Prive @ Keppel Bay

We join our colleagues in bidding a tearful farewell to the late Saturday morning talkshow, All About Food. She breathed her last breath on 27 December 2008 and passed away peacefully as a weekend talkshow. All is not lost though. She's been reincarnated into a capsule and replaces what was formerly 'Buon Appetito' on 938LIVE.

However my mum's taught me that we can stinge on anything BUT food. So it is with this wise saying that has prompted us in The Living Room to fill the void. Henceforth, we plan to bring you more food features by way of food reviews, interactions with chefs, bartenders, bakers, farmers, food connoissieur, photographers, consultants and restaurateurs on air and on this blog.
We begin this endeavour with our review of Prive (pronounced as 'pre-vay') - a multi-concept F&B lifestyle venue that encompasses a bar, a cafe and a fine-dining restaurant.

REVIEW
The restaurant's just had a menu makeover and you'll be in good time to be among the first to try the new menu devised by Michelin-starred Master Chef, Wayne Nish. Wayne who's a New Yorker is a trend-setter and champion of fusion cooking. And it comes through in his dishes. Take for instance, Torchon and Saute of Foie Gras de Canard ($32) under 'Starters'. It allows the diner a compare-and-contrast of a chilled cake of creamy goose liver and one that's fragrantly sauteed with a honey-like soy sauce. The Carpaccio ($28) was a light pink palatte-pleaser of yellowtail tuna slice refreshed with ligurean olive oil.

Wayne was also experimental with his Poached Hokkaido Scallop Lasagna ($48), choosing to use sliced tomatoes as the 'pattie' rather than sea urchin roe cream as indicated by the menu. Basking atop the flat sheet of pasta were six juicy scallops calling for the fork to strike. Wayne quipped he might attempt at using the zucchini in place of the tomato the next time. Here's a chef who'll never stop at bringing the enjoyment of food to the next heaven.

If steak's your kind of meat, choose the New York Strip Steak ($68) from the grill. It's 340g of USDA Prime Angus Striploin packed with aromatic juices that made the accompanying dish of brown sauce redundant. The narrow cut made it easy to chew on, but be wary of pockets of fat.

Don't walk away from Prive without a stab at their dessert selection. If you're down to your last cent or final air pocket in your stomach, make it the Molten Center Chocolate Souffle ($23)! Attack it as soon as it's served to avoid disappointment. Leaving it standing may lead to a potential cave-in of the blob of ice-cream and pastry into a pipin' hot bed of chocolate sauce. If you haven't called for the bill, add sixteen dollars more to it by ordering the Lemon and Rasberry Chiboust ($16). Nothing like the zing of Italian meringue to end off a meal.

Alcoholics, you can proceed to the Bar just out the door to your left or the Bakery Cafe beside it for a cuppa. I'd personally recommend the latter's glorious milkshakes. Needless to say, be prepared to pay more than what you'd get at Macs. It's a world of a difference both in quality and price. Some things aren't worth stinging, like my mum says.