One-Michelin-starred Singapore-based restaurant PUTIEN is now finally here in Manila, thanks to the Vikings Group. Its name is a tribute to owner Mr. Fong Chi Chung’s hometown Putian City, a coastal suburb in the province of Fujian in China.
Putien is known for its light, down-to-earth and flavorful food with emphasis on fresh and seasonal ingredients and a healthier take on Chinese cuisine. It’s also known for its seafood with limited pork options but no beef due to religious beliefs.
Their food looks exotic Chinese food compared to the Cantonese comfort food we are used to in Manila, but for Chinese families with roots in Fujian province, this is the food—cooked by Ama—they grew up with.
PUTIEN
PUTIEN, a restaurant serving Singaporean-Fujian cuisine, was established in 2000 at Kitchener Road. It has been awarded a Michelin star since 2016.
Level 5, The Podium, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Telephone: +632 8282-1888/ 8282-6888
Mobile: +63 918 9193888
Facebook: PUTIEN Philippines
Instagram: @putien.ph
Email: putienphilippines@gmail.com
First Things First
About PUTIEN
PUTIEN restaurant began as a coffee shop in Singapore’s Kitchener Road in 2000 and has since grown into a popular chain with 65 outlets in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, HongKong, Beijing, Shanghai and Taiwan. PUTIEN serves cuisine from the Fujian Province in China, characteristically light, down-to-earth and flavourful food with emphasis on fresh ingredients.
PUTIEN has received numerous dining and business awards, including the Michelin Guide Singapore 2016 & 2017 & 2018 & 2019 MICHELIN ONE-STAR RESTAURANT Award (Kitchener Road Outlet), Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2016 & 2017 & 2018 & 2019 BIB GOURMAND RESTAURANT Award (Causeway Bay Outlet), Influential Brands Top Brand in Chinese Restaurant Category in 2015, 5S Excellence Award by RAS, Epicurean Star Award 2012, 2010 Overall Champion of The Restaurant Association Singapore’s Tasty Chef Award and Singapore Prestige Brand Award in 2009.
The ambiance was bright and classy but a bit noisy with all the chatter bouncing from wall to wall.
Putien Menu: Michelin One-Star Restaurant | Classic Treasures of Fujian | 10 Signature Dishes of Putien | Uniquely Singapore | Starters | Starters 2 | Starters 3 |Starters Platter | Seafood | Seafood 2 | Seafood 3 | Seafood 4 | Seafood 5 | Meat | Meat 2 | Meat 3 | Beancurd and Vegetables | Vegetables 2 | Vegetables 3 | Vegetables 4 | Soup |Soup 2 | Main Course | Main Course 2 | Main Course 3 | Main Course 4 | Dessert | Dessert 2 | Dessert 3 | Sides
Drink Menu: Tea 1 | Tea 2 | Juice 1 | Juice 2 | Juice 3 | Wines | Alcohol
You can start with the 10 signature dishes or the uniquely Singaporean dishes, but I would dare you to try the following dishes…
STARTER
Not your usual appetizers—pork collagen, rolled intestines, braised tofu and black seaweed, the most popular among the 4.
Abalone is a precious product in Chinese cuisine. Why not have it fresh and sweet and enjoy the meat itself?
Loved this green juice made from green vegetables, pineapple and plums, perfect to start the meal.
SEAFOOD
The fish was naturally sweet and milky tender because of the flash 100-sec stew of the yellow croaker (100-200g) bred in Ningde, Fujian.
A specialty of Putien that comes in plain, spicy or the middle ground—tangy in tomato sauce.
This sweet & sour fish looked like a squirrel when deep fried, and it was already deboned so it was fun to eat with a bit of crunch and sweetness.
You’d taste more of the crisp batter than the oyster itself. Could we have more oysters please?
This lama sauce was spicy, made from fresh red and chili peppers with garlic, onion and lime—perfect with any Putien dish.
This soup tasted herby and medicinal, like something that your Ama will give you when you need strength or during your ge lai.
The shrimp was small with the skin sticking to the meat, not a good sign when it comes to freshness.
Loved this different taste for a clam dish, which is usually served with tausi, but this one came with spicy chili, brown jus.
MEAT
Was so into the sesame bun, which was like a fried cua pao bun with sesame seeds and you fill the inside with shredded pork.
BEANCURD & VEGETABLES
This tasted like a glazed ube-q (think camote q but with ube) and a healthy carbo alternative to rice or fries.
SOUP
Loved the clean-tasting milky broth of the tofu cabbage soup with dried shrimp, dried scallops, garlic flavors.
The food is meant to be shared family-style to mix and match with the mains as the noodle or the rice bowl.
MAIN COURSE
It’s the kind of noodle you’ll enjoy when you’re sick or on a rainy day to give you a comforting milky broth with silky smooth noodles.
The fresh tea selection at Putien was a delight, and this Chinese loquat tea gave a fruity tea compliment to the light dishes.
For those looking for something meaty, order this minced pork rice dish.
The mee sua was quite special, made with equally special ingredients, including black seaweed and noodles soaked in the tasty sauce.
This is the kind of noodle you could eat every day, but at the same time, something you’d want to have as your birthday noodle.
Desserts
A nice take on durian, pureed and deep-fried to give a crunch to the creamy flavor—not as stinky anymore.
We loved this loquat jelly with chia seeds and mango with a strong mint flavor, which felt like you just brushed your teeth.
A cold pumpkin soup ala mode style (and you’ll be disappointed that it’s not a mango sago dessert).
For a more subtle lemongrass jelly flavor with fruits and chia seeds.
A dessert made of white fungus with red dates served cold.
It tasted like an iced pear with a fermented and osmanthus flavor.
Final Thoughts
Overall, congratulations to the Vikings Group for the successful opening of Putien in Manila!
Compared to the usual Chinese food in Manila, the food felt exotic to me while, for Rache, the food felt like home, the kind they grew up with but with 1-Michelin star for the service and flavor.
Order the Seaweed and Mini Shrimps Dressed with Sauce and the Stir-fried Yam to start, the Braised Bean Curd with Chinese Cabbage for the soup, the Mazu Mee Sua for your noodles and the Tangy ‘100-Second’ Stewed Yellow Croaker and Deep-fried Squirrel Fish (eat with their special chili sauce) for your seafood main. If you like something meaty, order their signature Shredded Pork with Sesame Bun. For desserts, end with the Deep-fried Durian Puree and Chilled PUTIEN Loquat in Herbal Jelly for the sweet herb flavor and to feel toothpaste-fresh after. Budget about ₱800/head.
It’s the perfect place to celebrate a birthday with the family, catering to seniors looking for something healthy, foodies looking for something different from the usual and kids looking for noodles or shredded pork buns to enjoy. The service can be more attentive and knowledgeable to give justice to its 1-Michelin-star status.
PUTIEN
PUTIEN, a restaurant serving Singaporean-Fujian cuisine, was established in 2000 at Kitchener Road. It has been awarded a Michelin star since 2016.
Level 5, The Podium, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Telephone: +632 8282-1888/ 8282-6888
Mobile: +63 918 9193888
Facebook: PUTIEN Philippines
Instagram: @putien.ph
Email: putienphilippines@gmail.com
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of the Vikings Group. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions and insights.
P.S. I wanted to take this home. This sauce is so versatile that it can be paired with fried, saucy or dry dishes.
