Restaurant Review: Pu Tien

Putien is a chain restaurant that specializes in the Hing Wa cuisine in Singapore. Prior to their beginning, i have never heard of the Hing Wa people, despite them residing in my "hometown" Fujian and around in the Putian and Xianyou area. I would say it's a refreshing concept in our Chinese food dining culture here in Singapore since when we talk about Cze Char (hawker food), it's usually Cantonese.

Chinese food to me is well.. Chinese food. I am really clueless about the specific cuisines. Can you blame me really? Singapore's food establishments have this habit of incorporating a few dishes from each cuisine despite them claiming themselves to be a specialist in a particular cuisine. Brings me to the point of how unaware we are of our forefather's history (i'm absolutely guilty of that). Anyway..

So what is the Hing Wa cuisine? Well, this tongue thinks it's home cooked food that employs simple ingredients with very light seasoning. Most of the dishes that i have tasted are more towards the bland side but it kinda feels like a healthy meal?

Drunken Cockles (S$5.90). I'm not a cockles fan because i think they are unhealthy but these are perfectly cooked and the simple garnish of chili padi, minced garlic, spring onion and light soy makes this a very appetizing starter. Only pity is that it's very small!

Braised Homemade Beancurd (S$5.90). Mum thought it was going to be that sort beancurd toufu but it turned out to be tau pok. I believe i can easily get this at the Teochew Porridge stalls at a lower price. Tiny portion again.

Deep Fried Tenggiri Fish (S$4.90/pc) aka mackerel. Deep fried till it's crispy but the meat remained moist and firm. This is served with a home made dip which is like a fish sauce. MEH. Just stick to their chili (2nd pic from top), it really packs a punch. Lovely. This is more like a home cooked dish. My mama does her with a ginger Maggi sauce. Yums.

Pu Tien is famous for the Hing Wa Bee Hoon and other noodle staples. The Pu Tien Mee Sua (S$6.90 for small, good for 1 or 2pax) is made using Longevity noodles which are handmade using traditional methods. As a result, the thin vermicelli doesn't turn soggy when cooked. The recipe is supposedly unique to Pu Tien but i think it's not that hard to recreate. The hardest part would probably be the milky broth, which is cooked from pork ribs and bones.   

Pu Tien Lor Mee (S$7.90 for small, good for 1 or 2pax) is as shown. This is my individual portion. Mum thinks that this dish is nothing special. Definitely doesn't resemble the black lor mee. Chewy noodles cooked with pork belly, prawn and clam braised in a luscious seafood and pork gravy. Again, this is a homey dish. 

Spinach with Salted Egg and Century in Supreme stock (S$12.90) is one of my favorites. The Chinese spinach is stir-fried on high heat then stewed in stock of century egg and salted egg. Very rich and tasty gravy which is not overpowered by the salted egg yolk. It's almost like a light broth. I sure did spoon up the sauce like it's soup.

Deep Fried Duck with Yam (S$15.90) was quite a delight. I love yam and this is the first time i've seen it done with duck. The light and crispy crust gives way to a smooth yam paste that envelops the duck meat on the interior. I thought it would be nicer to have some chunks of yam though. The meat however, was on the bland side. 

Pu Tien Sweet and Sour Pork with Lychees (S$11.90) is one of my all time favorites here. Deep fried pork in a crispy light batter. The sauce that coats the meat is of the right level of sweetness and the Lychee lightens up the dish with its refreshing juices. 

Food: 4/5 I think the food is perfect for people who want a quality home cooked meal and something different from the typical Cantonese Cze Char. "Putien is awesome for me because they somehow can make things i hate, to be nice," says my colleague. I have to agree with that. 

Ambience: 3.5/5 Comfortable dining. This is more heartland comfort rather than high end restaurant. 

Service: 3.5/5 Service is a little slow because it really gets crowded. It was weird that our mains were served last and we had to wait a long time for the lor mee to arrive (and that was the last dish). 

Would i return? Maybe i would for a simple lunch. The elders in my family weren't impressed with the food though. They thought it to be too simple for restaurant standards and definitely expensive for the portions served. We still prefer the hawker Cze Char. I can't help but think that my mama can cook better than this. I'm biased. :P

There is currently a Summer Menu that Pu Tien has just rolled out. A variety of in season fruits and produce, as well as "cool" ingredients are used to chase away the summer heat. There is a DBS/POSB 10% discount off any Summer menu dishes till 31 July 2012. 

Pu Tien
23 Serangoon Central, #02-18/19
Nex Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6634 7833
Daily: 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-10pm
High-Tea: 2.30pm-5pm (Fri-Sun & PH)

Other Outlets
City Square Mall
Jurong Point
Kitchener Road
Marina Square
Parkway Parade
Resorts World Sentosa
Tampines Mall
VivoCity