The eel menu at PUTIEN makes an anticipated return
The PUTIEN Eel Festival is back again, this time with two new dishes in tow.
Having achieved much success last year, the Michelin-approved restaurant chain is reviving its seasonal menu where top-grade eels are celebrated in five unique ways on the menu. Running from now till 31 October 2020, customers can seek out these dishes at all 14 PUTIEN outlets islandwide, including their latest opening at Great World.
Instead of the Japanese unagi we’re used to, PUTIEN stays true to its Chinese roots by sourcing for Japanese-bred eels only from farms in Shunde, Guangdong, also known as the ‘Hometown of Eels’ in China. These eels tend to be springier than unagi, with sweeter meat, and come in small cutlets. Going beyond taste, eels are also extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, including those that aid digestion and metabolism.
We went down to their Great World outlet to try the seasonal dishes, and it was definitely a unique experience.
One of the most iconic eel dishes at Putien is the Eel Cooked In Natural Spring Water ($39.90++), where raw eel slices are cooked tableside in a claypot with spring water, goji berries, ginger and some salt to complete the recipe.
It has to simmer for 10 minutes before you dig in.
Though there are merely four ingredients, the result was surprisingly flavorful. The saying “simple is best” is reflected in the aromatic clear broth, sweetened and given depth by the natural flavours of the eel.
Our favourite dish was the Eel on Pan-fried on Hot Plate ($39.90++), where crisp morsels of springy eel are fried till golden brown and seasoned with a touch of salt and pepper.
The integrity of the eel meat reigns with every umami mouthful.
A new item on the Eel Festival menu that is well worth a try is the Baked Eel Dressed in Garlic & Puning Bean Sauce ($39.90++).
Served sizzling in a claypot, the eels come imbued with the savoury, salty kick from fermented bean sauce and the generous amounts of garlic. The portion is generous enough to share with the family, best enjoyed with a side of plain rice.
Also available, though at a later date, are the new, ultra-snackable Crispy Fried Eel Bones ($9.90++), available for dine-in or in take-home jars, and the Chilled Eel ($16.90++), where the fish is marinated Japanese-style, grilled, and served cold.
One important thing to note though, is that the eels do have fine bones and that is perfectly normal across the dishes.
Eel fans or PUTIEN regulars definitely have something new to be excited about for the next month, so call your nearest outlet to try these speciality dishes out.
Find out more about the PUTIEN Eel Festival!
Website
Full list of locations
Photos taken by John Lery Villanueva.
This post is brought to you by PUTIEN.
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