Privé Cafe (Part 2) - Comfort Food

I have written about having brunch at Privé Cafe in a previous blog entry and how much I enjoyed their eggs benedict.  I decided to give their dinner menu a shot since I know they serve good comfort food.  The husband and I were instantly attracted to the wagyu burger choices and decided to indulge on these beefy dishes.

The husband had the Brie-licious Burger (SGD 26.00).  This was a wagyu beef patty topped with brie cheese and grilled pears.  Lovely combination of ingredients, and the wagyu beef was incredibly juicy.  I love the bun used as well which was reminiscent of an old fashioned home-cooked burger.

Brie-licious Burger (SGD 26.00)

I had the Simply Privé Burger (SGD 26.00) which also featured the wagyu beef patty, but this time topped with streaky bacon.  The wagyu beef was really phenomenal.  This version is more suited to meat-lovers like myself.  For my fries, I had asked for truffle mayo to be served on the side which gave me the truffle flavor I have been craving for.

Simply Privé Burger (SGD 26.00)

On the side, the husband also had Privé's Signature Mushroom Soup (SGD 13.00).  This was one of the better mushroom soups I've tried -- very fresh taste with just the right amount of cream.

Privé Signature Mushroom Soup

The dinner choices were just as satisfying as their brunch menu, so we were quite pleased with our meal.  The burger was fabulous, and portions were really generous as well.  In fact for those with lighter appetites, you can do with splitting a burger between two people.

Privé Cafe

2 Keppel Bay Vista

Marina at Keppel Bay

Tel #: 6776 0777

Tanjong Beach Club - Meal by the Ocean

We wanted to hang out by the beach last Sunday and did so at Tanjong Beach Club at Sentosa for brunch.  I really like the Tanjong Beach area since the place is not as crowded as Siloso and Palawan Beach in Sentosa.  The entire area is extremely dog friendly as well, which is perfect for pet lovers like me.

I had the Chicken and Corn Quesadilla (SGD 14.00).  This was a nice and light quesadilla.  No jalapeño or any other spices so this makes it suitable for breakfast. They have a spicy chorizo version which would be a better choice for those who want a kick in their quesadilla.

Chicken and Corn Quesadilla (SGD 14.00)

The husband ordered TBC Pancakes with fresh blueberries (SGD 12.00) and bacon (additional SGD 4.00).  The colors on the plate were very appetizing.  My husband normally likes thinner pancakes, but he still very much enjoyed these fluffy pancakes.

TBC Pancakes with fresh blueberries (SGD 12.00)

For sides, we had the TBC Black Truffle Fries (SGD 14.00).  I could not taste any hint of truffle whatsoever and could only make out the disproportionate amount of salt.  There are definitely better truffle fries out there.

TBC Black Truffle Fries (SGD 14.00)

I had a Cappuccino (SGD 7.00), and of course I'm such a sucker for cafe art so this was obviously very appealing to me.  Pretty steep pricing though for a cup of coffee.

Cappuccino (SGD 7.00)

Tanjong Beach Club has a really lovely view of the ocean, and the brunch menu is pretty decent.  Service was efficient, and our waitress was extra friendly and accommodating.  Pricing for the food is acceptable, though I feel the drinks are too expensive for my liking (coffee averaging at SGD 7 and a bottle of Heineken at more than SGD 20!).  Overall it was a pleasant experience, and the location and ambience is enough in itself to warrant some repeat visits.

Tanjong Beach Club

120 Tanjong Beach Walk

Sentosa

Tel #: 6270 1355

Osteria Mozza - Modern Italian Cuisine

Had a post-Valentine dinner with the husband at the very popular Osteria Mozza in Marina Bay Sands.  I have long been a fan of Pizzeria Mozza which is located next door, and have always been curious about what Osteria had to offer.

Since it was after all a semi-special occasion (and also the fact we were lazy in choosing dishes on our own), we each had the tasting menu at SGD 128.

For starters, my husband had the Antipasti Choice A: Smoked Sea Trout Salad with green bean salad, jalapeno, and toasted almonds.  This was a nice and light dish and the almonds added nice texture and crunch to the dish.

Antipasti Choice A: Smoked Sea Trout Salad

I had the Antipasti Choice B: Grilled Figs with pancetta, Parmigiano, and aceto balsamico.  I really enjoyed this and the grilling on the figs were beautiful, leaving an almost meaty/ savory taste to the greens.

Antipasti Choice B: Grilled Figs

The next dishes were from the mozzarella bar.  My husband had Choice A: Burrata with beets, horseradish, walnut, and mizuna.  I really liked the combination of horseradish with mozzarella.

Mozzarella Choice A: Burrata with beets, horseradish, walnut, and mizuna

The other mozzarella dish was Choice B: Burricota with braised artichokes, pine nuts, currants, and mint pesto.  I enjoyed the artichokes and overall refreshing flavor of this appetizer.

Mozzarella Choice B: Burricota with braised artichokes, pine nuts, currants, and mint pesto

For the pasta dish or Primi, my husband had Choice A: Pici with duck ragu.  This was alright -- the noodles were nicely al dente, but the sauce was nothing worth raving about.

Primi Choice A: Pici with duck ragu

I had the Primi Choice B: Ricotta Gnocchi with wild mushrooms.  The potato dumplings (gnocchi) had a nice soft texture.  The mushroom sauce however was too salty and quite mediocre.

Primi Choice B: Ricotta Gnocchi with wild mushrooms

For mains, my husband had the Secondi Choice A: Pan Roasted Grouper with tomato, capers, and olives.  The sauce was okay, but overall again nothing commendable.

Secondi Choice A: Pan Roasted Grouper

The other choice for Secondi was the Grilled Iberico Pork Chop with cranberry beans cooked in soffrito.  I had high hopes for this dish as the presentation was beautiful.  However taste-wise, it was one-dimensional.  All I could taste was extreme saltiness from the seasoning and extreme sourness from the cranberry.  It was sadly a disappointing main course.

Secondi Choice B: Grilled Iberico Pork Chop

We were then served with Rock Melon Sorbetto with Passionfruit Gelatina.  If I were to be frank, the dish looked rather ugly.  There was no effort in presentation whatsoever.  And the sorbet which normally is used to cleanse the palate did nothing of that sort as it was excessively sweet.

Rock Melon Sorbetto with Passionfruit Gelatina

For dessert, the first choice was the Fritelle di Riso with banana gelato and rum raisin sauce.  The alcohol content was too strong and took away from what would have been a decent dessert.

Dolci Choice A: Fritelle di Riso

We also had the Dolci Choice B: Rosemary Olive Oil Cakes with olive oil gelato and rosemary brittle.  This was pleasant -- the hint of olive oil on the cake gave a nice aroma to the dish.

Rosemary Olive Oil Cakes

I was hoping the tasting menu would be a great showcase of the restaurant's best creations, but apart from the antipasti and mozzarella dishes, this was rather average.  Not sure if their ala carte menu would have been a better option, but sadly this experience was quite a let down.

Osteria Mozza

2 Bayfront Ave.

Level B1 #42/46

The Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands

Tel #: 6688 8522

Pasta Brava - Italian Dining

My husband and I headed over to Pasta Brava in Craig Road for a weekend dinner date.  This restaurant came highly recommended by a friend.  The place was very inviting as well - it had a very warm and cozy atmosphere, like eating in a family dining room.

For starters, we shared the Rucola con scaglie di parmigiano e pera (SGD 13.00).  This is a rocket salad with extra virgin olive oil, parmesan flakes and pear.  Pasta Brava's olive oil was really aromatic, and I love how it brought out all the distinct flavors of the salad, cheese, and pear.  A simple but wonderfully executed dish.

Rucola con scaglie di parmigiano e pera (SGD 13.00)

For pasta, I had the Ravioli con carne di manzo al gorgonzola (SGD 22.50).  This was a ravioli filled with minced beef and light gorgonzola cheese sauce.  The gorgonzola sauce was exquisite, and the blue cheese had just enough kick.  This was a very satisfying pasta.

Ravioli con carne di manzo al gorgonzola (SGD 22.50)

My husband had the Linguine regina del mare (SGD 23.00).  This is a seafood linguine with prawns, clams, scallops, squid, and crayfish.  The portions of seafood were very generous.  The tomato sauce was very fresh and delightful.  However some of the seafood was a tad bit overcooked.

Linguine regina del mare (SGD 23.00)

Hefty Portions of Seafood - crayfish, squid, clams, scallops, and prawns

For dessert, we had the Tiramisu al mascarpone e caffe (SGD 10.00).  The tiramisu was pleasant, and it had a very nice espresso and liquor flavor.

Tiramisu al mascarpone e caffe (SGD 10.00)

I enjoyed our dinner at Pasta Brava altogether, and this restaurant will definitely be worth a few more visits.  Pricing is not bad and definitely commensurate to the quality of ingredients and impressive execution of the dishes.

Pasta Brava
11 Craig Road
Tel #: 6227 7550