Putien

I ate more than usual this week however I don't really feel a compelling urge to write about the stuff I ate. It's been largely a mix of salads and Chinese food. I guess the reason is I have been eating it quite regularly and have just been bringing friends who haven't eaten there to try. It's always the family dinners that make me try food I don't usually try and this time it's at Putien!

Putien serves good Chinese food that's unfortunately not friends with my taste buds. I can't really attach a reason to it because the dishes are well executed. They just aren't my go to place for Chinese food. I prefer Ding Tai Fung, Imperial Treasure and even the Paradise Group. Still, let's give credit when it's due and Putien definitely cooks up a good comfort meal. 

We kicked off the meal with two sides, Pork Belly with Garlic ($8.90) and Braised Homemade Beancurd ($5.90). I felt that both dishes were done really well meeting both my expectations. I do feel that the pork belly with garlic could have been more garlicky and I didn't lap it up as I would a similar dish at one of the 3 restaurants I mentioned earlier. That said, this post is not about them so let's not shift the focus shall we? 

For mains, we settled for Putien Oyster Omelette and Claypot Chicken in Fermented Red Rice Wine ($13.90). I was kinda expecting the oyster omelette to be like those I find at hawker centers but with better culinary capability. I was rather taken aback that it's deep fried with flour but was pleasantly surprised to find that it goes really well with the Putien chilli. The chilli at Putien is one of their key highlights so try it when you are there. I like it that the chicken in red wine sauce was cooked till tender and the red wine taste is distinct yet not overwhelming. 

Another known dish is the Putien Lor Mee ($9.50) which was really rich in flavour. In fact, it was my favorite dish of the night! The pork broth absorbs all the flavours of the ingredients within the pot and drinking it was a real joy. 

Finally there's the Putien Rice Cake ($6.90) aka atas Kuey tutu which I was misguided to order by the well written description on their menu. It says "the rice cake is made with glutinous rice, milled rice powder and filled with crushed peanuts. The cake is then steamed in mild heat to create a soft texture that..." Oh so that's how Kuey tutu is described in marketing language... Anyway, I must say I prefer the Pasar malam version of the dish. This one is way too rubbery and too stingy with their peanuts, you might as well call it plain. 

All in all, the dining experience in Putien is pleasant. The dishes generally met expectations but there's nothing there that might make me specially make a trip down. It's comfort food which I won't say no to if my companions want to eat there but not somewhere I'll voluntarily step in to eat. 

Putien

Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Road, #02-18

Clinton St Baking Company

Every Saturday is my favorite day of the week and today is probably the best Saturday I have this month. I played badminton this morning! Yes, it's only badminton but anybody who plays badminton in indoor courts in Singapore knows how hard it is to get an ideal court at the time slot of your choice so I was really looking forward to today. Apart from that, there's of course the much anticipated brunch at Clinton St Baking Company which I crave for.

And so after a month of blogging, I get questions on why I even bother to blog when there's so many more established blogs out there. For a start, this is a hobby, I like to eat and share the food I eat. As of now, I am not interested to be involved in anything commercialized, if you notice, there's no way to contact me on my blog. I hunt for food every week and I enjoy taking pictures of food everywhere I go. I don't care how distinctly Singaporean this makes me, I like doing it period. I take the trouble to read a lot of reviews so that my Saturdays remain awesome. Plus Singapore has really limited stuff to do but its a food paradise. And since I have taken so much trouble, why not share with people who might not have time to do the homework about interesting food. I even have this crazy idea where this blog can be a go-to place for people who need inspiration for weekly outings and meet ups and have no time to plan. If after so much trouble and I discover bad food, I see it as my responsibility to highlight it too! 

So anyway, today I am really excited to share my experience dining at Clinton St Baking Company.  After all the research, I was extremely looking forward to dining there. Clinton St Baking Company hails from New York City and has won awards for their brunch dishes in particular their pancakes. However, the dish that made me utterly excited was the buttermilk biscuit sandwich ($13.50). When I saw photos of it online, it looked so mouth watering good I couldn't wait for Saturday to come. My first buttermilk biscuit was from KFC. It was dry yet the taste gave me a hint that if executed better elsewhere I'll like it.  Buttermilk biscuits is a very American breakfast ingredient. And the ones I was served were buttery, soft and goes perfectly with the scrambled eggs and melted cheddar cheese. The house made tomato jam is really a winner on its own. It retained the sour tomato taste yet it carries with it a tinge of spiciness that lingers in your mouth. If it wasn't served as a sandwich, I would say it could beat many tomato pasta sauces hands down. 

Apart from the sandwich, we also had Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter with wild blueberry ($18). This is really the best pancakes I had in Singapore. It was fluffy, generous, crispy on the outside soft on the inside and the warm maple butter that goes with it provides the added oomph that differentiates this pancake from its peers. I didn't touch the blueberries, I don't like fruit dishes but fussypot gobbled it up so it must be good. 

After this visit, Clinton St Baking Company has made it into my top 5 favorite brunch places. Their portions are American size so if you have a small appetite, it'll be wise to share. One very distinctive observation I had about this meal was that Fussypot ate more than me and this rarely happens. Either the badminton contributed to it or the food must be darn good! I'll definitely be back as many times as possible to clear as much of the menu as my time permits and this is definitely my go-to place if I ever need a pancake fix. 

Clinton St Baking Company

31 Purvis St
(Parking is a hassle along Purvis St, you might wish to take the train or park at the nearby malls)