Singapore Eats: Paradise Dynasty

Going to Singapore on a short 4days/3nights trip, I made sure that all shopping and dining itineraries were in order before we even left.  And since we arrived in Singapore pretty early, I dragged Hubby to Ion Orchard before we even had the time to check in at the hotel!  Reason?  Ion Orchard has most of the stores I want to visit and it also houses two of the must-dine restaurants on my list!  First up:  Paradise Dynasty.

As mentioned in my previous post, it's been two long years since I last visited Singapore.  And in those two years, I've come across numerous drool-worthy posts from bloggers and friends based in Singapore, all raving about Paradise Dynasty's multicolored xiao long bao.  Those things looked like tiny nuggets of heaven and all I could do was just stare at my monitor, salivate and wish I was in Singapore every time someone posts a photo of the restaurant's most famous offering.  After that, I vowed never to leave Singapore again without tasting Paradise Dynasty's Signature xiao long bao.  

So... here it is.  We finally got to try Paradise Dynasty!  Scroll on to see what we had!

Baby Bamboo Shoot in Oyster Sauce

Crunchy and highly addicting.  It was a tad too oily though.

Signature Dynasty Xiao Long Bao (8 Flavors)
White (Original), Green (Ginseng), Orange (Crab Roe), Yellow (Cheese), Brown (Foie Gras), Pink (Szechuan), Gray (Garlic), Black (Black Truffle)

Ta-dah!  Signature Dynasty Xiao Long Bao!  Since there were only 8 pieces and each piece comes in a different flavor, Hubby and I decided to order 2 baskets to avoid war.  LOL.  And how did it taste?  Scrumptious!  Each flavor was distinctly different.  We particularly loved the black truffle and the foie gras flavors. (surprise, surprise!)

Sauteed Kai Lan with Ginger Sauce

I'm no veggie lover, but I find this palatable.  I guess it doesn't come as a surprise because vegetables in other countries are generally tasty than our local ones.

Crispy Sweet & Sour Pork

One of the fails.  I jumped on the chance when I saw this on the menu, thinking I'd get extra crispy outsides and tender insides of the sweet and sour pork.  Wrong.  The outside was just a tiny bit crispy because the batter was too thick.  And the insides?  It was a bit tough.

La Mian with Braised Pork Belly in Signature Pork Bone Soup

Another fail.  We thought that Paradise Dynasty's version of the pork bone soup would be comparable to Ippudo's, but there was nothing to compare.  The soup itself lacked the distinct pork bone flavor.

Radish Pastry

I've been a fan of the radish pastry ever since I can remember.  So in my quest for the best radish pastry, I make sure to order it every time I see it on the menu.  

The insides of the Radish Pastry

See the strips of radish?  Kudos to Paradise Dynasty for not coming up with the mashed versions of the radish pastry.  But as good as it looks, sadly, the shell was too thick and not as flaky as I would want it to be.  Lei Garden in Hong Kong still wins as the best radish pastry I've tried.  

Souffle Egg White Balls Stuffed with Red Bean & Banana

Again, this was another disappointment.  Too thick.  I've had better local versions of it.

Overall, I'd say that Paradise Dynasty has some hits and misses.  But if there's one thing you must try, it's definitely the famed multicolored xiao long bao.  3 out of 5 stars!

 
Paradise Dynasty is at Ion Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, #04-12A ION Orchard, Singapore