous spaghetti to stuffed ravioli, and all kinds of sauces from tomato basil to creamy salmon. I had the Rettangoli al Salmone ($16++) which was a rectangular shaped ravioli filled with salmon in a very simple tomato and basil sauce. I like it! Ample savoury stuffings went well with the tangy sweet sauce.

I remember not liking the Lunette al Tartufo ($16++) as the truffles paste moon-shaped ravioli was too strong for my palette.

A simple dessert, the Coppa Tartufo ($8++) was a tad boring as it was a mere chocolate and vanilla gelato ball in a coating of toasted nut crumbs and cocoa.

As always, the Tiramisu ($10++) had to make an appearance. Though touted by the waiter to be a family recipe for decades, this didn't blow me away. The layer of cocoa powder was thick enough to choke you if you aren't careful while the lady fingers were soaked richly with coffee but with a distinct lack of liqueur.

The atmosphere was loud and noisy with the sounds of families and friends gathering together for a good dinner. There was also live singing by a musician! Portions of food were more than generous for the price tag so this is an extremely great value Italian joint!