A NUMBER of times when I was checking out a new restaurant, I would see Mr Michel Lu, the owner of the now-defunct Centro restaurant and nightspot, seated at another table.
And although we have met before, we would pretend not to notice each other as I try not to attract too much attention while on the job. And I think he understands that.
But I couldn't help noting what a foodie he must be since he was visiting new eateries as quickly as I was. I had liked the food at Centro, and often wondered why he wasn't opening another restaurant himself.
Well, he has. Prive opened at the marina on Keppel Island more than a month ago, a partnership with old friend Yuan Oeij who also owns Brown Sugar in River Valley Road.
And with renowned Australian chef Tony Bilson as the non-resident executive chef, things look promising. The chef de cuisine is local guy Simon Song. So it was with great expectations that I crossed the bridge to Keppel Island for dinner last week.
Prive looks impressive. The rectangular room has a strong masculine feel with its deep brown hues, but in a clean-lined, contemporary fashion.
Heavy curtains cover up what might have been a view of the docked boats outside. But while it is a shame to be on the waterfront and not have a view of the water, one does appreciate that otherwise, passers-by would be able to look in and rob the restaurant of its exclusive feel.
Besides, if a view is what you want, the adjoining bakery cafe has glass walls with a full vista of the sea. There is also an alfresco gastrobar outside.
Meanwhile at the restaurant, I am greeted by a team of smart and efficient waiters. The menu presented to me looks friendly, with a good choice of starters such as spinach and goat cheese salad and chilled oyster veloute, as well as mains comprising dishes such as slow cooked foie gras stuffed chicken breast and a selection of grilled steaks, lamb chop and kurobuta pork. The waiter points out the grilled meats as the restaurant's specialities.
But since my dining companion has set his eyes on the pork ($42), I decide to pick something from the non-grilled dishes and order the tapenade-crusted Chilean sea bass ($38).
For starters, he decides on the organic mushrooms and wild morel soup ($16) and I have the sauteed frog legs ($32).
It is a choice I regret though. The frog legs, though plump and meaty, are also tough and chewy. They do not look overcooked, leaving me to surmise that they could have come from frogs that are too old.
My companion's soup is a lot more delectable, with a pleasant aroma of mushrooms. It is not creamy but has enough body to be satisfying. I'm not quite sure about the tiny pieces of chestnut in it though, which add a rough texture to the soup.
Perhaps it is my bad luck but I am unhappy with the main course too. The sea bass is half-cooked, so I ask the waiter if that is the way the chef intends it to be.
He takes it to the kitchen and returns to say, yes, that is so. But he also suggests that I change it for another dish if I'm not happy with it.
I'm not. While certain fish such as salmon are ideal when half-cooked, I prefer my Chilean sea bass cooked enough to turn its meat smooth and sweet. I do not like the texture of the semi-raw fish and it has a slight fishy taste.
It could be personal though because I'm told the dish sells better than the other two fish items on the menu: a pan-roasted barramundi and a confit of Tasmanian ocean trout. Nonetheless, a bite of my companion's piece of juicy pork has proved the waiter to be right on the mark in pushing the meats. So I ask for a grilled striploin ($58 for 340g) to replace the fish.
The beef turns out to be perfect. It is juicy, tender and rich with aromatic fats. After a bite, I call the waiter back - this time to compliment the dish and ask him where the beef is from.
It's USDA Prime, he says, confirming what I have already suspected. The only other steak I have enjoyed as much is at Morton's of Chicago, which, too, serves the prime American beef. That puts me in a good mood for dessert. I pick the lightest item on the menu, an apple gelee ($16), to compensate for the heavy steak. Besides, I'm curious to see what it is.
A gelee, or jelly as ordinary folk call it, seems a very ordinary thing to serve in a fancy restaurant like this.
It turns out to look like any home-made jelly, with bits of the fruit huddled at the bottom of a flat-top cone. The flavour is pretty concentrated but tastes like commercial apple juice.
What makes this dessert work for me is the accompanying trio of greenish-yellow cherry apples which are covered with a transparent coat of crisp sugar. When you bite into it, your teeth crack the sugar before sinking into the juicy fruit - an extremely delightful sensation.
Compared to this, my companion's trio of chocolate ($22) comprising a fondant, a tart and an ice cream seems common. Only the rich and smooth ice cream stands out. The rest are decent but you would get the same quality in many other restaurants.
I would not say Prive is perfect yet, but it shows plenty of potential.
There is much that is right about the restaurant and the kinks can be easily ironed out. I certainly look forward to another addition to the list of great restaurants here.
PRIVE Marina at Keppel Bay, 2 Keppel Bay Vista
Tel: 6776-0777
Open: Noon to 2.30pm, 6 to 10.30pm
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: Budget about $80 per person
