Privé Bakery Café

Privé Bakery Café - Marina at Keppel Bay, 2 Keppel Bay Vista

Privé has been on my list of places to visit for the longest time for a number of reasons. I heard they do a mean brunch, they are situated in a gorgeous location and they have Eggs Benedict/Royale on their menu. Alas, my long wait was for a $52.90 meal for two that ultimately proved disappointingly average.

My dining partner started off with a TWG French Earl Grey ($4.80) which was wonderfully refined and delicate, filling your nose with the rich perfume of bergamot and your tongue with clean, clear astringency; credit here rightfully goes to TWG whose outlet at ION I adore. Next to that, the crunchy oatmeal-raisin cookie seemed out of place as it was a flavour of comfort rather than of sophistication. A Sable Breton nibble would have been a better fit IMHO.

This was followed with the decadent-sounding Prawn Bisque with Cognac and Prawn Ravioli ($12) which was far from what it promised. Flat-tasting and underseasoned, it lacked even moderate crustacean sweetness; a dribble of sherry would have also given it much-needed depth. The ravioli offered an equal dearth of flavour with a slight doughiness to them too.

The extensive selection of pastries would have been excellent IF they had not been stone cold. Ignoring that, the Lemon Twist ($2) was delightfully flaky and light. Sweet but not cloying, its lemony character lay purely in an intensely citrusy aroma as it was not tart at all.

Even better was the Blueberry Muffin ($2.80) which was so rich, dense and moist that it almost resembled a pudding at points. Generously studded with sugary and richly hued blueberries, it was quite gorgeous. If only warmed slightly and served with butter...

The Croissant ($2) was another let-down though, too buttery to the point of being oily and lacking that characteristic flaky airiness.

Things did improve somewhat after that though. The Eggs Royale ($14.50) was sensational despite initial appearances. I was taken aback at the sight of fully-cooked smoked salmon but ventured a taste and was rewarded. Beneath a layer of molten cheese, the bernaise was luxuriously thick and creamy, clinging to the delicately poached eggs and oozing over the firm, flaky grilled smoked salmon.

Finishing things off was the Hazelnut Praline Royale ($6.80), highly recommended by our waiter and helping tip the scales just slightly further away from an unsatisfactory brunch. Rich, smooth and creamy; the mousse had a generous dose of lovely hazelnut flavour while the crisp base added that contrasting crunch for a balanced mouthfeel.