Platypus Kitchen (Closed)

Pros :+ Lasagne Pasta is Excellent+ Salmon Pasta is okay, but portion could be larger+ Truffles Fries is crispy and delicious+ Cucumber Lemon taste refreshingCons :- Lunch Set Salad is a bit too sour for my taste, but my partner totally love it. continue reading

I was looking for a nice place to have a late lunch in the Bugis area when I found Platypus Kitchen on the Internet. It had pretty good reviews and I liked what I saw on its menu so it was decided then to head to its outlet at Bugis Junction. As a matter of fact, I had walked past this place a number of times before but never had the chance or inclination to visit it especially since it seemed quite crowded during meal times.When I entered the restaurant, I was a bit intimidated to find that I was the only customer around. I guess that's to be expected too since it was already past three when I was there. Nonetheless, the waiter who had come to greet me was very welcoming so it helped to put me at ease. I was seated at a table which allowed me to have a great view of the entire restaurant which was largely in soothing pastel tones and black. With the afternoon sun pouring in, this felt like such a good place to spend a lazy afternoon in as you watch the people walk by outside. In particular, I liked the seating which was very comfortable due to its padded seats. There have been many times when I stopped going to a restaurant because I found the seating very uncomfortable (e.g. chairs being too high or too low while eating at the table) or the tables being too close to one another thus resulting in a very cramped feeling so it was a good thing to be able to find a place which doesn't add on to my stress in this respect.First up was the lobster and crustacean soup which is roasted lobster broth served with double cream and bits of Boston lobster. Based on my experience so far, most soups would be either served in a small round bowl or those very big round dishes so it was a bit unusual to see an oval dish used in Platypus Kitchen. I liked the idea because it was rather easy to drink from and prevent spillage which tends to happen with smaller bowls. As for the soup itself, the aroma was very tempting as soon as the dish was served. There was also no need to add additional seasoning like salt and pepper because the soup was already flavourful enough on its own. As for the lobster bits, I felt that they were a bit too finely-cut for me to get a more accurate feel of the taste but at the very least, they didn't taste fishy in a bad way. The only thing which I didn't like about this dish was probably the herbs served as garnishing because they tasted a bit bitter.The main course I selected was the Italian Rosemary Garlic Cast Iron Grilled Chicken which was tagged as a specialty dish on the menu. The reason why this is called a Cast Iron Grilled Chicken is due to the fact that the chicken is grilled in heated cast iron skillets at 250 degrees Celsius. I presume that this cooking method helps to seal in the flavours of the chicken without the meat becoming too overcooked. There are four versions of this dish where the chicken is further cooked in different sauces so I think I'll be back to try the other versions another day. Coming back to this version which I ordered, I felt that the aroma of the garlic and herbs was nicely infused into the chicken so I was quite satisfied with this dish. The salad was fresh with a nice citrus-like dressing which made it more palatable since I really dislike those with a strong vinegar taste. The fries were of the right thickness but I would have preferred them to be lightly salted so as to eat them on its own. The chili sauce provided was a bit watery and unlike the usual local version we are used to so I thought that didn't go so well with the fries.One good thing to highlight about the service here is, the staff noticed that I was struggling with cutting the meat and went to get a meat cutting knife for me to replace the bread knife I was using. Granted that I was the only customer at that time, it might not have been difficult to notice that but I still applaud them for taking the effort to make the change because they could have just ignored me anyway if I didn't ask for a change in the knives.Last but not least, my dessert was the molten lava cake served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate soil. The vanilla ice cream was rather ordinary in my opinion but I thought the idea of having that almond chocolate glico stick as a garnishing was pretty interesting. On the other hand, the lava cake was rather dense and tasted quite rich so I gathered that it should be made of dark chocolate or the proportion of dark chocolate was pretty high. It was a pity that the cake was so dense that the "lava" failed to flow out when I put my spoon into it. However, the semi-liquid chocolate within was still nice to eat despite its gooey texture. I'm not sure how the chocolate soil was made but as long as it tasted good, it didn't matter so much.On the whole, I was rather satisfied with my dining experience at Platypus Kitchen and would want to visit it again but still, I would prefer to avoid the peak hours. I sure don't mind being the centre of attention again as the only customer in the restaurant! I also liked the fact that the restaurant attempted to distinguish itself as a place where people can meet up to enjoy meals together and it's making an attempt to get people off their phones at the dining table with little notes in the form of bookmarks. There are quirky questions and little known facts about food which can be used as conversation topics and I thought that it's a pretty good idea to catch the diners' attention. Whether it does help in making people concentrate more on their dining partners and food rather than their phones still remains to be seen but this type of initiative should be encouraged for its positivity. continue reading

Full Platypus Kitchen review: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2015/06/platypus-kitchen-platypus-lobster-shack.htmlThe Platypus Restaurant Group started out with small takeaway kiosks (Platypus Gourmet2Go Food Bars), eventually gaining enough success to open a small eatery (Platypus Lobster Shack). Their business grew till they were able to open their 1st full service, sit down dining restaurant, the Platypus Kitchen.Ambience at Platypus Kitchen is modern casual. Dark wooden furniture is spaced neatly within the dimly lit, yet spacious, floor space. With colours themes of wood against black, the interior has a sophisticated, romantic vibe to it. Tables can be shifted around to accomodate large groups, and when the restaurant gets partially filled, it becomes rather noisy and lively. Service at Platypus Kitchen is professional and efficient, as befits a full service restaurant. Staff are quick to seat diners in an orderly fashion, and are knowledgable enough to make recommendations. I like that on a particular visit, the staff proactively suggested changing my order to a set meal, which saved some money. Waiting time for food is around 10 minutes or so, rather quick, and I note that staff are also efficient are clearing away empty / dirty tables. However, while staff do offer polite greetings upon entry, they don't bid you goodbye, which is rather odd.Food at Platypus Kitchen is a mix of American, French, and Italian influences. Offering the best dishes from their various concepts, including Platypus Gourmet2Go Food Bars, and Platypus Lobster Shack, dishes here are tasty, mostly hand crafted using premium ingredients. Each dish is well balanced and packs flavour, and portions are large. In particular, their seafood dishes and hand made pasta dishes are standouts. Despite the high end cuisine, prices are reasonably affordable, budget about SGD $34 per person for a 2-course meal here.The lobster roll is a classic American sandwich, and the Traditional Lobster Roll (SGD $24.90) closely resembles those from Connecticut or Maine. Prepared in East Coast style, a grilled, buttered brioche bun is generously stuffed with fresh chunks of butter poached lobster, diced tomatoes, chives, and sea salt, all coated in a savoury, fragrant roasted-garlic mayonnaise. Each bite gives you the hit of the savoury sauce; the fresh, slightly briny, meaty lobster; then the juice of the tomatoes, and finally the light crunch of the bun. Pure comfort food, highly recommended!The classic French dish of Duck Confit & Berry Coulis With Potato Confit Mash (SGD $20.90) features an imported Hudson duck leg, slow-cooked / confit for 10 hours in its own fat, then quickly seared to give it a crisp skin. The result is incredibly fork-tender, fall of the bone duck meat that is savoury and robust in flavour, while the crisp skin shatters with a satisfiying crunch when cut. The duck fat under the skin is easily removed. A tart berry reduction lends a sweet fruity taste, which cuts through some of the heaviness of the duck. continue reading

Girlfriends and I were enjoying a nice get-together over good food. We started with a pumpkin soup which was velvety and flavourful! Loved it! We then ordered 4 different pastas (Mushroom Risotto, Sun-dried Tomato Pasta , Carbonara and Seafood Linguine) and they all tasted pretty good actually!Ladies MUST have desserts so we had 3 to share. We ordered Red Velvet Deluxe, Bailey's Extraordinary and Double Decker Mud Cake. I appreciated that their desserts are not the run-of-the-mill type and good tasting too!With starter, soup, main, dessert and tea, the bill came up to about $30 per pax which I thought is very decent. Definitely a revisit when in the area. continue reading

The food was disappointing. My bf and I ordered roasted pumpkin soup, truffle fries, wild mushroom risotto. The pumpkin soup had a very strong chicken stock taste and the frangrance of the roasted pumpkin did not go through. The truffle taste wasnt strong in the truffles fries as well, though the fries were firm and chewy.The mushroom risotto was the biggest disappointment. It had a strong blue cheese taste which made the dish pungent. My bf, who is a risotto-lover, could not bring himself to continue after a few bites as it was too pungent. When we asked the waiter if blue cheese was used inside, she said it was just cream. It was a disappointing dinner for us as we expected better food based on the reviews given by other diners.  continue reading