02 July, 2012

Restaurant Review and Promotion: PuTien's Summer Menu II

Tofu, also called bean curd, is made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds. And before sampling PuTien’s refreshing summer menu at their flagship outlet located along Kitchener Road, HFB had the opportunity to visit PuTien’s Central Kitchen to see first-hand how the restaurant made its bean curd fresh daily using traditional recipes, made without chemical additives.

His Food Blog - Pu Tien Summer Menu II

Following the traditional PuTian (the name of the town in Fujian, China) technique, the bean curd is healthier, tastier and has a better texture than mass-market bean curd.

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Soy bean were freshly milled and soy milk was extracted before brine, or highly concentrate salt solution was added as the basis for tofu formation instead of gypsum, or calcium sulfate – thus the coagulants produced a much smoother and tender texture of tofu.

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HFB also had the privilege to sample freshly made tofu that was deep-fried in low-temperature virgin oil, and lightly seasoned with a sprinkle of salt.

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Honestly it couldn’t get any better that this – the tofu was airy and fluffy yet came with a bite at the same time – a product that could only be achieved through excellent temperature control of the oil. In a flash, the whole tray of tofu was gone!

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Thankfully, HFB arrived at their restaurant in no time to sample their summer menu and the first dish that arrived was... you guessed it, tofu – a Braised Tofu to be precise – using the exact same tofu that we came across at the central kitchen.

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There’s nothing not to love about this dish, the same texture, with the same unique flavour of the tofu enhanced by the absorption of the braising liquid – truly a comforting dish.

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HFB first sampled Winter Melon in Orange Juice – a dish where the winter melon was first cooked and then soaked in orange juice – at Chef Chan’s Restaurant 4 years ago. He would rate PuTien’s rendition slightly better with their texture – it was much crunchier with each bite, but on the other hand, he still didn’t take to the artificially-infused sweetness and tanginess of the bottled orange juice.

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A country take on the homely dish, Ah Yuan Fragrant Herbal Chicken was slow-cooked in a soup of eight herbs using kampong chicken. Served slightly chilled, the chicken was really intense with flavours and the skin of the chicken was actually chewy in a good way, so much so that HFB found it to be really addictive.

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He wondered whether that was the same chicken that was left dried in their central kitchen, thus producing such awesome texture of the skin!

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A welcome twist to the usual nutritious bitter gourd, the Thick Bitter Gourd Soup delivered multiple unique flavours in one sip. HFB tasted a mixture of sweet and savoury initially derived from the chicken stock and seafood mix of prawns, dried scallops and crabmeat that were used, with the bitterness and “greeny” taste kicking in on the aftertaste. The winter melon cube also provided the texture within the pureed bitter gourd soup. A really exquisite dish that HFB truly enjoyed.

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The PuTien Pork Ribs dish is also known as “broken” ribs in PuTian because the bones were exposed. Executive Chef Li Gongba explained that prime ribs were used in this dish and thus the ribs were more on the tendered side.

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Along with the marvellous marbling, the sauce that came with it gave it a sweet, sour and hint of spiciness to it. A really enjoyable dish if you asked HFB.

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A mental image of the Stir-fried Prawns with Fruit Salad revealed the sun, the sand and the sea – that was how colourful and cheery the dish looked. Summer fruits, including melon and lychee along with dragon fruit, were paired with succulent prawns providing a savoury and fruity pairing that was healthy and refreshing at the same time.

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From now till August, diners sampling PuTien's summer menu can also experienced PuTien’s famous Heng Hwa Bee Hoon cooked with Soy Bean Milk prepared “live” by the chef.

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As vermicelli was cooked without first sopping water, it resulted in it soaking up all the soy milk goodness with the tender seaweed providing the added crunch - still as awesome, and way healthier!

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And if one wasn’t enough, HFB definitely welcomed a second serving of soup, this time in the form of Cabbage Soup cooked in Soy Milk. Very flavourful, and a soothing end to the meal.

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But a refreshing menu could never do without the accompaniment of the Plum and Cherry Tomato Juice with Aloe Vera, now a permanent fixture in their menu. HFB tasted this drink when PuTian first introduced it last year, and he fell in love with it right away. A thirst quencher that really perked one up with its refreshing properties, HFB had two servings of it that day.

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Disclaimer: No ratings would be given, as this is an invited taste test. HFB would also like to take this opportunity to thank PuTien, Ringo and Ann for their hospitality.


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