Paradise Dynasty (Causeway Point)

Paradise Dynasty has opened a new outlet in Causeway Point after it under went an extensive renovation. The group now has so many outlets that I have lost count how many outlets it has. 

The World's First 8 Flavoured Xiao Long Bao

This restaurant chain serves the The World's First 8 Flavoured Xiao Long Bao. As we have tried it before, we gave this a skip. 

Neatly arrange on every table. Customers can fill in the dishes they want and also indicate the quantity before passing it to one of the staff.

Drunken Chicken $7.80

The Drunken Chicken $7.80 was served chilled with Chinese Wine (Hua Tiao Jiu). The meat was succulent and flavourful. However, it was a little too uncooked for my liking.  

La Mian with Sliced Pork $9.80

The partner ordered a bowl of La Mian with Sliced Pork $9.80 which was served in their signature pork bone soup. The La Mian was delicious and each strand was uniformly thin. It would have been perfect if the La Mian was cooked a little longer so that it could be softer. Overall, a very decent bowl of La Mian. 

La Mian served with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80

I ordered the La Mian with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80. The Chicken Chop was served on a separate plate so that it would not be soaked in the pork bone soup. 

La Mian served with Deep Fried Chicken Chop $9.80

This bowl of La Mian was similar to the one my partner had. The only difference was that instead of pork slices, this came with fried chicken chop.

Deep Fried Chicken Chop

The Deep Fried Chicken Chop was very well marinated. The exterior had a thin layer of batter which was so tasty and crisp. As for the interior, it was tender and juicy. 

Surprisingly with Paradise Group's expansion, they have managed to ensure consistency.  

Paradise Dynasty (Causeway Point)

1 Woodlands Square

#05-16/17/18 Causeway Point

Singapore 738099 

Tel: 6894 6322

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri 11am - 10pm 

                         Sat, Sun and Public Holiday 1030am - 10pm

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Paradise Inn (Changi Airport T1)

Paradise Inn is one of the brands under the Paradise Group. Paradise Group has come a long way. Back then in 2002, it was located in a coffee shop in the industrial estate at Defu Lane. Today, Paradise Group has expanded rapidly over a short span of time to more than 30 restaurants with 8 different concepts. In addition, they have breached into the overseas market with 9 restaurants in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and China. Always good to hear that a Singapore brand has set foot into the overseas market.

Paradise Inn's concept is to replicate the concept of inn (tea house), restaurant and dessert house, and at the same time offer authentic and value for money food. Paradise Inn at Changi Airport Terminal 1 is the largest outlet under the Paradise Group with a capacity of more than 150 seats.

As we visited the restaurant at 945pm on a weekday, the restaurant was relatively empty. Although the restaurant closes at 11pm, the last order is at 10pm.

Braised Peanuts $1.50

The Braised Peanuts, a common common starter at Chinese restaurants was highly addictive. Once you start with one, it would be hard to stop.

Jasmine, Osmanthus, Dried Longan & Chrysanthemum Tea ($3.80 per person)

There were a variety of floral and herb fruit-infused hot teas to choose from as its concept was a tea house too. We chose the Jasmine, Osmanthus, Dried Longan & Chrysanthemum Tea which cost $3.80 per person. Its benefit includes nourishing the heart, improving the immune system and strengthening eyesight. With the tea candle below, the tea was kept warm at all time. The Jasmine, Osmanthus, Dried Longan & Chrysanthemum Tea was light and refreshing. Tea lovers would love this!

La Mian with Beef Brisket Soup (non-spicy) $10.80

The La Mian with Beef Brisket Soup came in either spicy or non-spicy version. The partner ordered the non-spicy version. The beef was tender and the broth was rich and tasty. A plus point to mention would be that the soup was not oily.

La Mian with Shredded Pork and Preserved Vegetables in Signature Pork Bone Soup $7.80

La Mian with Shredded Pork and Preserved Vegetables in Signature Pork Bone Soup $7.80

I ordered the La Mian with Shredded Pork and Preserved Vegetables in Signature Pork Bone Soup which was served with half an onsen egg. The la mian was quite good; smooth and springy. The broth was tasty and had the preserved vegetable (Sze Chuan vegetable) flavour was infused in the broth. Kudos to the chef for the execution as the broth was not overly salty, which is normally the case when preserved vegetable is used. Furthermore, the onsen egg was surprisingly very well executed!

We were so glad to enjoy such delicious Chinese cuisine the moment we arrived in Singapore! Home sweet home.

Paradise Inn (Changi Airport T1)

80 Airport Boulevard

#03-19 (Viewing Gallery)

Singapore 819642

Tel: 6546 2711

Opening Hours : 10:30am - 11.00pm (last order at 10pm)
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The Eastern Restaurant (Centrepoint)

Edited on Oct 2013: Closed. 

The Eastern Restaurant, a restaurant located in the heart of Orchard specialises in serving authentic Northern Chinese cuisine. It is tucked away in a deep quiet corner of Centrepoint. It has been located at the same spot for many years. With virtually no signs to guide anyone here, most people would have probably missed or not know of this place. Even we ourselves who had been here before got lost while trying to recall how to get to the restaurant.

I first got to know of this restaurant more than five years ago, way before I started FoodieFC. I remember that the food here was not bad and its Xiao Long Bao was worth a try. So here I am, back here again for its Xiao Long Bao! Visited on a Saturday evening. 

The seating capacity at the restaurant seemed to considerably reduced. Previously, the tables and chairs extend all the way out and there were also tables and chairs under the escalator next to the restaurant. This time, the tables and chairs have been removed.

You may noticed in the above photos that it has a open kitchen concept. You can scrutinise view how your food is being prepared. Moreover, it also assure customers that their food are prepared diligently and hygiene is well taken care of. 

Despite the reduced seating capacity, the Eastern Restaurant was full! Quite surprising, considering the location and lack of signs. 

Clean, air conditioned environment. Even though there was such a crowd, our food was served fairly quickly within 10 minutes upon ordering. 

Wanton with Hot Chilli Sauce (5 Pcs) $6

The Wanton with Hot Chilli Sauce an authentic Sichuan cuisine was very well executed. The use of vinegar and spicy oil caused a distinct difference in taste that made it hard for me to stop at one. The skin of the wanton seemed slightly thicker than the other wantons else where helped hold the fillings in place and adsorb the immense flavours of the sauce. Very spicy and sour, yet addictive. If you are can't take spicy food, you should refrain from ordering this. 

Xiao Long Bao (4 Pcs) $4

The Xiao Long Bao, one of their signature items did not disappoint. The skin was slightly thicker in comparison to the other Xiao Long Baos I have tried. Each Xiao Long Bao contained alot more hot soup in it (more than those in Crystal Jade/Ding Tai Fung). Most probably, the thicker skin was required to hold the soup in place. The hot soup was tasty and well flavoured while the meat was well marinated. The only issue I had was that the skin at the top was too thick. This may not be the best Xiao Long Bao I had, but it was certainly one of the better ones. 

Noodle in Hot & Sour Soup $8

I ordered the Noodle in Hot & Sour Soup, which is another Sichuan Cuisine - spicy and sour. Luckily the sauce used was different from the Wanton with Hot Chilli Sauce. The sauce this time was more sourish and less spicy. It came with diced mushrooms, peas, black fungus, shredded beancurd and meat. The noodles were too hard and could have been cooked for a long period of time. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this dish despite feeling the spiciness towards the end. Kudos to the chef as he got the difficult part right - balancing the taste of the hot & sour soup.

Stewed Beef Brisket Noodle Soup $8.80

The partner ordered the Stewed Beef Brisket Noodle Soup which was one of the recommended items in the menu. The soup was light, clear and flavourful - very forgiving and not salty. Generous serving of beef chunks were given and the meat was stewed till they were incredibly soft and tender. It would have been perfect if the noodles were cooked longer as we felt that it was a tad too hard. 

Overall, the dining experience at The Eastern Restaurant was good.  It's a hidden gem. There's no need to queue even during weekend peak hours. The food that we ordered was delicious. Despite being at full capacity  the service was prompt and efficient. Price wise, it was reasonable. In fact, I would say affordable considering that this is in the heart of Orchard.

The Eastern Restaurant (Centrepoint)

176 Orchard Road

#01-57 Centrepoint

Singapore 238843

Tel: 6736 2638

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
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Location

Mayim (North Point)

Went over to Mayim at Northpoint on two occasions. The first occasion was to have dinner on a Friday.

Has anyone tried the peanuts (left) before?

Menu Cover Page

Here's what we ordered.

Part of Drinks Menu

'Sou Mei' Tea with Wolfberry Fruits $1.00

Interesting cup that helps to filter out the tea leaves. If you are interested in getting one, I the shop name and address is in the first photo. However, I feel that for a lazy person like me, I will find it a hassle to keep removing the filter before drinking.

‘Sou Mei’ Tea with Wolfberry Fruits was fragrant and wolfberry provides lots of health benefits. You can request for the waiter/waitress to refill with hot water whenever you have finished drinking it.

Soup 'La Mian' topped with slices of classic marinated chicken $7.70

The Soup ‘La Mian’ topped with slices of classic marinated chickenas promised came with the la mian and chicken in the soup. The la mian is similar to the likes of crystal jade, however, it was slightly harder. The chicken was well marinated; fragrant and tender despite being soaked in the soup. Thought that the chicken was delicious!  Disappointingly, the soup base was a tad too salty. This dish would have been great and healthy if it was less salty and vegetables was added.

Spiced Flavoured 'La Mian' $6.70

The Spiced flavoured ‘la mian’ was topped with minced pork, peanut, seasame & preserved vegetable served in dry with special meat sauce. It was amazing delicious on the first few mouthfuls. However, towards the end, it got too spicy for us. If you have a good tolerance for spicy food, this is a good bet.

Overall, a decent place. During peak periods (weekends), be prepared to queue. Service was prompt and decent.

On the second occasion, went over on a Thursday night for dinner. There was no queue and inside the restaurant, it was half full. 

Poached Vegetables Garnished with Mushrooms, Buna Shimeji Mushrooms & Golden Mushrooms $6.80

I thought that I will like this  Poached vegetables garnished with mushrooms dish. After all, how bad can you go when you have 3 kinds of mushrooms for a mushroom fan. Sadly, this dish was too salty that it overwhelmed the fragrance of the mushrooms. 

Classic Marinated Chicken Topped with Shredded Ham $6.80

The shredded ham was quick tough. The chicken on the other hand was well marinated. Soft, fragrant and tender. Realised from this visit and the previous that chicken seems to be one of their better dishes.

Sorry for unclear picture

Sauteed Sliced Fish Garnished with Ginger, Scallion & Dried Sliced Garlic $9.80

Well, the Sauteed Sliced Fish was quite oily.  Felt that the flavours of different ingredients were not brought out, resulting in the fish slices being tasteless. Can't even taste the sweetness of the fish. And should it not be fried sliced garlic? Felt that this dish is not value for money. I am sure you can taste better ones at better prices.

Clear Soup with Sliced Chicken, Mushrooms, Bamboo Pith, Buna Shimeji Mushroom, King Oyster mushroom, Wolfberry & Sliced Pork $6.50

The soup was really average. Felt that it was again overpriced and not valued for money despite the many ingredients. Somehow, the taste of the ingredients was overwhelmed by the amount of sodium. Of course, rice was ordered to go along with these items.

During this second visit, I was quite disappointed with some of their food. However, the positive side is that I realised that their marinated chicken is delicious. This time round their service was not that ideal. Had to call repeatedly before someone came to take our order. In addition, despite us asking for the rice to be served after the first dish came. The rice came only after all our dishes arrive despite us asking for it twice.

Mayim (North Point)
930 Yishun Ave 2
#02-01/05 Northpoint Shopping Centre
Tel: 6758 3168
Opening Hours: Mon–Sat 11.30am – 10pm
                                 Sun & PH: 11am – 10pm
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Mayim (West Mall) 
1 Bukit Batok Central Link
#02-04 West Mall
Tel: 6794 1590  
Opening Hours: Mon–Sat  11.30am – 10pm
                                 Sun & PH  11am – 10pm

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Paradise Dynasty (ION Orchard)

A trip down to Paradise Dynasty on a weekday for lunch. We arrive before 12 noon. Do not be mistaken by the queue. They are waiting for either their friends or waiting to be seated. Still lots of space available inside at this time. Do note, you will only be brought inside when all your guest have arrived. 

The World's First 8 Flavoured Xiao Long Bao

The World’s First 8 Flavoured Xiao Long Bao which created lots of publicity online and in the media for this restaurant.

Tables near the entrance. This photo was taken as we were leaving at around 130pm. By then, the place was full. Not an easy accomplishment as it was a weekday and the place was huge!

We were seated inside. Here you can spot more empty tables as these photos were taken when we arrived. Huge place with large sitting capacity. Amazing, it was full by 1245pm. Look at setting of this restaurant. Moreover, waiters and waitress were in uniform that makes you feel as if they are serving a prince/princess (you).

he cLighting on teiling

What drinks to order? Water or tea when the price is the same.

Tea

Well, we ordered tea, which was refillable.

Legend of Xiao Long Bao

How to eat your Xiao Long Bao?

Signature Dynasty Dumplings (8 flavours) $13.80

Needless to say, we ordered the Signature Dynasty Dumplings. Appearance wise, I would have given a perfect 10. Taste wise, it was a disappointment. Even the original flavour one was so-so. I would still prefer Crystal Jade’s.

Part of La Mian Menu

La Mian with Sliced Pork in Signature Pork Bone Soup $9.80

I ordered the La Mian with Sliced Pork in Signature Pork Bone Soup. The la mian was good,  each strand was thin, soft and fragrant. Each piece of pork was thinly sliced. The half an egg was nicely cooked too with its runny yolk. The only down side was that the soup base was quite salty.

Part of La Mian Menu

La Mian in Hot and Sour Soup $8.50

The La Mian in Hot and Sour Soup was supposed to be spicy and sour. But it was way too sour.

Making Xiao Long Bao

Overall, in terms of food, Paradise Dynasty reminds me of Crystal Jade. After tasting the food, I would prefer Crystal Jade’s Xiao Long Bao and La Mian. In terms of service, Paradise Dynasty’s service was prompt and efficient. Felt that Paradise Dynasty’s Xiao Long Bao was over-hyped. Nothing special. But overall, is still a decent place to come for lunch if you are in town especially for its la mian.

Paradise Dynasty (ION Orchard)
2 Orchard Turn
#04-12A ION Orchard
Tel: 6509 9118 
Opening Hours: Mon–Fri  11am – 10pm
                                 Sat–Sun & PH10.30am – 10pm
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