Private Affairs 2 @ Joo Chiat Road

This re-visit was made possible by Melanie and Chef Paul Ng from Private Affairs. Sincere thanks to them for the invite once again.

Breakfast and lunch constitutes brunch. Yet, I was about to discover brunch was not just about these two meals. Casual dominates the mood and setting for the biggest meal of the day, leisure paces replaces the hustle and bustle of lunch and elaborate style of dinner...

I sheepishly admit, the leisurely pace of the meal must've gotten to me...doing a pictorial was most tempting...




Attempting to do an Elaine here. :)



Three tiers never fail to elicit a bright smile, coming from one who adores high tea tier-ed sets. These are served to keep the diners busy whilst the kitchen prepares the dishes. Refreshing presentation instead of the regular mini plates.



Yogurt and Berries Espuma

Mangosteen foam stealthily balances on a yogurt bed. Not a fan of its sour tinges and sharp contrast between sour and bland yogurt.



Banana and Chocolate muffin

Petite sweet bites.

Scone
basil crème fraiche, berries jam

Too much egg was added resulting in a dense flat scone.



Strawberry and Raisin Muesli

An overload of Vitamin C with strawberries, grapes, apples and raisins embedded within muesli. I liked it enough to order thirds!



Still prefer the traditional jams.



Ahh, a familiar favourite!



The only time you get toasts presented so daintily, is in a brunch.



Toasts

Somehow brunch without toast seems incomplete eh?




Egg white omelette with cherry tomato

Have your egg and eat it, without the cholesterol.



Eggs Benedict with Bacon

A must-have for brunch.



If runny yolk was a yardstick for eggs benny, this fell short with an overcooked more than half boiled egg. The hollandaise sauce was expectedly sour with a dry muffin.



Alaskan King Crab Cake
mango cilantro salsa, peanut & laksa leaf vinaigrette

I liked the kitchen's interpretation of satay sauce, only with more punch.



Pity the Alaskan King Crab cake was merely potato croquette with shreds of crabmeat. With such a powerful ingredient like Alaskan Crab, I certainly expected more.



Cured Salmon
braised leek, avruga, yuzu vinaigrette

Yuzu's a newfound love. The tangy flavours of the beautifully cured meat pranced around the tongue with such joy, I forgot how many repeats I had.



Handwritten flailing crepe notes specifying the flavours...



Oyster Bar :
fresh with lemon
papaya seed powder and

papaya seed dressing
miso powder with yuzu jelly
namjin dressing rice
vinegar and coriander marination
carrot puree

The bed of oysters leaves you spoilt for choice.



I went ahead with tabasco sauce, carrot puree, miso powder with yuzu jelly, vinegar and coriander marination.

Loved the punch the vinegar and coriander had.



Take a moment to stare hard at this, classic alleged aphrodisiac. The biggest and plumpest oysters ever sighted in buffets.



Duck Carpaccio
granny smith, mustard dressing

A tad dry this time round.



Naan Pancakes
spicy egg plant, cucumber in green pumpkin seed oil, sherry, oyster vinaigrette
Liked the greens above that were more outstanding than the naan pancakes.



Seared Kurobuta Pork Terrine
grilled melon, olive crumbs

Roast Pork is what this resembles most to, the searing could have caused it to lose some of the tender moments braised Kurobuta would have offered.



The signature threads of Kurobuta.



Seared Hokkaido Scallops
purple carrot scrambled, avruga, yellow curry emulsion

Clever use of purple carrot with scrambled eggs, tasting much like Chye Poh Omelette. The scallops were lacking the joyous bounce I wanted, thankfully not overcooked.

I'm pretty sure the tinge of dark purple-black colouring is not the best colour for food. Blue, unfortunately is an appetite suppressant.



The sea babies drifting in a bed of foam.



The brunch surprise for the day! Prime beef on the wagon, literally. Chef Paul Ng comes around slicing portions of these pink-hued chunks. Slightly tough I found them.



Pan Fried Foie Gras
rosemary brioche, cherry & beetroot reduction

Here comes...the item with the highest perceived value. Liked the sweet tones that the grapes and cherry-beetroot reduction created.



Foie Gras, the epitome of unctuousity. Nibble beyond the crispy layer to unveil a gratifying chunk of the french delicacy.



Soup of The Day
Green Pea Soup

Hovering on the salty edge, the thick soup did not surprise much.



Kurobuta Pork Ribs
confit onion, arugula tossed in papaya seed dressing

Like sweet and sour pork, these nibblets were easy to eat.



These were slightly tougher than the Kurobuta Terrine, with charred flavouring to complete. Spy the confit onion behind? Vegetables, taken a notch higher here.

Single orders of mains only. Hence, we each made our picks.



Sunday’s Catch
Barramundi

The girls are obvious fans of the sea. This dish could very well be one that the Health Promotion Board would endorse, 3 portions of vegetables per 1 portion meat! Firm, fresh fish meat paired with kale, tomato salsa and diced root vetables.



Kurobuta Pork Belly
hon shimeiji mushroom, black pepper star anise sauce

Not much of a surprise with Glenn's choice, just premium Roast Pork Belly.



Wagyu Beef Burger
balsamic onion balls, chips, truffle mayo

Overturning the sesame bun cap proved a wise choice, at least it prevented the bread from getting all soggy faster than you say "Wagyu Beef Burger." Faint hints of truffle gave this added pleasure. Balsamic onion balls found fans in both Kaelyn and Elaine, personally felt it was a special way of preserving vegetables.




Moving onto the beef patty itself, juicy and meaty though wagyu in a patty is hard to discern. The gherkins used were just right, not too sour! Overall a hearty burger, I like how the burger was not a least bit soaked by the time I reached the last bite.



Sundae
Selection of ice cream, chocolate sauce, rainbow sprinkles, almonds, raisins

It's all about putting your own icecream together that appeals. The ices were too frozen however.



Chocolate Tree

Chocolate dipped treats for the kids and kiddos-in-adults. Set up like a miniature secret garden, picking off the treats was a treat itself...pardon the pun!



White chocolate for me. :)



Yet another three tier...! Hooray for that...doesn't this look exactly like a high tea tier? Just in time for hi-tea, I say.



Passionfruit cheesecake
pistachio crumbs

Sturdier than mousse with faint hints of cheese.



Dessert of the Day
Apple Cake with Lemongrass Icecream

An apple version of the otherwise hot favourite carrot walnut cake. Moist, fluffy cake with a lovely cream cheese frosting...topped with candied walnut. The lemongrass icecream had a nice subtle fragrance.



Bread & Butter pudding

A local kueh interpretation of the otherwise British hot favourite.



Black sesame ice cream

My kind of dessert, marrying chinese and western elements in a dessert. A good enough reinvention of Black Sesame cream!



Chocolate tart
raspsberry coulis

Did not attempt this.



Lemon cured hazelnut cannelloni

Pretty-ful wafers plumped with lemon sauce.



Seconds of the table's favourites!

The wait in between dishes got unbearable at some point, resulting in a longer than usual brunch. One of the longest lasting ala carte brunch buffet I've attempted, somehow its excitement ebbs as the meal drags on.

Slightly more than 4 hours this brunch took, like the film "a very long engagement", this felt like a very long brunch, including tea even. It is afterall not fair to compare their brunch with dinner. The rule of thumb being, head for the brunch for good value, to dinner for pomp and fuss.

Personally feel leisure and buffets contradict. 4 hour long meals are almost unheard of, given the general pace of life...but for Sunday, there could just be this exception.

Sunshine Brunch
$68++

Private Affairs