Sunday, November 16, 2008

Prive @ Keppel Marina

Finally I went to this restaurant last night after talking about wanting to go there for quite some time. The last time we tried to go there, the place was fully booked. This time round, I was lucky to get dinner reservations the day before. Looks like the financial crisis is hitting everyone hard. Where the place used to be full and we could not get any reservations a day before, last night there was hardly anyone. Only four tables were filled when we stepped in.

Both of us had never been there, so we had some fun trying to find our way around the artificial island, where the parking was scarce and finding the restaurant at the end of the stretch. In front of the restaurant is a wooden door. We were trying to figure out if that was the entrance when an elegantly-dressed lady greeted us and asked if we were joining her for dinner.

I was rather taken aback, so was him. Nevertheless, he answered yes and I just nodded my head. So she pushed the wooden door open and brought us in. I must say, the place is posh indeed! Reeks of class! The dim lighting only makes it classier, but then again, this is an up market place anyway.

We were ushered into a table across the entrance, passing by two more tables in the process. It is hard to describe the orientation of the place unless one has been there. The whole interior of the restaurant looks rectangular in shape. There are three rows of tables. The first row is just by the entrance, the second row in the middle and the last behind (or in front depending on where one is facing) the middle, right by the wall. Anyway, there is some hint as to seating arrangement from the link.

So we were being seated at the table right by the wall. Where I was seating, my back was to the wall and I could see the entrance. He was seated opposite me, behind the middle row, facing the wall. The lady was so helpful, she even gave me a little stand to put my bag and shawl! My friend and I looked at each other and concluded that we initially thought we were crashing into a private party of sorts, hence the look of confusion on both our faces. We did not expect to see an usher, and an elegantly dressed one at that (she looks like she was attending a cocktail party).

Anyway, the food is not too bad. I ordered a Tasmanian Ocean Trout (which looks and tastes like salmon), and he ordered a Baramundi (a kind of fish). Appetizers were a half dozen oysters! Desserts were Vanilla Crème Brulee (for me) and a kind of custard (which I cannot recall the name now) for him.

Tea for me and beer for him. I must say, the tea was served in a real English tea style, with the teapot, tea cup, strainer, milk jug, and sugar containers, although the sugar containers look bigger than the tea cup! It would be better to just give me some cubes of sugar on a small dish together with the tea, instead of two full containers of white and brown sugar cubes each!

There is also an open space outside the restaurant, for people to chill out with drinks. When we went out, there was a fancy dress party going on, so I saw a Red Indian and a gladiator, and he saw a Wonder Woman. Interesting gimmicks people can come up with! However, those involved are mostly Caucasians. Looks like Asians in general are still relatively uncreative and not willing to indulge in this kind of fun!

Cuisine : Mediterranean
Food : 4.5 out of 5
Ambience : 4.5 out of 5
Price : 2.5 out of 5

Rabbit Brand Seafood @ Lucky Plaza

I had dinner with a friend at Rabbit Brand Seafood tonight. It is a little eatery situated at the second floor of Lucky Plaza, up the esca...