Zi Char - Paradise Group (Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao)
2 Orchard Turn
#04-12A ION Orchard
21 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4
#03-02B Lot One
1 Woodlands Square
#05-16 Causeway Point
3 Gateway Drive
#02-13 Westgate
1 Harbourfront Walk
#03-08A VivoCity
65 Airport Boulevard
#03-32 Changi Airport Terminal 3
11 Tanjong Katong Road
#02-33 OneKM
https://www.paradisegroup.com.sg/
 |
| Speciality Dynasty Xiao Long Bao (SGD $14.80) |
Good Quality Chinese Cuisine, Long Waiting Times
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $25 per person.
.....
Operating as part of the Paradise Group, which is well regarded for their good quality Chinese Zi Char, the Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao is their modern casual dining concept, with a focus on small bites / tapas and hand made noodles, drawing from both North and South China for inspiration. Opening in September 2010, Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao has served up consistently decent dishes that taste good, all at affordable prices.
Ambience at Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao is modern casual. Faux greenery and partitions create private spaces within the warmly lit area, and the modern cushioned chairs and sleek wooden tables are functional yet comfortable. Textured wooden pillars with intricate Oriental patterns create a sophisticated contrast against the chandeliers on the ceiling. Decor is limited to small Oriental touches such as calligraphy. There is a Chinese teahouse feel here, open with a bustling atmosphere.
Service at Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao is fast and efficient. The staff are courteous and polite, according each table personalised attention. They move quickly, purposefully, briskly, but it's still easy to catch their attention. Requests are carried out promptly, and empty / dirty tables are cleaned quickly for the next set of diners. I like that they fulfill requests fast as well. However, be prepared for longer than usual waiting times, on average, the queue for a seat is about 20 minutes.
Food at Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao is more casual Chinese snacks than Zi Char, though they do have a small selection of this. Instead, the menu is largely based around small bites / tapas from Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China, with the focus being hand made noodles, and their signature Xiao Long Bao. Taste of most dishes is consistently above average to good. Portions of most dishes are medium sized to large, and are designed for communal dining. Prices are reasonable for casual dining, budget about SGD $25 per person for a meal here.
.....
 |
| Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao Signage |
 |
| Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao Facade |
 |
| Paradise Dynasty Legend Of Xiao Long Bao Counter |
The classic Dumpling Prawn And Pork In Hot Chili Vinaigrette (SGD $8.80) has oddly wrapped dumplings, though the skin is nicely thick enough to hold the filling without breaking, yet still thin enough in mouthfeel. The prawn and pork meat filling is savoury sweet and moist, with a soft chew. Love how it picks up the tangy sour spicy gravy beautifully. Good!
 |
| Dumpling Prawn And Pork In Hot Chili Vinaigrette (SGD $8.80) |
A traditional Chinese appetizer, the Spiced Beef Shank (SGD $9.90) has thinly sliced, braised beef shank, slightly tender with a meaty chew. Flavour is savoury spice sweet, with the beef being marinated in Chinese rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, rock sugar, and dried chili. Decent.
 |
| Spiced Beef Shank (SGD $9.90) |
Loved the Deep-Fried Fragrant Garlic Pork Ribs (SGD $13.80)! The boneless pork ribs have a meaty, tender chew to texture, absolutely fragrant with the aroma of garlic, and a slight sliver of fat which keeps it moist. Nicely flavourful with notes of sweet then savoury. So good. Really pairs well with noodles, or as a stand-alone appetizer. Highly recommended!
 |
| Deep-Fried Fragrant Garlic Pork Ribs (SGD $13.80) |
 |
| Deep-Fried Fragrant Garlic Pork Ribs |
The Drunken Chicken (SGD $9.80) is a traditional appetizer favourite. A chicken is deboned, steamed with scallions, ginger, and salt, then marinated in Chinese rice wine and chilled overnight. The result is clean-tasting, sweet boozy chicken meat, very refreshing in taste, with a texture that is moist and gelatinous. Love the combination of light and dark meat here, offering a slight contrast of tender and firm textures. Good!
 |
| Drunken Chicken (SGD $9.80) |
 |
| Drunken Chicken |
The Lettuce Roll With Home Made Sesame Sauce (SGD $8.80) is a trick to make vegetables so delicious, you can't help but eat more. Fresh crunchy lettuce, rolled and bound with juicy sliced cucumber, stacked neatly, simple enough to eat on its own. What makes this outstanding is the delicious sesame sauce, rich and creamy in texture, earthy nutty sweet in flavour. Highly recommended!
 |
| Lettuce Roll With Home Made Sesame Sauce (SGD $8.80) |
 |
| Lettuce Roll With Home Made Sesame Sauce |
The Shredded Potatoes With Capsicum (SGD $4.20) was underwhelming. While the texture of the potato strips and bell peppers / capsicum was nicely crunchy, the flavour was not up to par, a limp earthy sour flavour, instead of being refreshing and sweet. Not as clean-tasting as expected. Skip this.
 |
| Shredded Potatoes With Capsicum (SGD $4.20) |
A dish of 2 parts, the Double-Boiled Chicken Soup, Hand Made La Mian Noodles (SGD $11.80) has a delicious and light double-boiled soup of chicken, which has both tender light meat and firm dark meat, with a light sweet savoury herbal flavour, very clean-tasting. The signature hand pulled noodles are silky smooth in texture, with a nice bouncy chew. Tossed in scallions and a little oil before being served, making it so fragrant. Overall, a clean-tasting, light dish. Worth ordering!
 |
| Double-Boiled Chicken Soup, Hand Made La Mian Noodles (SGD $11.80) |
 |
| Double-Boiled Chicken Soup, Hand Made La Mian Noodles |
The La Mian Noodles With Wanton (Prawn And Pork) In Signature Pork Bone Soup (SGD $11.80) feature the signature bouncy hand pulled noodles. I felt the wanton dumplings were a tad lacklustre. But the star here is the robust, savoury sweet soup / broth of pork bone, fragrant and completely delicious. Decent.
 |
| La Mian Noodles With Wanton (Prawn And Pork) In Signature Pork Bone Soup (SGD $11.80) |
The Scrambled Egg White With Fish And Dried Scallop (SGD $13.80) has softly scrambled egg white, with a runny yolk in the middle. Full of eggy goodness, it's sufficient enough to satisfy me. But what makes it even better is the addition of dried scallops and fish meat, giving it an extra layer of savoury and sweet, complementing this dish. Good!
 |
| Scrambled Egg White With Fish And Dried Scallop (SGD $13.80) |
 |
| Scrambled Egg White With Fish And Dried Scallop |
Absolutely loved the Stir-Fried Crystal Shrimp With Garden Greens (SGD $18.80). The little nuggets of deshelled crystal shrimp / prawns are delicate with a bouncy meaty texture, and a bright sweet savoury flavour. The freshness really shines here. So good. Served with a light soy sauce and Chinese rice wine dipping sauce on the side, but I find this good enough on its own. Highly recommended!
 |
| Stir-Fried Crystal Shrimp With Garden Greens (SGD $18.80) |
 |
| Stir-Fried Crystal Shrimp With Garden Greens |
The Stir-Fried Shredded Pork In Black Bean Sauce, Chinese Crepes (SGD $13.80) has incredibly tender, juicy sweet savoury strips of pork loin, coated in a savoury salty earthy black bean sauce. Served over a bed of crunchy shredded lettuce, which nicely absorbs all the oil in this dish. Pair with the doughy Chinese crepe wrappers, roll and fold, and enjoy. Good!
 |
| Stir-Fried Shredded Pork In Black Bean Sauce, Chinese Crepes (SGD $13.80) |
 |
| Stir-Fried Shredded Pork In Black Bean Sauce, Chinese Crepes |
Touted as the highlight here, the Xiao Long Bao Original (SGD $7.80 / $12.30) features artisanal, hand made dumplings, each with exactly 18 folds. The skin is balanced, not too thick and not too thin, strong enough to hold the filling without breaking. Bite in, and you get the lovely robust savoury soup / broth, followed by the moist, tender, sweet minced pork filling. Quality is above average for sure, but I find the standard to be beneath other more reputable brands. Overall, it's a decent choice for Xiao Long Bao dumplings, you can't go wrong with this, but there are much better versions elsewhere.
 |
| Xiao Long Bao Original (SGD $7.80 / $12.30) |
 |
| Xiao Long Bao Original |
The Speciality Dynasty Xiao Long Bao (SGD $14.80) is a modern, innovative spin on the classic dish. Featuring a total of 8 different fillings, in vibrant, colourful skins to distinguish them from each other. There is even a set of eating instructions, which guide diners to start with the delicate flavours, and work their way up to the bold flavours.
After the Original (white, pork filling) flavour, move on to the soothing herbal goodness of the Ginseng (green, ginseng herbs and pork filling) flavour, followed by the luxurious Foie Gras (brown, foie gras and pork filling) flavour. Next is the earthy Black Truffle (black, black truffle and pork filling) flavour, the modern gooey Cheese (yellow, cheese and pork filling) flavour, and the briny Crab Roe (orange, crab roe and pork filling) flavour. Finish with the fragrant Garlic (grey, garlic and pork filling) flavour, and the spicy Chinese Szechuan / Sichuan (red, peppercorn, chili oil, and pork filling) flavour.
 |
| Speciality Dynasty Xiao Long Bao Instructions |
 |
| Speciality Dynasty Xiao Long Bao (SGD $14.80) |
 |
| Speciality Dynasty Xiao Long Bao |
 |
| Speciality Dynasty Xiao Long Bao |
Loved the Pan-Fried Pancake With Red Bean Paste (SGD $7.50), with its hot and crisp texture, and thick, sticky filling of sweet red bean paste. Nice soft crunch when bit, then you get the warm, comforting feeling of the red bean paste, which coats the palate gently. Lovely. Highly recommended!
 |
| Pan-Fried Pancake With Red Bean Paste (SGD $7.50) |
 |
| Pan-Fried Pancake With Red Bean Paste |
Loved the unique Pan-Fried Pumpkin Pastry (SGD $4.20), with its sticky chewy texture, and bright fruity floral sweet flavour. Best eaten while warm. The icing sugar lends a bright burst of initial sweetness, then you get the natural flavour of the pumpkin at the back. Good!
 |
| Pan-Fried Pumpkin Pastry (SGD $4.20) |
The Egg Fried Rice (SGD $7.80) is a decent rendition, with a light smoky aroma. The rice grains are properly fluffy with a light savoury sweet eggy flavour. Not the best I've had, but it's about decent, and alright to accompany a meal.
 |
| Egg Fried Rice (SGD $7.80) |
.....
.....
CONVERSATION