it's been just under a year since i visited platypus test kitchen at clifford centre. didnt realise it was pretty recent! somehow had the impression that it was a really long time ago :p i still havent figured out why it's called 'platypus' though! :p but when its new outlet in Bugis Junction opened recently, i was soooo excited to try it :) Platypus Kitchen is still in its soft launch phase, but look out for it's full launch which is coming up soon! i'm pretty sure it's gonna draw the crowds when the time comes ^^ just looking at the menu made me so excited already, the number of choices available were mind-blowing! and with their concept of Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer menus, this means even more choices for us diners! ;) and it also means better quality of food since only the best seasonal items are used.
let's start with the drinks! i ate so much food that day i hope i can remember everything :p hahaha. i'll try my best alright. anyway, these drinks were really interesting! they're mixologist inspired drink creations and the two main types to choose from are the beer cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. as you probably know, i don't like beer. i've attempted to try all kinds of fruit beer and i still hate the taste of the beer. but the ones at Platypus kitchen sound so interesting! beer that has REAL fruits inside and not just the syrup just made it kinda tempting, and when Nicholas assured me that the taste of the beer was minimal, i gave in and decided to give it a shot. and boy, i was so impressed!!! i ordered the momo lychee ale ($9.90) which is Sol beer flavoured with fresh peach and lychee nectar, garnished with mint sprigs and fresh lychees. just the description was enough to make me drool. and how often do you find drinks with real fruits in it! that's what makes Platypus Kitchen special because they strive to make not only their food, but drinks included, as authentic and natural as possible. this was such a refreshing drink and i could hardly taste the beer at all because of the natural sweetness of the fruit in it :)
i also ordered one of the non-alcoholic drinks - the mint and lime cooler ($6.50). this was somewhat like a non-alcoholic version of a mojito. after the super yummy lychee ale i had before, this didnt impress me as much, but it was delicious nonetheless :) i loved the tangy flavour of the kalamansi and lime!
on to appetizers :) i was being very greedy as usual and ordered truffle fries ($6.90) despite knowing that i would be stuffed after all the pastas to come later on xP at this rate i'm going to become a mushroom -.- haha. unfortunately the day i went, they'd just run out of real truffles! : ( but so as not to disappoint me, truffle salsa was used instead, and they still tasted great! especially with the parmesan sprinkled on top. i can just imagine how much better it could potentially taste with real shaved truffles.
trying to be a little healthier, i ordered the parma ham rocket salad ($13.50) which i absolutely loved! especially with the little mozzarella balls of cheese in it, and a very interesting balsamic vinaigrette, can't really remember what was in it, probably lime? and that gave it an interesting twist which perked up the entire dish.
I tried the roasted pumpkin soup ($3.90) as well. it was quite funny, because apparently the soup suffers from some hits and misses, BUT i count myself really lucky that day (and you should definitely take the risk and order it!) because the one i got was absolutely delightful. the pumpkin and carrots were pureed to the perfect texture with just the right amount of sweetness, and it was so deliciously tasty! i adored it. and even though there were so many other dishes to come, i kept my pumpkin soup with me right to the end of the meal, so that i could sip on it once in awhile ^^
i was so excited for the pastas which Platypus Kitchen is famous for ^^ i just had to try the spicy 'diabolo' crab & prawn ($18.50) which had the 'love it' sign on the menu, and it didnt disappoint! :) from it's artsy appearance with the little nest atop (i was fascinated to find out it's actually shredded chili that has been fried to a crisp! try it on it's own and you can taste the little tinge of spiciness and it goes beautifully with your pasta when you mix it in), to the aroma the moment the dish lands on your table, to the harmonious combination of flavours exploding in your mouth, this dish was simply wonderful. it's also really interesting how the pastas here have a touch of Asian flavour! argh, i'm so annoyed that i can't remember exactly what the ingredient was, but just try it. it's super good :D Platypus Kitchen doesnt consider itself to be purely Italian, nor is it fusion. but it serves up it's pasta dishes to suit the asian palate and they're just mouth-wateringly gooooood.
being very greedy as usual, i ordered a second pasta which was the squid ink scallop ragout ($16.50) which was super delicious as well!!!!! haha this is why going to Italy for my exchange is a good choice ;) i'm so gonna have a whale of a time there (look out for my posts!! :D i'm bouncing with excitement already *boingboing!*). anyway, as with the seafood marinara debbie had the last time we went to Platypus Test Kitchen, the squid ink pasta here is the clean kind as well ;) goodie! didnt have to worry about embarrassing myself :p haha. the scallops were so fresh that they bounced around in my mouth, and the abundance of sauteed garlic pieces made me fall head over heels in love with this dish. another commitment which Platypus Kitchen tries to fulfill to its customers is to recreate the dishes as similarly as to how they look like in the menu. i feel that this is a small touch that makes a world of a difference, since expectations are formed when you look at a dish in the menu, and you do hope that what you get is what you expect! and looking at this photo i have here, and the picture on the menu, i have to say that it is an almost identical replication! \^o^/
this photo was blur because i was so excited to catch the pouring action that i just snapped the photo without steadying my camera. boo xP so it isnt a good representation of this gorgeous dish. but the point is, at Platypus Kitchen, tableside service is all part of the package, and so to complete your dining experience, sauces for dishes are poured at the table where possible. and i always think it makes for such an excellent photo-opportunity! (if your reaction is fast enough :p) so this was my pressed pork belly ($19.90) main course, which was a supple crispy-skin pork belly served with a delicious honey & clove apple glaze, sitting on top of a bed of carrots, greens and braised apples. i loved the pairing of the apples and pork belly. the apples lend a sweetness, and feeling of healthiness which sorta reduces the sinfulness you feel from eating pork belly :p
and finally, dessert! as far as i know, there arent any desserts on the menu yet. but they are coming soon! (then again the selection of appetizers, pastas, risottos and mains are already so extensive i wonder whether you'll have stomach left for dessert) this is just a preview of one of the desserts to be featured on the menu! i can't remember the name and exactly what it is. but i adored it. absolutely completely. it's a cake with layers of chocolate and peanut, ganache and sponge and chocolate sauce and all the flavours and textures blended together perfectly. i was stuffed by this point in time, and yet i polished off the entire slice. OMG. fat hor? :/ haha. but it was worth it. there's also popping candy on top! i'm not a big fan of it, but for those who like it, should be pretty interesting! :)
it's always nice to know that the business/restaurants you support have an element of social enterprise. just makes you feel better shopping/eating there doesnt it? :p that's what Platypus Kitchen tries to do, by providing the best quality of food at affordable prices for their diners. every dish on the menu is below $20, which is absolutely decent considering they use good quality produce and organic vegetables, and handmake their dishes and ingredients as far as possible. also, the use of LED lighting and energy-conserving equipment in the kitchen helps protect the environment as well :)
haha okay sorry for the uber long post. i get so excited when i have lots of things to write about :p hope you had fun reading & many thanks to Nicholas for inviting me for the tasting :) (this is an unbiased post btw! i had no obligation to write it :) so everything is my own fair opinion)
Platypus Kitchen
Bugis Junction #03-29
Tel.: +65 6333 4434
Daily: 12pm-10pm
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