Putian Summer at Putien.

I have written about Putien Restaurant in Kitchener Road before. And loved the food.

It is one of the places I take visitors to when they come to Singapore...why? Well, the food is characteristically Chinese, but not so common...though Putian is a city in the province of Fujian, the dialect spoken there is Heng Hwa. The cuisine, because of its proxmity to the sea, is lighter than the typical Amoy style Hokkien food we get. I love a khong bak pau and hae chor as much as the next guy, but I also love the lighter, fresher taste offered by Heng Hwa.

So when I received an email invitation from Ann of linea Communications, I gladly took it. Thanks to Ann and Melissa of Putien who were the most gracious hostesses and to Executive Sous Chef Gongba, who attended to us throughout and did the kitchen demonstration.

The welcome drink is a special concoction...dubbed the Summer Quencher, ingredients are aloe vera, cherry tomato and sour plum juice.



Sweet, with a touch of sour. Very refreshing. And as one reaches toward the end of the drink, the chunks of aloe vera presents itself for a nice finish.

They were introducing their summer dishes, which are designed, according to traditional Chinese beliefs can help our bodies beat the heat.

We started by being introduced to some of the ingredients...most intriguing were the bowls of mushrooms/fungi:



From bottom, Rooster Comb Mushroom, white fungus, Yellow Head fungus (not sure about translation from Chinese 黄耳), black fungus and Monkey's Head mushroom.

From these fungi, and the winter melon, the chefs came up with this beautiful dish:



Winter Melon with White Fungus and mushrooms. Interestingly the use of winter melon for the summer menu? Well, Chef Gongba explained that the Winter Melon is actually a summer gourd. The plant produces a fast growing gourd on its vines. So why call it winter melon? Because the gourds are covered with a layer of hair which are white. And when growing in a field where there are thousands of these gourds on the ground, it looks like it had snowed.

I enjoyed this dish a lot. Very light on the palate, but yet, the distinct tastes of the several varieties of Yunan wild fungus and melons are apparent. The fungi and mushrooms are cooked separate from each other and the melon, as they require different techniques and cooking times. And assembled by the chef in the kitchen before serving.

We were next served a dish of organic Momotaro tomato:



The plump, juicy tomatos were from Cameron Highlands but from the Momotaro strain. A light sprinking of powdered sugar helps lift the tartness with a little sweetness. Just perfect.

Stirfried lotus root with prawn is next:



The dish came in a fresh, green lotus leaf. A bit unsuual, and provided a nice green background to the dish. The use of lotus root, selected because of the cooling properties, complemented very well with the prawns. The root providing a crunchy texture with the fresh, soft, almost luscious prawns were nice. Coupled with a touch of Putien's very special Hot Mother (La Ma) chilli sauce...this is superb indeed. Shiok.

A curious dish of small sea snails presented itself next:



Sea snails are a popular snack in Putian during summer...goes well with beer...what can be better? The dish is sauteed with Hua Diao Wine with spring onions, shallots and chilli. The snails were very small, and the shell very thin and almost fragile...the technique to enjoy this little crustacean is to suck with one's tongue, and the meat comes out easily. I won't say this is my favourite, but its not a bad tasting dish.

Next, the braised loofah with homemmade beancurd:



Loofah is a kind of a cucumber...but when freshly picked, it is soft, and tender. The home made tofu is rather interesting. Chef told us that he only uses soy beans and no other agents. Resulting in a tofu which is very stong tasting in soy, and a tinge of bitterness rounds off the tofu. The fragrant seafood sauce is very nice. As were the soft, very tender loofah.

Bamboo shoots are common in Chinese cuisine, but Putien's twist on this popular dish is to use fresh water bamboo...and to only lightly cooked, chilled and served with a sesame dressing.



We were also offered the bamboo clams...



This is interesting. The clams are air flown live from China. And packed in their styrofoam box, they often show their vitality by vigrous squirts of water...like a fountain. These clams are baked in a bed of sea salt. Pry one open, and remove the lip, which may contain sand and other contaminants, and the luscious, rich, almost creamy clams can be enjoyed. The clams tasted a bit like oysters.

As you can spy behind the clams, is a burger like dish...this is the famous Putien shreded pork in a bun:



This must be the Chinese answer to the burger. The bun is light, but with a crisp exterior...encrusted with sesame seeds. The shreded pork is tender, probably stir fried just right...for the maximum juiciness. Delicious.

And the famous Heng Hwa beehoon:



Chef took pains to explain that the bee hoon are hand made in China. And unlike regular bee hoon which is blanched in boiling water before cooking. This bee hoon goes directly into the wok with the sauce ingredients and fried. This is a favourite of mine. The bee hoon, as you can see is thin, almost wiry. And every strand is almost distinct and does not clump together. The fragrance of the sauce, and the masterful mix of other ingredients...prawns, crushed peanuts, and dried seaweed just makes this dish superb.

The chefs in attendance...left is Executive Chef Xial Liangrong and right is Li Gongba.



Overall, excellent tasting session. Well prepared, knowledgable wait staff and of course the very impressive knowledge of the chefs. I will continue to patronise Putien, as I have done for years. Very nice.




Putien
nex
#02-18/19 nex
tel: 6634 7833

Tung Lok Signatures

I guess Tung Lok doesn't need any introduction...a old name in high end Chinese cuisine in Singapore, this chain of restaurants have outlets occupying the entire strata of price ranges to suit one's wallet. From the high end and quite expensive Tung Lok Signatures, to the more down to earth Zhou's Kitchen and Lao Beijing...both of which are permanent favourites of the family.

But a celebration warrants a higher end location, with a higher end budget to match. It was my mother's 79th Birthday, so we decided to splash a little...at Tung Lok Signatures at Vivocity.

We started with an unusual grilled foie gras with sliced duck served on a light pastry:



Quite superb. The foie gras was lightly seared...the insides were beautifully smooth and creamy. The outside crisped a little. The duck meat was nicely done, though not spectacular. And the pastry light and very complementary to the duck. Interesting migration of French culinary style over to Chinese.

Next we had the Tian Jia style braised shark's fin. Yes, we still eat sharks fin...



Rather nice. There was generous combs of shark's fin...small strands, which are crunchy to the palate. And the gorgeous chicken and seafood stock which lifts the dish. The stock is no ordinary stock...I can tell its been prepared with long hours over the fire...causing the protein in the chicken and seafood to denature, and completely meld into the soup...giving it a thick, and slightly sticky collagen consistency.

Next were sauted prawns with greens and yam spring rolls:



Excellent dish too. The prawns were nice, fresh, crunchy. Good breath of the sea was evident in the prawns as one bites into it. The spring rolls were also nicely done. Even though deep fried, the skin remained crisp and dry. The insides, as one bites into it, releases the rich, creamy fragrance of yam.

Fish was next, and we had steamed soon hock:



Not much to look at this fish...but the steaming was very well done. The fish was firm, but yet tender and juicy. The doneness was such that at the core...where the bones are, it is slightly pink. But thouroughly cooked. The sauce is what makes or breaks a simple dish like steamed fish, and this was equally simple with a superior soy and ginger and chilli. Not my favourite for the evening, but nice.

Next dish was the interestingly named Bomber chicken...



It turned out to be a whole chicken done like har cheong kai. Decently done, but I have tasted better har cheong kai elsewhere...and indeed even at home. But while this passes the mark, not one to write home about.

Braised beancurd with spinach was next:



Served with snow fungus and some vegetables, the tofu was fragrant, and very soft within its leathery, slightly crispy outer skin. The sauce tempered the taste and brought it up a level. I liked this quite a lot.

The rice dish was lotus leaf rice with dried seafood:



I found this to be very good as well. As the lotus leaf was being cut, the wift of the gorgous fragrance enters one's nostrils and thrills. The rice seemed to be a combination of regular long grain fragrant rice and sticky rice. Beautiful dish.

The desserts: Chilled aloe vera gel with lemon sherbet:



Kind of western inspired as well. The aloe vera jelly was very nice. Had a springy consistency, and allowed the chunks of fresh aloe vera to shine. The sherbert was a lime sorbet, and I suspect home made...the ice crystals were a little irregular, but the taste authentic and very good.

As we were nearing Father's Day, the menu included a serving of Longevity Peaches:



These were quite good...the skin and pastry outer was nice and soft...like a light pau...the filling was ling yong. And was rich and creamy.

Of course, as this was a birthday celebration, we had a cake brought in. The Tung Lok staff are used to birthdays...they gathered around, sang the birthday songs. Had the cake delivered on a large plate with birthday greetings hand written on. And the the cake, or rather fruit tart which we purchased from Fruit Paradise Tart Shop.



The tart is superb:



Loads of fresh strawberry on fresh cream, on a marscapone filling a tart case. Beautiful.



Tung Lok Signatures
QB House - Vivocity
1 Harbour Front Walk, 098585
6376 9555
Subway: HarbourFront
Open Daily 11am-10pm

La Petite Cuisine: A contender to best Confit du canard?

Confit du canard is one of my all time favourite French dishes. I have tasted my fair share of ducks done this special way. And my reference standard is Chez Dumonet in Paris.

And this little shop in Serene House, right by the French Embassy has a good reputation of serving one of the better ones in Singapore.



The shop is run like a cafeteria rather than a restaurant. One goes up to the counter to place the order and pay. And wait for the food to be served. Prices are eminently agreeable.

Edward had the cream and ham spagetti...



Spagetti Carbonara...the spagetti is nicely done, just a touch over al dente. The cream sauce is delicious, thick, rich, creamy. The slices of smoked ham providing a nice and able complement. Good pasta.

But I came to try the duck...so the confit du canard



Served with a beautiful, tart, sourish sauce which perfectly complements the rich, luxurious taste of the duck. The skin was crisp, as is evident in the photograph below:



But it lacked the crunch that I would excect from a totally crisp skin. The meat was well preserved, and at some places a bit hard...just a tad, mind you...but mostly nice and tender. The gratin potatoes could have been better cooked...it lacked the nice, crisp crust over. But the potatoes were flavourful, and creamy.

Not the best confit du canard I have eaten. But given its only S$16.50, very reasonable. And I would venture a recommendation with the caution of the budget nature of the dish.



La Petite Cuisine
Serene Centre 10 Jalan Serene, 258748 - 6314 3173
Open Weekdays 9am-10pm

Cooking School: Cookyn at GardenHub

Cooking classes and demonstrations have recently caught on in Singapore...big time! A decade ago, this was the strict territory of ah sohs and aunties in Community Centers. But in the last 3 years, perhaps, they have sprouted everywhere. Shopping centers teaching kids how to bake, cook....mostly for fun, but also to put in a sense of responsibility and appreciation to the art of cooking. And even more recently, Sam Leong and his wife started a school, many home cooks started their own school. One such school used to operate from a residential flat, and went by the name of Cooking by Mervyn...but recently they decided to go big...and took up a nice, secluded block in Margaret Drive. The place has large grounds, and used to house a spa, a small cafe and a gold driving range. I think the driving range is still there, but the spa and cafe is now Cookyn Inc and another tenant. Right next to the Queenstown Remand Prison...which is also no more.

I met up with the chef in attendance, Mervyn himself, and Amanda who handles the business arrangements



We were doing the Connoisseur Akademie for A. Lange & Sohne No 2 at Cookyn (that's why Mervyn is spotted wearing the ALS corporate apron), and we were there to taste the food and inspect the premises...Nice dining area with the instructional kitchen:



Typically not run as a restaurant, Cookyn guests normally have to prepare the food they will eventually eat. For those of us who are horrendous cooks, and will spoil dinner...the chefs there will salvage the day....

And every good meal starts with fresh ingredients:



Raw scallops...later to be grilled with a bit of butter and a squeeze of lime. The scallop was obviously very fresh. And done in the grill with equaly fresh prawns...make a great starter:



Amazing dish this one...very nice indeed. But just before this grilled dish, we had some succulent, fat, Canadian oysters:



Also superb...would be fantastic with a nice glass of champagne...say a Bollinger or a Krug.

A third starter of salmon was served...grilled to perfection...note the grill marks on the bacon wrap around the fish:



Here, Mervyn demonstrated his superior skill on the grill. Superb does not begin to describe this salmon. Nicely done and slightly charred with grill marks on the outside, the inside remains superbly moist and tender. Almost like it was cooked sous vide, and seared just moments before serving. But Mervyn confirmed all cooking was done on his Porsche Design grill.

To cleanse the palate before the main course...home made sorbet...made by vigrously stirring fruit juice in a bown with dry ice. As the dry ice sublimates, the cooling freezes the juice...and with judicious stirring makes a sorbet.



We had pork as a main course...this was a slow roasted pork, with a puree of mashed potato:



Wonderfully cooked...tender...cut with fork tender...but still with flavours of the pork. Nice.

Getting your hands dirty and trying to cook the meal for yourself is commendable...and can be a fun activity...good for corporate team building. But this evening we just feasted. And the food was divine.


Cookyn Inc
Block O, Gardenhub
60 Jalan Penjara (via Margaret Drive)

Brasserie Wolf:: Paris Bistro in Singapore?

This is an invited review

Brasserie Wolf...I have passed its way several times...even once had a drink with visiting watch journalist Alexander Linz there. But though have been tempted with the menu, have never eaten here...until today. Thanks to Danielle at Ate Consulting for the invitation, and for the wonderful company and conversation during lunch.



I understand they just renovated the place...kind of a sophisticated bistro look...light, airy. With a nice display of wines as one enters.

As usual in these tastings...we ordered a lot of food. And I mean a lot.

Starters were varied as they were interesting...first starter was the crab claw salad, which featured shredded crab claws with some salad leaves with a honey dressing and croutons. the salad was decent, but not exceptional.



Then on to the French onion soup...



Served in a heart shaped bowl...interesting....with a thick crust of bread and melted gruyere cheese. On cutting open the crust, the aroma of sweet onions hits the nose. The soup was thick, sweet with caramalised onions. Brings me back to the first time I was in Paris some thirty years ago. Nice.

We also had the foie gras terrine with glazed pears



The foie gras was superb. Smooth, rich...sinfully rich, creamy. Delicious umami flavours just burst out. The glazed pears were a perfect complement. The glazing was thick, caramelised sugar coating...very sweet to balance the tart acidity of the pears, and supports the fats within the foie gras superbly. Excellent combination.

And the mains...two fishes and one beef...

We started the mains (strange combination of words...:-)) with the pan seared barramundi fillet.



The fish was cooked well. For me, it was a tad over. My preference is for fish to be cooked just a touch over rare...the ideal is the outside pan seared till crisp, and deep inside the core of the fillet, just a touch rare. This way, the meat is smooth and moist. The barramundi that afternoon was already starting to flake, so by this exacting standard, slightly beyond perfect. Don't get me wrong, it was by no means overcooked...but just a tad beyond what I would consider perfect. That said, the barramundi tasted fine, the bed of onions and jalapeno salsa was a wonderful complement, and went well with the fish.

We also had the pan seared black cod:



This was served with gnocchi parisienne and a red wine sauce. The gnocci tasted like a savoury cake of some sort, and I didn't care much for it. But the cod was perfect. Cooked like I like it. The skin was seared perfectly crispy and beautifully browned. The fish was moist, had a wonderful mouthfeel typical of oily fish like cod. I spied that the very core of the fillet was slightly pink...indicating that it was cooked just a touch. Perfect. Love the cod.

Then the piece de resistance...the beef bourguignon



Chef Claudio Sandri came and introduced himself when we entered the restaurant, and he highly recommended this dish. So, of course we had to have it...

And indeed it was special. Served with a gorgeous bowl of mashed potatoes...smooth, creamy, potatoey (such a word...well, now there is!), the mashed potatoes were drop dead gorgeous. As was the beef. The cheeks of beef have been stewed for a good measure over the last 12 hours or so...and the vegetable braising liquid has become a super thick, rich sauce which smothers the wonderful, moist, tender beef. Note the fork and spoon that the dish is served in. The meat falls apart with the prodding of the spoon...and of course it just totally melts in the mouth. Literally. And as it melts, it releases a wonderful beefy aroma into one's nostrils. The muscle fibres of the beef give way within the palate, and the flavours meld into a symphony. Absolutely delectable. Often bourguigons feature tender beef...indeed this is the requirement for this dish, but also often the dish lacks depth and flavour. But not Sandri's bourguignon. Ful flavour. Don't play play.

Then desserts, first the apple tarte tartin with vanilla ice cream:



The ice cream was wonderful...the pastry, I am a bit undecided. I would have preferred a lighter pastry. And perhaps a bit less sweet. A thick layer of sugary caramely covering completely embraces the pastry, making it super sweet...which may be a boon for the sweet tooth, but for me, it made the pastry which was not light to begin with, a bit heavier.

We also had the lemon tart with fresh cream



This one I loved. the tart was superb. Just the right touch of sour and sweet. And wonderful balance of acid in the tart with the smooth richness of the fresh cream. This is a great dessert!

And the Chocolate and Coffee Leigeois



Nothing much to look at, but I can tell you this is absolute heavenly for the choc addict. Must have. The chocolate was superb...Valhorna no less. The ice cream in the espresso was wonderful. For a moment, I stopped analysing the espresso, as I am tend to do sometimes, and just enjoyed this wonderful dessert. I am sure there are healthier desserts, but this one hits the spot for me.

Overall Brasserie Wolf is quite a nice place to have a nice bistro meal. French almost to the core...the owners are Austrian, and the chef Swiss...so not exactly traditionally French, but close enough for Singapore. The food is excellent. And the ambience nice. I am told it does get busy on the weekends, so reservations are recommended. But come and enjoy a nice relaxing lunch, and you will be rewarded with the nice quiet ambience, and the great food.



Brasserie Wolf
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
239013
6835 7818

Spice Peranakan: Biopolis

What do you do when you crave peranakan, and don't have time or skill to make a true blue peranakan meal yourself? Go out, of course. I have written about Ivins - the inexpensive eatery which gives you a taste of peranakan. Or even at Pow Seng in Serangoon Gardens. Or Peramakan...the current reigning queen of peranakan restaurants in Singapore.

I had a quick lunch with my friends - Dr. Mycroft and Larry one afternoon...and doc was kind of bound around his office area because of meetings...and suggested Spice Peranakan...just the next block from where he works.

As we settled in, a joyful Mr. Wee, the owner came trotting down and introduced himself...promising, methot.

For the three of us, as certified gourmets, of course we ordered a lot of food...I guess we could easily add perhaps another one or even two other diners, and still have enough food...but I digress...on to the food.

First off the Ngor Hiang



Not bad. The skin was very crisp, and though deep fried, remained quite light to the palate. The pork within was cleverly marinated and blended with some binder...and was good.

Kuih Pie Tie...a speciality of the Penang peranakans,



The shell was excellent...but these days, these can be purchased off the shelf from supermarkets. But the filling, similar to that used in pohpiah was quite savoury and appetizing...a halved prawn adorns the top, and a splash of chilli sauce with plenty of parsley for garnishing.

So those were the appetizers...and off to the main courses:

I never really warmed to buah keluak...the taste and aroma is nice, but I don't have a craving for it like some peranakans do. I understand this is possibly due to buah keluak as a mainly more southern dish, treasured by the Malacca peranakans, as well as those in Singapore and perhaps Indonesia than in Penang.



But this is a difficult dish to make...complicated. The buah keluak has to be prepared in a very specific way to get rid of the poisons that are on the shell. The nut is evacuated, minced with pork or chicken, and stuffed back into the shell. And the whole thing braised slowly in spices and chicken. The result...ayam buah keluak. Most peranakans would remove the filling from the buah keluak, mince it on the plate, and mix it more or less evenly with the rice. Add a generous helping of the sauce...and for some...pure heaven. Spice's buah keluak is nice. I am not sure if its truly mind blowingly good, for I am not a connoisseur of buah keluak.

We also have bagi pongteh:



This one I really like. Superb. The pork was not belly, but perhaps a more healty cut...though possibly not by much, as it was obviously still marbled, and tender. Full flavour. The spices used in slowly braising the pork was very well balanced. I love this dish. Very good.

And the standard form a peranakan kitchen...the chap chye



Again a good dish. Quite similar to the one done by my mother at home...so enough praise indeed.

We also had an omelette:



An adaptation of the western omelette...this one has chinchalok added. Chinchalok is a wierd but wonderful concoction...prawns which are too small for regular consumption is not wasted, but fermented in a heady concoction, which is good to flavour the more bland food like plain or potato rice porridge. And in this case to embellish the lowly omelette. This version is quite nicely done. The egg remains fluffly inside, slightly crispy on the outside. The chinchalok providing fortification of flavours within. Loved this dish.

And we ended with durian chendol:



I must say, this is a fitting end to the meal. Not mind blowingly spectacular, this chendol, but sufficiently sweet, fragrant, wonderful to be a fitting conclusion of a nice lunch. Burp!

Overall Spice provides a nice alternative when one pines for peranakan. Good food, reasonably good service. Reasonable price.



Spice Peranakan
#01-01
20 Biopolis Way, 138668
6738 8887