Chinese Zhi Char @ Putien (NEX branch)

Chinese Zhi Char @ Putien (NEX branch)

Food Quality: 1.0 =)

Ambiance: 0.5 =)

Service: 0.5 =)

Value: 0.0 =)

Overall: 2.0 =)

Cost: S$120.40 (5 pax, including tea and amenities)

Will I return again: Likely

The staff opened up an unused part of the restaurant, usually reserved for VIPs or private dining, to accommodate us, so it was a good start.

The food at Putien is unassuming, and is made out of relatively fresh and simple ingredients. The Pork Belly with Garlic was a great opening dish, with a nice tenderness right from the first bite. The sweet garlic sauce adds a neat twist to the dish... It's the zang that makes this dish a must-try! For weight-watchers, not to worry as the portion is not excessive (there are 6 thin slices of pork belly).

The Spinach with Salted Egg & Century Egg in Supreme Sauce was another great dish. It's one of those dishes with a remarkable flavour that will burst in your mouth as you eat it, and can be consumed on its own or as an accompaniment to a rice or noodle dish. The taste of salted eggs is not overwhelming and goes very well with spinach.

The Stir-fried Yam, a simple yet still uncommon dish, proved less satisfying than in other zhi char establishments that I have tried this same dish at. The dish was not too sweet, but the yam was very starchy. Adding some crispiness to the dish may add some character to the simple dish.

My chief complaint for the dinner would rest on the two carbs dishes: Seafood Fried Rice and Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon. The fried rice was forgettable, easily the weakest dish of the evening. It was almost tasteless, and the ingredients lacked character and creativity. Sure, it's no Sin Chow Fried Rice, but it tasted no different from plain white rice with a light seafood stock. The bee hoon failed to impress, but as stated in the menu and owing to the premium flour used, it didn't turn soggy when cooked. A dash of sesame oil or soya sauce would have brought either dish to a level that was more palatable. And the chef who was cooking both dishes lacked the passion of a seasoned master, as the fried rice and bee hoon looked dull, drab and lonely.

The PUTIEN Sweet and Sour Pork with Lychees came as an afterthought, and fortunately salvaged the meal. It's a safe dish to count on if undecided on a meat (pork) dish. While the serving size is not substantial, it is right-sized for sharing. The sweetness in the dish seems to be derived from the lychee, which adds colour and texture to the meal. It maintains a good balance of being not overly sweet and having tender, bite-sized portions. This dish is an example of what Putien can do to take the fried rice and bee hoon dishes to the next level: Simple, fuss-free and creative additions to a familiar dish to tantalize the taste buds.

Satisfying meal and will return again to try more dishes in future.

Pork Belly with Garlic

Spinach with Salted Egg & Century Egg in Supreme Stock

Stir-fried Yam

Seafood Fried Rice

Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon

PUTIEN Sweet & Sour Pork with Lychees

Tong Ah Eating House (36 Keong Saik Road)

Tong Ah Eating House (36 Keong Saik Road)

Food Quality:0.5 =)

Ambiance: 0.0 =)

Service: -0.5 =)

Value: 1.0 =)

Overall: 1.0 =)

Cost: S$49 (4 pax, excluding drinks)

Will I return again: Likely

This is your regular zhi char (wok-cooked food) stall situated at the outskirts of Chinatown. Let's start with the dishes that surprised the most: The House Specialty Fried Beancurd and Shrimp Paste Chicken (Har Jiong Kai or 虾酱鸡). The Beancurd had a generous serving of minced pork and preserved turnip (chai poh) and was not too salty. On its own, the dish was able to exude the real home-cooked style of the eatery. The Chicken was surprisingly merciful on the palate (I am not a fan of excessive shrimp paste dishes). It was fairly tasty on its own (although it comes with a sweet chilli sauce), and there were a few chunks of meat with more chicken meat than bones.

The Pork Ribs was sweet from start to finish. It had a good balance of meat-to-bones, and the meat was quite tender. Definitely one dish that will entice a diner back for seconds.

The Sambal Kang Kong and Prawn Hor Fun were... average. The Kang Kong appeared slightly overcooked while the Hor Fun lacked the character of a superstar dish. The flat rice noodles on its own honestly tasted not bad, but the whole dish disappointed without a signature gravy to complement the noodles.

In humid Singapore, the lack of air conditioning usually does a disservice to the dining experience. In this case, the situation was salvaged with the strategic positioning of large, wall-mounted fans, which kept the eatery well ventilated throughout the meal.

All in all, a relatively decent chow. There were a number of articles on display (not so much that of the over-used Channel U food shows), including an article each from The Business Times and The New York Times.

Pork Ribs

House Specialty Fried Beancurd

Sambal Kang Kong

Prawn Hor Fun

Shrimp Paste Chicken

Air-flown Sirloin Steak @ Hot Tomato (NEX Branch)

Air-flown Sirloin Steak @ Hot Tomato (NEX Branch)

Food Quality: -0.5 =)
Ambiance: 0.0 =)
Service: 0.0 =)
Value: -0.5 =)
Overall: -1.0 =)

Cost: S$14.90
Will I return again: Maybe

Ordered the promotional item at Hot Tomato (air-flown sirloin steak with potatoes, cherry tomatoes and lettuce). A let-down in terms of quality and portion. I had my steak medium-done (as always, no blood please), and it was served rather quickly, despite a full-house crowd. Respectable delivery timing as well (the order was served within 8 minutes), but that's where it started going downhill. While there were no major complaints on the salad, potatoes and tomatoes, the steak was awfully flaky. To top it off, the sauce was very haphazardly splashed all over the plate, in dribs and drabs: very unevenly spread out. At some stage, the steak tasted more like hand-made meatballs than sirloin. The natural flavour of fresh, air-flown meat failed to impress. In addition, the fatty lining of the sirloin steak was also impossible to chew and most of it had to be wasted. Poor texture overall. To sum it up, the steak was let down by the weak texture and taste. Oh, and the potatoes were too oily, having been clearly transferred directly from deep fryer to plate. Perhaps the saving grace was the romaine lettuce, which was crunchy and had a fairly flavourful dressing.

The ambiance was fuss-free and air conditioned, but there wasn't anything that stood out as remarkable. Service was quick, but getting the attention of the server(s) to order and request for the bill proved to be tiring. There was no noticeable synergy between the ingredients, and the presentation of the dish was very unexciting. I was unable to sense any enthusiasm from either the chef or the serving staff.

The struggle to finish the steak ended quite abruptly, and uneventfully. Not for the serious steak lover, but it'll do nicely if you are not too fussy and easy to forgive on taste. Definitely below average. Should stick to the standard fare: pasta or traditional western food (served with fries) instead.

Pork Congee @ Blk 237 Serangoon Avenue 3

Pork Congee @ Blk 237 Serangoon Avenue 3

Food Quality: 0.5 =)
Ambience: 0.0 =)
Service: 0.0 =)
Value: 0.0 =)
Overall: 0.5 =)

Cost: S$2.50 (includes an egg)
Will I return again: Yes. It's comfort food!

Let's be very clear here. This is a truly decent bowl of porridge and I have ordered this quite often at this particular coffeeshop.

The porridge served is more like cantonese congee, with heavily broken down rice grains in a thick rice broth. It comes topped with spring onions and fried shallots. A fuss-free meal that screams out 'comfort food'. Piping hot you tiao (Fried dough fritters) may be purchased separately (and it usually comes straight from the wok) from another stall (S$0.70 apiece).

The setting is a non-air-conditioned neighbourhood coffeeshop, which means it can get warm and humid. Fortunately, there are two workarounds to this problem: (1) Go in the morning for breakfast, before the midday sun bears down upon you; (2) Go at night, when it gets more cooling. Would advise going in the morning as there is a limited supply of congee. Tables are clean but you may find yourself sharing tables during weekend mornings as it does get quite crowded then.

Food is served efficiently, usually within 5 minutes of the order. Nothing exceptional about the service in your local coffeeshop. The portion is adequate, but the congee-to-meat ratio is kinda disproportionate.

Upon the first mouthful, the flavour of the meat, congee and seasoning explodes in your mouth. And that's where I first noticed that it lacked a certain fragrance: sesame oil. I do not know since when have they stopped adding sesame oil into the congee, but it was the one thing that stood out during the meal. And I noticed it immediately. But it's not a big boo boo as service recovery was quick and a serving dish was quickly prepared with the sesame oil. 

In all, it was a satisfying meal and will recommend it if you are in the area and want to grab something that's not too filling (for breakfast, at least) or oily (standard Singapore fare can be quite oily).

Introduction to NSS@Foodie

I love a good meal. Come on, who doesn't?

Over the years, I have acquired a habit of photographing my meals, from the awesome to the outright atrocious. Friends and relatives have repeatedly wondered if I would someday blog about my foodie experiences, but I have always shied away from that idea as it sounds like a very personal and time consuming activity. Until now. I am still just as busy as before, but having scoured the net on foodie opinions, I have realised that there are few food critics who have been able to convey the wave of emotions that I have experienced while dining, and there is simply too much focus on 'popular' eateries in food blogs, such that truly simple food in the humble neighbourhood coffeeshop or hawker centre is often overlooked.

I hope that I will be able to convey my (often too harsh) version of food experiences to you, the reader, and in the process, attempt to bring about improvements in the quality of the food and overall dining experience at the places that I have dined at.

Happy reading! Please feel free to leave any comments on any foodie-related topic. I will try and read your comment but I may not respond. =)

Cheers,
NSS

Disclaimer: The opinion listed in this blog are solely that of mine, and I do not receive kickbacks (unless otherwise stated) and do not believe in showering praise for the sake of doing so. In other words, I try to be as impartial, blunt and critical as possible in my reviews. If you are looking for a food recommendation website or blog, I am afraid I must disappoint you.