Private Affairs - Lunch

Located in the heart of Katong where fine dining has not yet penetrated is this new (about 3 months old) establishment that serves refined French cuisine. Quite a contrast from the surrounding local coffee shops, in a neighborhood that has a tradition for local delicacies. Nevertheless, since I live in Katong, I am delighted that someone took the initiative to try to introduce something more upmarket in an area that is quite wealthy and hopefully will be able to sustain it.

As always, I would rather try the lunch menu before committing to a full dinner, and since the restaurant is located around the corner from my place why not...
Their lunch menu offers 3 ($38) or 4 ($46) courses of your choice.

The beetroot salad with cucumber sorbet was very creative, beautifully presented and had a distinct, clean flavour. The cucumber sorbet in particular was very refreshing.

I wasn't particularly impressed by the fish carpaccio which was quite standard, but it wasn't bad either.

The purple carrot soup with open lobster ravioli was served dry, and the soup was poured by the chef onto the plate in front of the customer. Quite a good, well presented idea.

The soup was nice, although the carrot flavor didn't emerge as much as it could have. The piece of lobster was the highlight to me. Meaty and juicy, loaded with shellfish aroma.

The beef Parmentier was a tad too robust and sweet for our palate, and the sauce lacked of depth. The idea is food and well presented, but it needs some work.

The fish was cooked to perfection, and complemented by a slightly sour and creamy sauce and chopped vegetables. A few crispy tidbits added texture to the dish. I liked the accompanying semi-dried tomatoes.

The banana crepe with black sesame ice cream was quite nice, although nothing outstanding. The ice cream deserved more attention than the crepe.

A much better dessert was the strawberry sorbet with yogurt sponge and nougat. I have to say that I enjoyed every bit of it. From the poppy chocolate bits to the soft and creamy nougat stick, the soft and spongy yogurt texture and the refreshing, mildly sour sorbet.

I was pleased with the lunch, although a couple of the dishes could definitely be improved on. I will go there again for dinner to try what the full chef's course set tastes like. Being a Katong resident I am pleased that someone is trying to introduce sophisticated food in this neighborhood and I am hopeful that more similar initiatives will develop in this up and coming area.

Private Affairs
45 Joo Chiat Place
Tel: 6440 0601
URL: http://www.privateaffairs.com.sg/