Penang has no shortage of great Chinese cooking but many are still excited over the news that Putien, a Michelin-starred restaurant is coming to Penang. The name Putien has resemblance over Putian, a coastal suburb of Fujian, China; like what the name suggested, the restaurant specializes in offering authentic Fujian cuisine. The brand started out in Singapore (in year 2000) but has since grown into an internationally recognized brand with close to 50 branches in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Taiwan. Over the years, the brand has won numerous awards and the most notable one being the Michelin awards, one of the highest honors in dining... a one-Michelin star in the recent Michelin Guide Singapore 2016 & 2017. The brand carries agricultural produce and seafood directly from Putian, with its array of handcrafted products, Putien is commited to deliver the best it could to the foodies in Penang. Putien's latest addition is located on the 6th floor of Gurney Paragon Mall, right next to Rakuzen and Sushi Zanmai.
Many Thanks to Putien for hosting us.
Iced Nanri Abalone 冰镇南日鲍 (Rm 33.90/ piece)
Iced Bitter Gourd 冰镇苦瓜 (Rm 11.90)
Ah Yuan Fragrant Herbal Chicken 阿元香草鸡 (Rm 16.90)
If you are new to Putien, use the Top 10 Dishes as a guide; it features 10 signature dishes of the restaurant. Putien uses fresh Abalones from Putian, bred in the South Chine Sea waters, the flesh is generally thicker and meatier. It is slightly blanched in brine water then chilled over ice; by this, not only that the natural seafood sweetness is preserved, the Abalone gets the flavor as well. For a lighter and more refreshing start, go for their Iced Bitter Gourd... sliced thinly (2 mm) and served over Honey dip. The beautiful combination of sweet and bitterness can be dangerously addictive (also the juicy crunch).
100-second Stewed Yellow Croacker 白秒黄花鱼 (Rm 43.90/ pax)
Stir Fried Yam 酥炒芋心 (Rm 13.90 for small/ Rm 27.80 for large)
Putien Bien Rou Soup with Vinegar 传统扁肉汤 (Rm 9.90)
Putien Loh Mee 莆田卤面 (Rm 21.90)
Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon 兴化米粉 (Rm 21.90)
Putien marketed its Bian Rou Soup with aplomb and we appreciate the dish for its tedious making process. The dumpling skin is made of meat... approximately 1.5 kg of meat would require 3 hours of non-stop pounding to make it into fine, thin sheet of 'dumpling skin' (also known as 'Yan Pi' 燕皮); the meat filling is then wrapped using the dumpling skin.... cooked and served over heart-warming broth with a touch of Vinegar. The whole combination is most comforting, the bite-sized Dumpling is good on its own but even better with the flavorful broth.
Almost ordered by every table, the 100-second Stewed Yellow Croacker is one of Putien's best sellers. The Chef cooks and stews the fish in 100 seconds, the short time allows the meat to be cooked but in silky smooth manner and the natural sweetness is locked within. The seasoning is minimal and with bits of Ginger and Scallions; though simple, the flavors were multi-dimensional (the seafood sweetness speaks for itself).
Tummy-fillers are Putien Loh Mee and Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon, the former one is cooked in a starchy slow-cooked meat broth and topped with a generous amount of Seafood. Sufficient time is given to allow the noodles to fully absorb the flavors. The latter choice feels more like the local Fried Bee Hoon but Heng Hwa (兴化) is famous for its thin, fine Vermicelli Noodles so the texture is a lot lighter on palate. All noodles are made in-house by Putien.
Braised Pig Intestines 九转小肠 (Rm 19.90)
Deep Fried Pork Trotters with Salt and Pepper 椒盐猪手 (Rm 15.90/ piece)
Spinach with Salted & Century Egg in Supreme Stock 上汤苋菜 (Rm 21.90)
Shredded Pork with Sesame Bun 黄金荷叶包 (Rm 7.90 per piece/ minimum order of 2 pieces required)
Putien Sweet & Sour Pork with Lychee 莆田荔枝肉 (Rm 22.90)
Additional Information:
Non-Halal
Service Charge: Yes 10%
Government Tax: Yes 6%
Address: Level 6, Gurney Paragon Mall, 163D, Gurney Drive, 10250, Georgetown, Penang.
Business Hours: 11:30 am to 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm to 10 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: 604- 0226 0828
That's the authentic Chinese franchise from China, eh? Ahhhhh...pork trotters!!! Yum yummmm!!!!
ReplyDeleteNice cheery photos Ken.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are a few outlets at Klang Valley but I just don't have the urge to visit :P
ReplyDeleteI love the Heng Hwa fried noodles. Been a Putien fan since its inception 18 years ago (at Kitchener Road, Singapore).
ReplyDeleteThis restaurant has
ReplyDeleteOne-Michelin star but Putien in Gurney Paragon does not meet any of our standards.
Let me get one thing straight though, i have nothing against the other Putien restaurant in fact the one in Kuala Lumpur Sunway Pyramid was absolutely amazing and i recommend people to go.
However, i would not even recommend my worst enemy to go to this restaurant in Gurney Paragon. So, we were told to wait for 45minutes as there were a lot people which was alright, but when we came back after 45minute, the host rudely told us":Didn't i tell you guys to come back after more than one hour!?" As a matter of fact,he told us to come back in 45minutes NOT an hour. He was absolutely rude about it and the worst part is they have a Michelin star. How dare they be this rude to a customer especially after making us wait for 45 minutes.
So we personally had a bad experience in Putien but we are hoping to try out their other restaurant in their other branches but definitely not in Gurney Pargon.