pu tien - pu dong?

having passed by the pu tien outlet at tampines a number of times, i have to admit that i never did feel the urge to dine there... maybe it was because it was hidden in a corner of the basement and maybe it was because it never seemed to be as bustling as the all familiar crystal jades, so it kind of left me with the impression that it was well, another one of those crystal jade outlet wannabes and that the food was not all that good. at that point, i really did not know the reputation of pu tien (yes...i just found out that pu tien was listed as one of singapore's top fifty restaurants last year! so much for me as a foodie *blush*!) and so i was really quite impressed with pu tien's cuisine after lunching there last week. 

g and i took a while pouring over the menu as the dish variety was a little different from the usual - think drunken cockles, iced bitter gourd and stewed potato chips! we finally decided to give the drunken cockles and mini shrimp with seaweed a go as well as indulge in the huge serving of scallop & crab meat with stewed shark's fin and honey pork ribs. 

the cockles and seaweed were fantastic appetizers. blanched and smothered in a minced garlic and chilli sauce, the cockles were fresh and very delicious. the seaweed complemented the cockles, as it had a slight salty, slight tangy and slight mushy texture, helping to really cleanse the palate of the sharpness of the garlic. it was like a cross between mei-chai and preserved olives so if you are like me and love your salted veggies, the seaweed appetizer is a must try!

the soup was decent, although i do have to admit that i've had better (and cheaper!) versions of this classic shark's fin soup. the kampong chicken stewed version might have been a better bet, but then again, having been spoiled with the shark bone cartilage variants, i'll definitely need to try it to say! the honey pork ribs is the other definite try. braised in a yummy sweet part honey part plum sauce, the slab was a generous one and cooked till tender and falling off the bone. it's almost like having stewed pork belly done sweet sour style!

pu tien is most definitely anything but pu dong (ordinary). their pride in the cuisine resounds in every dish and it is no wonder that they have grown tremendously over the past year with another four outlets added to its kitchener road flagship. 

p.s.: the servings are quite substantial so it makes a lot more sense (economical included!) to have at least three or four of your friends tucking in with you.

pu tien

4 tampines central 5
#b1-k19/27 tampines mall

(65) 6781 2161

www.putien.com