Platypus Kitchen – Everything below $20! (Plus Cookbook GIVEAWAY!)
January 04, 2013
For those of you who are working around Raffles Place, I am sure you are familiar with Platypus Test Kitchen at Clifford Centre. I went there for lunch early last year under a friend’s recommendation and I am glad that they have recently opened Platypus Kitchen in Bugis Junction!
Yes, Platypus has taken over V8 Cafe and the restaurant offers a flurry of mediterranean & italian dishes inspired by the flavours of arromatic olive oils and the freshest seafood. The restaurant constantly comes up with little twists on classics just like a platypus – a little weird in their own ways.
Unique selling point?
– They make their own pastas everyday.
– There are no added MSG, additives or preservatives in their dishes!
One of the owners, Nicholas, is the author of the bestselling cookbook, Bachelor’s Banquet. His interest in cooking started when he began experimenting his mother’s kitchen at a young age. So he found his passion in cooking and opened Platypus 3 years ago. Nicholas feels that people are paying too much for casual meal and gourmet food should be accessible. So he offered reasonable price for reasonable quality.
Our dinner started with a bowl of truffle fries. Nobody can say no truffle fries, at least for me. I can’t remember when did it appear in my life, but since then, I have been hooked. When there is a truffle fries option in the menu, I will definitely go for it.
The Truffle Fries ($6.90) here are deep-fried to a shade of gorgeous golden-brown and infused with quality white truffle oil and topped with shaved truffles. I like that the fries are cut thick but I thought the truffle taste could be stronger.
Risotto balls are usually very dry, but Platypus Kitchen’s Risotto Balls ($8.90) are stuffed with mozzarella, breaded in panko then deep fried. Crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, these tasty rice balls are served over rich pumpkin puree which is an interesting twist to the usual side dish.
Char-grilled Spanish Shrimp & Chorizo Gambas ($8.90), these chorizo are made using chicken instead of pork. They are then cooked with homemade tomato sauce and roasted and sundried tomatoes, love the tangy tomato sauce!
I asked Nicholas, what makes a plate of good pasta? His answer was, a good plate of pasta is all about the dough, chewiness and creativity. All these elements are very obvious in the dishes. One example is the Black & White ($17.50) which is interwomven with egg and squid-ink tagliolini with crabs and scallops in white wine consomme. I love how their pasta is tender to the bite and with just the right amt of sauce!
Nicholas’s food always stands out with creative touches here and there. You are either going to love this or hate this. Spicy Diablo Crabs & Prawn ($18.50) is a plate of egg tagliolini with tossed with prawns and crab claw meat in a spicy egg sauce.
Don’t be fooled by its appearance because it can be quite spicy if you are not a chilli lover. Still as good as what I had previously at the Clifford outlet, the first mouthful is always a kick for me and subsequently, it just gets better and becomes very addictive. Are you ready?
Saffron infused Risotto ($19.90) is served with char-grilled prawns and scallops then finished with sustainable caviar and fine herbs. I love this the most because carnaroli rice is used which is a premium grade for making risotto. The risotto maybe slightly bland but when you mix in the saffron, it just gives it a balanced flavour. Moreover, it looks like a beautiful garden!
If you want to have non-pasta dishes, the outlet here also serves Poached Chicken & Truffles ($19.90, add $3.50 for truffle overload). Milk-poached chicken breast comes with truffled potatoes, confit garlic, shaved truffles and parma ham with brown butter custard. Rather creative for to combine chicken and truffles together.
This is Nicholas and his cookbook “Bachelor’s Banquet” ($24.90) which was published in 2009 with his co-writer Adhika Maxi. Why the name? Because they wanted to show that men can be excellent cooks and that preparing an intimate meal for two is not rocket science.
Platypus Kitchen really takes pride in their dishes. Every pasta dish we had is really creative and you can’t really see a similar one elsewhere. And 99% of their food is below $20 (except for a seafood stew which costs slightly more). It also has super affordable lunch and dinner deals.
Weekday Lunch: Pasta & Risotto sets from $12.90. Every set meals includes choice of hot soup or salad, plus choice of cold beverage.
Dinner: Set meals from $16.90. Every set meals includes choice of hot soup or salad, plus choice of cold beverage.
If you get the set meals, you can get their non-alcoholic carafes at $2.90 (UP $6.50), Beer cocktails at $4.90 (UP $9.90), SOL Mexican Beer at $4.20 (UP $7.20), Heineken Beer at $4.50 (UP $7.50) or Kirin Beer at $4.90 (UP $7.90)!
Platypus Kitchen
Address: 200 Victoria Street, #03-29 Bugis Junction
Tel: +65 6333 4434
12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Platypus Kitchen. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!
**************************
Generous Nicholas decided to giveaway his cookbook “Bachelor’s Banquet” (with his signature!) to ONE LUCKY READER! There are 80 recipes in this book such as bacon & egg risotto, tuna nigiri bowl, lemon chicken with corn relish etc. The preparation methods are delicious yet easy to prepare. You can keep it for yourself or give it to your boyfriend/husband to give them a chance to cook for you!
Here’s the question: Where is Platypus Kitchen latest outlet?
To win, leave a comment with the correct answer! Closing Date: 6 January 2013 (Sunday), 23:59. Only for readers living in Singapore.
RESULTS
