The Private Room, Suites Lounge Singapore Airlines
Thanks to the Derek Low saga on Singapore Airlines Suites, I believe that the awesomeness of our National carrier product is now known to many. I've loved the Suites since I first tried it on my Melbourne trip (read it here)but didn't truly get to fully enjoy the experience (other than the bed) due to motion sickness. A travel mishap with Thai Airways (TG you suck for your last min change of aircrafts) called for a rebooking on SQ Suites instead (a happy problem I say). The other good thing that came out of it? An extensive review of The Private Room, the exclusive lounge for Suites passengers, just for you!
Our golden ticket to awesomeness was handed to us at our private check in facility at T3. Fond memories of the private first class check in lounge where I spent a good hour with the helpful SQ staff who sorted out my travel woes some time back. These folks are amazing I tell you. So we breezed through the private immigration counter and headed to the Krisflyer lounge.
Many travelers would check in way ahead of their flight to enjoy the comfort of The Private Room.
I love that The Private Room is situated far away from the crowded Business Class lounge (gosh it could be crazy in there) and it's also a walk through the buffet lines of the First Class section. Since the sprawling and peaceful TPR is only reserved for Star Alliance first class passengers and SQ's top tier elite members, you can be guaranteed of impeccable but non-intrusive service (it was previously only for SQ passengers).
Love the little nooks right by the windows but the daylight could be pretty harsh at times.
Choice beverage for breakfast! Bubbly to kick start the vacation. It's Krug or Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame. I only remembered that it wasn't Dom Perignon. :P
Here is the breakfast menu at The Private Room. We checked in slightly earlier just so that i could sample the breakfast selection. Such hard work for the blog really. :P
Some of the Asian dishes are available for lunch and dinner so i thought i'd give the English breakfasts a shot. Well i regretted immediately. TIP: Stick to the Asian dishes. Really. You'll see why later but first, my top favorite- the Roti Prata.
Now to the extremely disappointing English Breakfast menu. TPR really needs to do something about this. Can you see the papery egg whites is this Eggs Benedict? Too much vinegar in this one! That hollandaise sauce was also weak in flavor and texture.
And overdone egg yolks. The crispy pancetta slices failed to save the dish.
I should have listened to the folks on SQ flyer talk and gone for the prata immediately. These freshly made pan fried doughs are possibly the best roti pratas that i've eaten in Singapore. Crispy layered buttery goodness. I was so gheeful after eating them (punny me). And that flavorful chicken curry that packs a punch! OMG. They need to sell this somewhere i swear. I think i need another trip back in here to convince the chef to open shop.
Assorted Dim Sum. Stellar as usual. Freshly made, quality ingredients, just like what i'd get in a good Chinese restaurant in Singapore or Hong Kong. Always order this too. Good thing is that it's available for lunch and dinner too.
Bak Chor Mee- Egg noodles with a minced pork gravy with shredded mushrooms and meat balls. This is done in a somewhat Cantonese style with mildly sweet saucy minced meat. The noodles are also the more delicate Hong Kong egg noodles which were crunchy. Remember to get the dried chili to pair with.
Now to the extremely disappointing English Breakfast menu. TPR really needs to do something about this. Can you see the papery egg whites is this Eggs Benedict? Too much vinegar in this one! That hollandaise sauce was also weak in flavor and texture.
And overdone egg yolks. The crispy pancetta slices failed to save the dish.
Even Prima Deli does better waffles than this Waffles with cinnamon apple and raisins. The texture resembled those from the supermarkets.
Now the lunch/dinner menu at TPR, most of which we have sampled before.
Go with the Lobster Thermidor with 3 cheeses. Well freshly cooked lobster is always better than what you'll get on board plus it's unlimited servings. Love the creamy cheese.
Instead of having the entire Wagyu Beef Burger (ok it's actually pretty small but the patty isn't that flavorful), we would always order the seared foie gras on its own (it's supposed to be in the burger). Sadly, it seemed to have gotten more oily! :(
The Asian selection was yummy once again. The Lap Mei Fun (Claypot Rice)- a dish of steamed white rice with Chinese preserved pork sausage, waxed duck leg, pork belly, salted fish, all cooked in a dark sauce (prep 10mins) is a refreshing dish to see on the menu. Taste wise it was decent.
Assorted Satay- chicken, beef or mutton, served with onions, cucumbers and rice cubes, with peanut sauce. Tastes the same as what is served on the SQ Biz/ First class but slightly juicier.
S enjoyed the Beef Brisket Hor Fun (rice noodles) served with tender braised beef brisket.
Other than eating, there's not much to do in the lounge other than to relax before the flight and i find myself most relaxed if i'm able to get a pre flight/ between flights bath. TPR's shower facility is great with ample space and regular bath amenities.
Hope this gives you a better idea of what The Private Room provides. Enjoy your next transit here!
I can make better french toast than these from the TPR. The bread was too thin and it's definitely the regular white bread from the supermarket again (Brioche should be used by the way). I didn't see what's so Singaporean about this Singapore French Toast. No we don't eat such lousy french toasts in Singapore. The citrus flavored mango coulis was very thin and tasted processed.
Do yourself a favor and skip the coffee as well.
Now the lunch/dinner menu at TPR, most of which we have sampled before.
Go with the Lobster Thermidor with 3 cheeses. Well freshly cooked lobster is always better than what you'll get on board plus it's unlimited servings. Love the creamy cheese.
I don't know what got into my head but i opted for a lighter option which is the Baked Snapper Fillet. It's good if you're sick and lacking an appetite but it was too darn plain for me.
The Asian selection was yummy once again. The Lap Mei Fun (Claypot Rice)- a dish of steamed white rice with Chinese preserved pork sausage, waxed duck leg, pork belly, salted fish, all cooked in a dark sauce (prep 10mins) is a refreshing dish to see on the menu. Taste wise it was decent.
Assorted Satay- chicken, beef or mutton, served with onions, cucumbers and rice cubes, with peanut sauce. Tastes the same as what is served on the SQ Biz/ First class but slightly juicier.
S enjoyed the Beef Brisket Hor Fun (rice noodles) served with tender braised beef brisket.
Other than eating, there's not much to do in the lounge other than to relax before the flight and i find myself most relaxed if i'm able to get a pre flight/ between flights bath. TPR's shower facility is great with ample space and regular bath amenities.
It doesn't have a full rain shower but this nozzle works equally well.
Also, the jacuzzi jets to give you a nice back massage during your bath. It'd be great if they provide better bath amenities though.
XOXO
Travelerintransit
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