If you find a restaurant in Guangzhou thronged with customers awaiting seats, it is probably due to one of the following factors: exceptionally tasty food or the effect of conformity. With Putien, we lean toward the former.
Since it joined the underground floor of TaiKoo Hui in early July, this sub-branch of a Michelin-starred restaurant has enjoyed a full house every single day (even with its upward of 120 seats), alluring passersby with a radiant facade and animate ambiance.
Putien, which first set up shop in Singapore in 2000 before leavening the culinary scene in Hong Kong two years ago, has established itself as one of the must-try Chinese restaurants among foraging gourmands.
Its cuisine hails from the coastal city of Putian in Fujian province, whose people boast a good name of hospitality. The tradition is well honored by Putien’s waitresses, who never forget to top up your glass of complimentary ginger tea while you wait for a table.
The popularity of this Fujian eatery can be explained in three words: fresh, light and invigorating. Order the sweet and sour pork with lychee (RMB48) and you’ll get the idea: deep-fried until slightly golden, the pork tastes tender inside, with the lychee fruit adding a touch of sweetness to the sauce.
The menu flaunts a great deal of signature dishes and includes a vegetarian selection devoted to tofu and eggplant dishes. Topped with a smidgen of green onions and splashed with a rich-tasting sauce, the homemade bean curd (RMB35) tastes rather robust.
Feel free to expand your order, as some dishes, like the amaranth with salted eggs (RMB38), are palatable but come in measly portions.
Few visit Putien without ordering at least one of its 10 signature dishes. Opt for the iced bitter gourd (RMB22) for an appetizing starter. If the wait has left you famished, call in a bowl of fried Heng Huwa Bee Hoon (RMB48) – a kind of rice vermicelli that some claim won the eatery its star. Flavored with pork bone and chicken stock, this lip-smacking main is infused with no less than 10 aromatic ingredients.
Although it charges five yuan for a bowl of plain rice, Putien strikes us as unpretentious and ready to serve. Expect an hour in the queue during peak hours, but remember Fangsuo bookstore is close at hand to entertain.
Price: RMB90
Who’s going: Chinese families, swish TaiKoo Hui shoppers
Good for: light-flavored, hearty Putian cuisine
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