Popped into Siena's in Leederville while the in-laws were in town as they're partial to a bit of Italian. As usual the place was heaving, bursting out into the street with a conga-line of smokers kissing the kerb. Kids running amok with invisible parents, which always gives me the proverbials, but in a bustling Italian joint it never looks quite so bad. Anyway, to the food.
Skip the starter, bring me the pasta thanks. And there it is - a steaming plate of thin, al dente spaghetti with half the ocean marooned on top, swimming in a red sea of tomato sauce. The mussels came still in their shells and weren't the rubbery New Zealand green-lipped monsters but the small and tender variety, the ones that remind me of childhood days spent on Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay. Also in the dish were baby octopus (not too rubbery), rings of calamari (ditto), prawns, tomato and just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the plate. The surprise in the dish were green seeded jalapeno peppers which worked very well and gave the meal its promised kick.
Others at the table enjoyed a milk-white baby veal saltimbocca topped with prosciutto in a creamy orange and wine sauce (which I personally thought a little bland) served with new potatoes, chilli mussels (lots of mussels, not much chilli apparently..but this was coming from an Indonesian palate), and a pretty standard carbonara.
Great Italian fare guaranteeing no-one leaves hungry. Oh and a big nod to the staff too, who were crazy-busy but managed to be attentive, friendly and just plain excellent.
Skip the starter, bring me the pasta thanks. And there it is - a steaming plate of thin, al dente spaghetti with half the ocean marooned on top, swimming in a red sea of tomato sauce. The mussels came still in their shells and weren't the rubbery New Zealand green-lipped monsters but the small and tender variety, the ones that remind me of childhood days spent on Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay. Also in the dish were baby octopus (not too rubbery), rings of calamari (ditto), prawns, tomato and just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the plate. The surprise in the dish were green seeded jalapeno peppers which worked very well and gave the meal its promised kick.
Others at the table enjoyed a milk-white baby veal saltimbocca topped with prosciutto in a creamy orange and wine sauce (which I personally thought a little bland) served with new potatoes, chilli mussels (lots of mussels, not much chilli apparently..but this was coming from an Indonesian palate), and a pretty standard carbonara.
Great Italian fare guaranteeing no-one leaves hungry. Oh and a big nod to the staff too, who were crazy-busy but managed to be attentive, friendly and just plain excellent.
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