Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Putienians UNITE

As a BBC it is strange that I like Hokkien food.

Currently there are less than three Hokkien restaurants in Hong Kong.

Putien is different because it is modernized with lovely decor and a comfortable environment.
Compared to the ones I have tried, the food at Putien is not as salty and I appreciate that the Menu has English because the original restaurant is from Singapore.
The menu has pictures as well which is helpful to those who are not familiar with Hokkien Cuisine.

At the other Hokkien restaurants, it was just Chinese on the menu so I ended up ordering stuff that looked good on the reviews.

At every table, there is a pot of homemade chili sauce.
I tried it and loved it because the sauce was exciting and tasted exactly like my favourite sauce at PFC in the UK.

Before you order, you are given fruits as an appetizer which is good because fruits are healthy and not many people eat fruits after dinner if they are full.
(While stocks last)

Here was what we had and the items marked *** were my favourites.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Infusion by Mr. Qu
A mixture of soursop juice, plums, pineapples and green vegetables.

Tried the juice which was viscous and sweet with tones of soursop.
In UK we call them Custard apples which are commonly found in Indian groceries.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chilled worm jelly:

I have seen them before served at the other two restaurants but I did not intend to try them because both shops were grubby.
Tried them here and the worms were chewy just like whelk meat and not soft as I expected.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Iced Bittergourd:

The thickness of the bittergourd really made a difference.
Each slice was ultra thin so when you bite into it, the bitterness is not that concentrated and it gives it a lovely refreshing crunch with icy cold bittermelon juice oozing out.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
***Deep Fried Bamboo Clams:
Tangy clam meat deep fried to golden crispiness.

These clams were deliciously crisp and chewy with a strong clam taste.
There is a wide selection of bamboo clams dishes on the menu that are well hidden because they are on the folded page of the cover.
Although this was one of my favourites, the salt and pepper bamboo clams would be a good pick too.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
***Drunken Cockles:
Cockles drizzled with a specialty blend of garlic sauce, then topped with generous servings of garlic flakes and chillies.

I have always loved cockles because I love that metallic taste and they were plump and bursting with juice.
The cockles were clean because I did not have any unpleasant effects the next day.
WILL CERTAINLY ORDER THIS AGAIN.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
**Seaweed with Mini Shrimps:

The seaweed was appetizing but I prefer it without the seasoning because I found it a bit too sweet.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
PUTIEN Style Century Egg
Century egg covered in a sweet and sour crust, topped with homemade specialty sauce.

This was different and nice because it was coated in crispy cornflour and sweet and sour sauce, so if you like crispy sweet and sour pork, you'll like this.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Homemade Bean Curd
Daily fresh made smooth egg bean curd stir-fried together with mushroom, carrot and sugar snap peas.

The bean curd was nice but the way it was cooked is really similar to the Chinese bean curd in simple oyster sauce with vegetables.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
***Stir-fried Yam
Cubes of golden crispy Yams with caramelised crunchy exterior over light fluffiness within.

They were exactly as described, and the inside was soft and fluffy with a mildly sweet crispy coating.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
***Bamboo herbal prawns
Sweet live prawns with light nourishing Chinese herbs such as, angelica root and Chinese wolfberries infused in Chinese wine.

I loved the soup because it tasted strong with fragrant herbs and wine.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Deep Fried Tenggiri Fish
Deep fried till crispy, the fish is moist on the inside and golden brown on the outside. Served with our homemade dip.

This was simple fried fish tasting like salmon.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Steam yellow croaker fish:

This was plain steamed fish that tastes soft and natural.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Deep Fried Pig’s Trotters with Salt & Pepper
7-inch pig’s trotter deep fried to a crisp, deep brown, seasoned with salt and pepper that is rich in flavour.

These trotters were divine, crispy and jelly like in the middle with a salt and pepper taste that was not too salty.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
PUTIEN Sweet & Sour Pork with Lychees
Deep fried to light golden brown, the meat is tender and moist on the inside. The lychee adds a burst of sweetness to the sauce.

This is similar to the sweet and sour pork with juicy lychees in it.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
PUTIEN Bian Rou Soup with Vinegar
Delectable PUTIEN signature pork dumplings in a light vinegar-infused soup.


I loved these cute miniature dumplings which were tasty and the vinegar infused soup made it more appetizing so you end up having more.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon
Heng Hwa Bee Hoon is made from old rice milled by hand in Putian. The bee hoon is translucent, silky, fine, chewy but not brittle. The flavour of the bee hoon comes from the rich, milky stock of pork bones and old hens cooked for hours at heat. Infused with 10 ingredients, this dish is one of our crowd favourites.

I knew I was going to like it because the vermicelli was really tasty packed with so many different tastes.
After adding chili sauce to it, the noodles were even more appetizing that I end up eating two bowls.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
DESSERTS:
Here were the desserts we had, my favourites were the sweet potato balls because they were crispy and fluffy inside.
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Purple Sweet Potato with Pumpkin Cream

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Chilled Putian Loquat in Herbal Jelly

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Hot Yam Paste with Ginko Nuts

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Putien rice cake

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Sweet potato balls

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Golden rice cake

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
Green bean glutinous rice cake

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
On our way out, we bumped into this local celebrity who dined there two nights in a row according got to the restaurant.
She also sent a bouquet of flowers as well.

Other Hokkien restaurants in Hong Kong that I have visited:
廈門風味阿珠小吃店
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?c
ommentid=2267271&tc=sr2&con=rvw
真真美食店 Part 1
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2312612&tc=sr2&con=rvw
真真美食店 Part 2
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2290327&tc=sr2&con=rvw

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