Putien Restaurant @ City Square Mall

I have eaten at Putien restaurant at various occasions, the Jalan Besar branch etc...and always kinda find it a wholesome experience, simple ingredients cooked with delicateness - which is something I enjoy in my gastronomic adventures.

My parents , on the other hand, hates it, because they felt the ingredients are far too simple to be 'restaurant grade'.

This one in City Square mall was actually the only one I decided to take photos of. And despite its 'chain restaurant' tag, it does serves up a very yummy meal....the only peeve - the portions are too small, and not really for big family dining events.

In case for readers who did not know what restaurant I am talking about....

The restaurants usually have a clean nice setting - i like!

Appetizer 1 - chilled chicken with sesame oil. Its supposed to be the chilled and the meat is therefore crispy kinda of taste. Some in the table loved it, some hated it. Me for one, quite enjoy the chilled chicken...as opposed to the ubiquitous tendered poached chicken. 

Appetizer 2: Fried Century Egg in sweet vinegar sauce - this is a absolutely innovative dish....really love the texture and taste. Great for the century egg first timers.

Appetizer 3:Salt and pepper deep fried pork knuckles - other than being extremely fatty, the skin is crispy...with a layer of fats below....very well done.

Appetizer 4: Chilled bittergourd - This is absolutely divine, you dip the bittergourd slice in honey. The chilling process reduces the bitterness significantly, and leaves behind a 'gan' taste. Great dish to order.

White pork with cucumbers and dark sauce - the white slice pork here is pretty average. The ones that I ate in HK is usually mind blowing, and  the sauce is garlic which blends well the taste of pork. This dish is the only mediocre one.

Braised Tofu : Not the most attractive picture - but this tofu rocks! I love the braised sauce and the tofu itself. I say : order this!

Spinach in 3 egg broth : This is one of my most ordered dish in chinese restaurants. This is quite well done in Putien. though I thought that the egg part was quite little. The broth is rich and seemed to be thickened with some sort of pumpkin paste.

Fried Mee Sua: This is one of the defining dishes in Putien. Light, savoury, wholesome ( taste like Grandma's cooking) and overall very enjoyable.....except that the portions are so small that I got only a mouthful.....:(