Putien Raffles City - same good food in a tight space

It recently dawned on us that Putien Restaurant has opened quite a few outlets? They now have 12 outlets in Singapore and many more in Malaysia, China and Indonesia. They now have outlets in malls such as Vivo City, Jurong Point, Marina Square etc. Not that we are complaining, as we like the light Putian style of cuisine which is a nice break from the usual Cantonese dining options. We were at Putien Raffles City for lunch recently.

Putien Raffles City is located in an extreme corner of level 2. Next to it is the Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant SuFood. It is not a big outlet and tables are lined up close to each other. There are two tables near the entrance which have the most space (picture below). These are the tables to specify if making a reservation. Because of the hard surfaces and the windowless space, the restaurant can be noisy and congested at peak hours. Fortunately, the staff were pleasant and their efficiency provided some relief from the congestion.

Putien Raffles City Menu

Here are pictures of some pages from the Putien Raffles City Menu. We like the small portions of each item, priced around $10 each which enables two person to try a few different items.

We started with an item that is described as the “must-have’ Putien bian rou soup. The meat balls were tiny but delicious. The soup has a clean delicate flavour. It is a tasty dish to start any meal.

The braised home-made bean curd ($6.90) was a more substantial dish. These cubes of soft ‘tau pok‘ were cooked in a flavourful gravy. It is a type of food that goes well with steamed rice or plain rice porridge.

The pork ribs could be ordered by pieces ($5.90 each) and so the portion could be tailor-made to the diner’s preference. We liked the taste of the gravy but would have preferred the meat to be softer.

We ended the meal with one of the highly recommended dishes – Putien lor mee ($9.80). It was a large bowl of noodles for $10 and would be too much for one person. This lor mee was quite different from the usual lor mee we are used to. The usual lor mee has a dark, oily and meaty gravy. The one at Putien was creamy white and was cooked with vegetables and clams rather than a lot of meat. Overall a pleasant bowl of noodles.