Paradise Dynasty @Ion , Singapore

Normally I do Western foods, but lately I felt like some good Chinese food on a higher cost level. There are times I have been disappointed because the prices do not commensurate with the quality. Paradise Dynasty is testimony to good price and value. I would certainly bring my foreign friends, relatives, good buddies, colleagues here. Here's why:

The restaurant is easy to access as it is in an upmarket mall called Ion in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore's shopping belt. Located on 4th level, just a few floors below the carpark levels. So no meandering to find the place.

This restaurant seems to be a popular place as there is a constant line of people waiting for their numbers to be called. So make a reservation early. The restaurant proper has an inner section which is air-conditioned with an interior beautifully designed. We were led to an exterior which seems like a temporary extension to cater to the restaurant's popularity. It is a void area of the building. Fortunately I was there for the evening thus the cool evening breeze and a cold air blower helped. In terms of ambience there was none if you sat outside.

The food more than made up for it, however. The restaurant has a colorful menu with photos of the dishes and brief description. These are the dishes we tried:

Mixed Selection of Xiao Long Bao (dumplings)
Pork Noodles
Szechuan Poached Chicken
Sweet Sour Pork
Long Beans with Minced Pork

First, Poached Szechuan Chicken came as an appetizer category and being an appetizer, it is served cold. The colour looks inviting as it was laden with thick chili bean sauce with whole roasted peanuts as a garnish. Looking at it makes your tongue expect the familiar warmth of white chicken but you get surprised when you realise later it is cold. So if you are not used to cold cooked chicken with the chili bean sauce, do not choose this. The chicken will be bland if without its dressing and peanuts. I prefer if they could do it with less oil swimming around. 

The Best Dressed Item was the Xiao Long Bao which arrived majestically in a steamed bamboo basket. The colours of the dumplings certainly put a smile on any diner's face. Different colors represent various flavors: cheese, truffle, foie gras, crab roe, original, ginseng, szechuan, garlic. We dived into one like kids trying out some new candy. We expected our mouths to be exploded with their individual unique flavours but after eating one, the rest does not seem to differ from the other. Minced meat was the main stuffing but in the end all I tasted was the pork. I guess if your tastebuds were more discerning enough and if they have not touched the Szechuan style chicken prior to eating the Xiao Long Bao, you would be able to notice the taste of garlic, foie gras, etc. The skin was soft and supple enough and not too chewy and dry. Other than the colours, it was a let down to me.

The Pork noodle soup was recommended as one of the star performers if you feel like some good soup filling your tummy. Soup base was rich and tasty with sufficient pork slices as well as seawood. I wish they were more generous with the egg because it seems like only half of an egg was given. Or maybe my egg-crazy friend ate it all. Noodles were not too soggy. Best eaten altogether with the ingredients placed on a spoon then slurp it all up into your mouth to get the full experience.

The sweet sour pork is nothing spectacular in taste but the quality of the meat is good with a nice crsipy crunch, very appropriate for the tourists and locals alike. Kids too love this dish and this is a safe choice to include in any Chinese meal.

Another dish which is common among locals is the Long bean with minced pork. The beans are nicely cooked and succulent with an even crunch. The minced pork seasoned  in their special light soy sauce gives an excellent combination with the taste of the beans. Not overly salty and a tinge of sweetness is the best balance one can achieve in cooking this dish. Defintely a must try too!

Overall the food experience was of an enjoyable standard which makes you forget that you are sitting outside on some makeshift extended area of the restaurant with the city wind blowing.  I didn't get to try the desserts because the amount of food filled my tummy already. The bill came up to SGD $70 inclusive of service charge and tax. Noodles cost $9.80, Sweet Sour Pork cost $12.00 so you get the picture of the prices.

Sik Wai Sin Eating House, Singapore

Anyone who wishes to eat real Chinese food, the kind of food we eat at our homes, nothing fancy but good down to earth food, must go to this place. If you are a non-Chinese, first time exploring Singapore and have not tasted Chinese food, this may or may not be the place to go. There is no air-con, no cushy seats, and if you are willing to have beads of perspiration trickling down your back and front, then this is the place to go. And of course, if you are willing to wait in line, without a number risking someone who came after you get a table earlier than you without your temper rising, then by all means proceed.

The trip there was meant to be a birthday treat to my buddy. She was game enough to wait for a good half hour in line. Old lady showed us to the table at the far end of the shophouse ground floor unit where the eating hall is. Away from the direction of all wall mounted fans. There is no menu. This is good old fashioned Chinese style ordering. You just have to look around at what the others are eating and you can just point to the dishes at the other tables.

These are mainly what they serve:
Watercress Soup
Steamed Fish Head in Soy Bean Paste
Stir Fry Kale
Soy Beancurd Cake (Semi Hard Tofu) with Prawns
Sweet Sour Pork Cubes
Salted Fish with Minced Pork

As there was just the both of us, we are restricted by our choices. If we had a bigger group, we could easily try out all of them.

The steamed fish head (half a head actually) was nicely steamed without a trace of muddy smell. Fermented bean paste mixture is then poured over with spring onions and chili slices for color presentation. I would have preferred the fish meat to be seasoned then steamed but I guess they believe in healthy style of cooking and not interfere with the topping. The paste is not overpowering with cubes of fried pork lard give the whole dish a different effect. When you crunch the fried pork lard in your mouth with a mouthful of fish meat and bean paste, everything comes together so beautifully.

 This dish was a bit too much for the both of us too but we nevertheless devoured all of it. The bean curd cubes were fried with the inside remaining soft, outside a layer of "skin". Prawns are relatively big and succulent but did not have a sweetness to them as some other restaurants do. I believe oyster sauce was the main sauce cooked with beaten egg garnished with spring onions.  This is the kind of food that granny cooks for homecoming. This is comfort food. This is best eaten immediately dished out of the wok and taste better in winter time.

The best performer to me, is this simple green. Lots of pork lard is probably used which gives it its shine and taste. The stems are soft because I think they parboiled it. I could eat the whole dish. Dollops of oyster sauce poured onto stems and leaves and when you bite into a piece which comes with the leaves and the stem, you taste the goodness of the vegetable nicely blended with the oils, sauce and its moisture. If you have a knife to cut the long pieces or a pair of scissors to cut before you eat then good for you. Otherwise, eat them leaves first. There is no other glamourous way to eat them unless you have a pair of scissors with you.






This is not the place where you can pair it with wine. You pair it with Chinese tea. And don't expect a receipt. There is no fancy cash tills and a pretty receptionist at the counter. Just an old couple at "front desk" where the old lady remembers what you ordered earlier and recites out what you ordered. She announces the figure that you have to pay. Ours with two small bowls of rice came up to SGD50. :)
We were overall satisfied with the food as we had no expectations. I will definitely include my folks in the next outing!

Sik Wai Sin Eating House
287 Geylang Road
Singapore