Enjoy fresh and authentic Fujianese dishes at Michelin-Star resto Putien

“Polen Polen!” bellowed the friendly staff as soon as we entered Putien, a seven-time Michelin-star awardee during the opening of its second branch in the country. It’s a traditional greeting among Putianese (Fujianese), which translates to “You are from Putian (Fujian), I am, too!”

That’s how Putien founder, Uncle Fong, welcomes his customers — like he would in his own home. It’s an open invitation to experience Putian culture through glorious, delicious food.

Fresh ingredients, original taste

Located at Mitsukoshi in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Putien is a popular Singaporean brand serving Fujian cuisine. It has its roots in its namesake, Putian, a beautiful coastal suburb southeast of Fujian, China. It is famous for Putian or Hengwa cuisine, a style of Fujianese cooking that underscores the use of only the freshest seafood, which is abundant in the coastal city.

“‘Fresh ingredients, original taste’ has been Putien’s brand philosophy and promise to guests since its inception in year 2000 in Kitchener Road, Singapore,” enthuses Sky Kok, operations manager, Putien Mitsukoshi, BGC.

Uncle Fong and his family emigrated from China to Singapore in 2000. Unable to find a decent restaurant serving Fujianese cuisine, he decided to open an eatery that would serve as a gateway to Fujian’s culinary treasures.

He would head to Jurong seafood wholesale market at night to buy fresh seafood. Sourcing the best-quality ingredients has always been Uncle Fong’s obsession, which worked in his favor, as his (seafood) suppliers became his loyal customers. They knew that they would be served good, quality food when they dined at Putien.

And so, what started as a hole-in-the-wall on Kitchener Road has expanded in Asia to 104 branches in different cities in China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei and the Philippines.

Let the Fujian feast begin!

Putien had me at Seaweed and Mini Shrimps Dressed in Sauce, said to be the crème de la crème of seaweeds. It’s totally different — texture and taste-wise — from the commercial seaweeds I’ve tried. It’s silky, sweet, crisp, and bursts with umami with every bite.

According to Sky, Putien only uses the first-harvest, top-grade Fujian seaweed that is only available for 15 days.

“They are carefully harvested by hand and kept under the sun for 48 hours,” he adds.

More interesting dishes followed, like the Braised Pig Intestine and the Deep Fried Pork Trotters with Salt & Pepper.

Meticulously washed in water and wine for three hours, the intestines are folded neatly using a chopstick, then braised in 12 herbs and spices. The pork trotters, on the other hand, are braised for three hours, fried for 50 seconds in 250-degree hot oil, resulting in perfectly cooked trotters with a tasty, almost melt-in-your-mouth collagen goodness.

But if it’s your first time at Putien, start your culinary journey with the Three Treasures of Fujian: the Fujian Red Mushroom Seafood Lor Mee, the “100-Second” Stewed Yellow Croaker, and the Bian Rou Soup.

Made with 13 ingredients, the Fujian Red Mushroom Seafood Lor Mee is packed with so much flavor. What makes this dish extra-special is the Red Mushroom, a rare ingredient only found on the slopes of China’s Wuyi Mountains. The mushroom is boiled into the soup, giving the broth its signature red hue.

The stewed yellow croaker is the signature Putien dish. Carefully boiled to precision at 100 seconds with light seasoning, it allows one to savor the freshness of the fish. It goes well with the seaweed fried rice.

A labor of love, Putien’s Bian Rou Soup is a definite must-try. Did you know that the meat is pounded 1,200 times — for over three hours — just to create a paper-thin wrap for the dumpling? Both the dumpling and the soup are flavor bombs that explode in the mouth with every spoonful.

I also liked the savory stir-fried yam, which reminds me of camote cue but served with caramelized onions. The chef uses only the center part of the ping nang yu yam variety from Thailand, and undergoes three cooking stages: steaming, frying and sautéing.

At Putien, the sweet and sour pork is made extra-special by using lychee instead of pineapple as a souring ingredient. The fruit provides the right balance of tanginess and sweetness.

Putien’s guiding principle, “mastering authentic Fuijian cuisine with quality ingredients,” go side by side with Uncle Fong’s vision that has made Putien one of the world’s leading Chinese restaurant chains to date.

The original outlet on Kitchener Road was conferred with a much-coveted Michelin Star in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, among other recognitions such as Singapore’s Prestige Brand and Singapore Service Star Awards in 2009, Epicurean Star Award in 2016, and Tasty Singapore Awards in 2010.

These citations are testaments to the skills of Putien’s chefs, led by master chef Li, as they create dishes that are high quality and truly authentic Fujian.

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Visit Putien on the second level of Mitsukoshi Mall, BGC; and on the fifth floor, The Podium, Pasig City.  For reservations, call or SMS 0977-8047888, 0918-9193888 or 8282-1888.