PUTIEN 莆田 Fujian Restaurant for Bian Rou Soup & Braised Pig Intestine
With a devoted following to their brand, PUTIEN has been around the scene since its first outlet at Kitchener Road in 2000. Staying true to its roots traced back to China, the Fujian restaurant whips up a plethora of specialities bearing nostalgic flavours from its home country.
PUTIEN appeals to a crowd that is mostly Chinese in Singapore. Even on a weekday, queues could be seen snaking from the entrance just so for a taste of their comfort food. At PUTIEN, there are no frills nor gourmet pretensions but down-to-earth solid dishes. Putting aside charming visuals, it is about the consistent quality that makes PUTIEN stands out, and culinary techniques in each preparation.
Some of you may or may not be familiar with the Bian Rou Soup $4.80, but it is a very traditional Fujian dish with a history of more than 500 years. Resembling wanton soup, this delicacy was filled with homemade meat dumplings in a clear, vinegar-infused broth that was both light and refreshing at the same time.
The highlight of the meal was on the meat dumplings which underwent a laborious process. Hand pounded for 12 000 times using a special wood stump made from lychee tree and a longan wood mallet, the fresh hind lean meat was transformed into a smooth stringy paste. The paste was then further pounded into an extremely thin wrapper of 0.3 cm and cut into various square pieces of 7 cm by 7 cm, ready for wrapping the fillings in.
The meat dumplings might seem puny in their bowls but the texture and flavours magnified their presence promisingly. The meat dumpling skin was soft yet firm when pressed beneath my teeth. One bite in and the penned-up meats broke through the translucent membrane into a sea of springy yet tender goodness. The deliciousness was beyond words. Worth ordering two or three more bowls.
I hardly eat innards, especially the stomach portion of a pig. But when the Braised Pig Intestine $14.90 was served to our table, I was more intrigued than repulsive. The execution was pleasantly simple, featuring rolls of chopped intestines steeped in the arc of a big white bowl.
Meticulously prepared and cooked in 12 spices house sauce, this is a top 10 popular dish at PUTIEN. I always wondered why anyone would enjoy chewing on fibrous membranes or soft centres, but then THIS came along. There wasn’t the putrid taste of innards nor confusing textures. Instead, the braised pig intestine was firm, slightly chewy and reminded me of bite-size sausages.
Truth be told, I would eat this again.
The Bamboo Herbal Prawn $5.90 is definitely worth the buck.
Upon served, the distinct smell of Chinese wine lingered in the air. Nonethless, the taste of herbs like angelica root and Chinese wolfberries in the nourishing broth was more prominent.
Dunk in the flavoursome broth were two live prawns, meaty and juicy, and could slide out of their shells easily.
At some other restaurants, this dish could probably be sold at twice or triple the price.
There’s no excuse to skip a meal especially with the ‘100-Second’ Stewed Yellow Croaker $13.80 on the menu. Stewed exactly for 100 seconds, the yellow croaker is cooked five times faster than usual fish dishes. Selected for their petit frame of 180 to 200g, it can be assured that the yellow croaker will be properly cooked while remaining its tenderness.
The Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon $9.50(S) $19.00(M) reminded me of san lou bee hoon, albeit the burnt edges. What’s unique about PUTIEN’s version lies in the homemade noodles created using non-glutinous rice flour before being dried naturally under the sun. More ingredients such as clams and mushrooms were unearthed from beneath too.
Besides the typical pairing of salted egg with chips and wings, PUTIEN has married spinach with century egg and salted egg. The Spinach in Supreme Stock $13.50(S) $20.20(M) was like yin and yang. With vegetables thought to be healthy and yet drenched in a puddle of heart-throbbing sauce, it was amazing that both balanced out each other without making me feel overwhelmed.
Another crowd-favourite was the Stir-fried Yam $13.50(S) $20.20(M), where the bricks of yam were fried to a light crisp skin enclosing glutinous-liked taro mash. It was addictive!
On the other hand, the Sweet & Sour Pork with Lychees $13.90(S) $20.80(M) lent a sweet note to the chunky meats that came with a little toughness.
I absolutely adored the Deep-fried Pork Trotters with Salt & Pepper $6.50/pc where each piece was chopped from a 7-inch Australian pork trotter. Rich in collagen, these pork trotters had a thin layer of crunchy skin that enveloped the soft juicy interior. It was a feast all the way to the bone.
PUTIEN’s desserts came in varied forms. The Hot Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts $4.90 was a classic dish that could hardly gone wrong. It tasted light, not overly sweet and the size was just nice after a heavy meal.
Some other choices include the photogenic Mashed Purple Sweet Potato with Pumpkin Cream $5.90, Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Fruits $4.90, Lotus Seed with White Fungus Soup (Warm/Cold) $4.90, Golden Rice Cake $7.90/3pcs and PUTIEN Rice Cake $6.90/3pcs.
We also heard that dining in certain periods of the year would also entitle you to a complimentary fruit platter. This April season, it was the kumquat.
Don’t miss the Fujian dishes from the kitchens’ of PUTIEN!
PUTIEN
2 Orchard Turn, #04-12, ION Orchard, Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6509 4296
Dailly: 11:30am – 4:30pm (Last Order: 4pm), 5:30pm – 10pm (Last Order: 9:30pm)
Website: http://www.putien.com/
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