I'd been visiting
Privé (French word for "Private") for drinks & for NY Eve Countdown with friends in the initial months of its opening before finally going there for lunch. I like the Gastrobar area of this place because it has a modern, resort-like feel, with a beautiful view of the marina, chillout music and a balmy breeze (that seemed to caress the skin everytime I visit). It reminds me of "Breeze" (a beautiful restaurant cum beach-side bar) at Samaya in Bali.
It was raining lightly when LK and I got there, not that it mattered much since the restaurant had no windows (what a pity!). I understand that this is supposed to be a private dining area but this amount of privacy was a little too excessive for me. I guess Yuan Oeij (Sugar Daddy @ Brown Sugar) and Michel Lu (who runs Superfamous & Hacienda) didn't want their diners to be snooped upon by other patrons at the Gastrobar. I hope they install some windows soon so as to gain maximum leverage of the view outside.
The Daily Set Lunch was reasonably priced at S$32+++ (for a 2 course meal) and S$38+++ (for a 3 course meal).
Starter: Grilled Squid Salad
LK and I went for the 3 course lunch set with an additional starter of Grilled Squid Salad. We both wanted soups on a cold day but couldn't resist the temptation of grilled squid. The salad was refreshing and the squid was fresh and had a pleasant natural sweetness. I wished the squid was more well-grilled so that there would be a smokier flavour to it.
Starter: Organic Mushrooms & Wild Morel Soup
We both enjoyed the soup immensely as it was richly flavoured with the robust flavour of Morel mushrooms and accented with the irreplaceable fragrance of Truffle Oil. It was creamy without being overwhelmingly so. We found ourselves mopping up the remaining drops of soup with bread. According to Peter Mayle, that's how the French clean their plates between courses in Provence. Its a wonderful environmentally friendly idea because you won't need to use so much water to wash the plate. :)
Main: Tapenade Crusted Chilean Sea Bass with Warm Sauce Vierge
LK was watching her diet, so she ordered the Chilean Sea Bass (aka Patagonian Toothfish). She enjoyed the Sea Bass very much as it was done to her liking. I ate a
small morsel and found it to be just a little too underdone for my preference. Nonetheless, the tapenade crust was good though I should qualify that I love tapenades largely because it contains olives. I love Chilean Sea Bass for its sweet and succulent flakes but am trying to avoid ordering it (just like I try to restrain my enjoyment of Blue Fin Tuna and Sharksfin) due to environmental concerns.
Main: Charcoal Grilled Striploin, USDA Prime Angus
I love beef and my uncle S (who is really picky with food) had sworn that Privé serves one of the best steaks in Singapore. I had to try out for myself to taste what the fuss was all about. The steak arrived with enticing cross-marks from the grill and the aroma that wafted to my nostrils heightened my anticipation.
Here's a picture of the cross-section of my "Rare" steak. For those who are squeamish with blood, I apologize for the bloodiness but I generally love my steaks to be "bloody like hell" (to borrow a phrase from Pulp Fiction). It was like my uncle said, one of the best steaks I've ever had in Singapore! The steak was done exactly as I requested and was juicy with fragrantly seared sides that imparted a deliciously smoky flavour. It was not served with any sauce which was fabulous as I hate having any sauce on my steak. I feel that sauces mar the natural taste of a good piece of meat. The steaks here are definitely a
MUST-TRY!
Dessert: White Chocolate Raspberry Tart
LK had the White Chocolate Raspberry Tart for dessert. I tasted some of it and found that it was well-complemented with fresh raspberries, raspberry coulis and a crunchy base. It was just a little too sweet for me, I generally do not like white chocolate because it tends to be sweeter, but was definitely to LK's taste. I am not known to have a sweet tooth. I prefer savoury dishes so if you're a dessert fan, give it a go anyway and let me know what you think.
Dessert: Bourbon-Madagascan Vanilla Créme Brûlé
Though I am not a huge fan of desserts, I tend to make exceptions for a few and Créme Brûlée is one of them. I love the smoky, caramelised sugar crust on top of the rich and creamy custard that has been infused with the flavour of natural vanilla. Incidentally, the word
"brûlé" means "burnt" in French so this dish is literally called "Burnt Cream". The additional "e" is added at the end because "cream" is a feminine word in French. I enjoyed this dessert and the garnish of marinated berries with an interesting swirl of molded caramel. I like the dessert chef's creativity in plating this dessert.
If fine dining isn't your cup of tea but you would still like to partake of the chillout atmosphere at the Marina, fret not for this multi-concept F&B outlet has a Bakery Café for you to dine at whilst taking in the scenery or you could snack al fresco at the Gastrobar. Privé 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Marina at Keppel Bay Tel: 6776 0777
Operating Hours
Privé - Restaurant: Daily: 12 pm to 3 pm (Last Order: 2.30pm) & 6 pm to midnight (Last Order: 10.30pm)
Gastrobar: Daily: 5 pm till 1 am (Food served from 6.30 till 10.30 pm)
Bakery Café: Daily: 10 am pm till 1 am (Food served till 12.30am)
PS: Privécan be quite a pain to get to if you've not been there before.
1) You have to approach it from Telok Blangah Road in the direction of Keppel Golf Club.
2) After passing Vivocity and Harbourfront (on your left), make a left turn into a small street called Keppel Bay Road, which is located just before Caribbean at Keppel Bay (a luxury condo).
3) Cross the cable bridge (Keppel Bay Bridge) which links the mainland with Keppel Island.
4) You will be able to see the marina on your left as you approach the end of the bridge.
5) I would suggest that you have their number on hand for emergency directions if you should get lost.
