Paradise Dynasty @ Ion Orchard

Colourful food, has to be my weakness as proven once again when I was drawn to Paradise Dynasty by their rainbow coloured Xiao Long Bao. Walking past the open concept kitchen and seeing chefs knead the colourful dough was suffice to entice an order of XLB. Reservations are highly suggested for a weekend especially but waltzing in at 6ish was a breeze. I dislike how my table was nose-to-nose to the next, made eavesdropping oh-so-easy and talking oh-so-arduous. Whether I liked it or not, I was being filled in with the neighbour's illustration of the wedding he had to attend the next day and their jokes as well while all I really wanted was some quiet after a rough day at work.



The luxe ceiling.

I spied Tea Chefs walking around with their attention grabbing drinkware, as much as I loved the novelty...I gave their tea a pass.



Ticking your own food made dining casual.



Earthen coloured ware for a jolly good time?



Mixed Dumplings ($13.80)

Yes, all the colours of the rainbow save for blue. They made me smile at least! A comparison with Din Tai Feng is unintentional and the next most natural thing to do, unfortunately.

18 folds...not. These were undoubtedly hand folded but they looked slightly slipshod with the tersing at the tip.

 

I was advised to partake of the famed starting from the original with vinegar and ginger. The rest were advised against dipping with the accompaniment.



The skin was paper thin and delicate which made removing it from the basket quite a task, I risked tearing it and ended up doing so towards the last few. Slurp-slurp-slurp...the tasty broth filled with marrow was quite a surprise, normally it'd just be clear broth. Delightful blob of meat within made it a good XLB, not mindblowing.

Moving onto the other flavours, I was excited. One by one I devoured them and well here's the lowdown.

Tastes were not extraordinarily spectacular though if you ask me offhand which was the most distinct, perhaps the pink Szechuan with the spicy kick.

The most memorable? Cheese for the yellow hue and mozzarella within.

Most forgettable went to Green Ginseng, Brown Garlic, Light Brown Foie Gras.

The luxe two were Orange Crab Roe and Black Truffle. Crab Roe had a stronger flavour while Black Truffle went almost undiscernible.

It's a mindgame honestly, if I had a go without looking at the flavours I probably will not be able to tell most of which save for the few. One major pet peeve though, the skin hardened really quickly.



"La Mian" with Beef ($10.80)

Think smooth noodles soaking in chilli oil and paired with slices of beef brisket.



Wok-fried Rice with Egg ($6.80)

As ordinary and simple as it can get. Though bland, the grainy rice sprinkled with chopped omelette was surprisingly yummy. Throw in a dash of vinegar, it was yumyumyum.



Souffle Egg White ($4.50)

I'm probably on some souffle craze these days and since it was signature, why not?

 

Tasted just like fried egg white with the egg-taste going on throughout with a pinch of red bean and banana. Not the bestest of all desserts to attempt.

Moderate food in the most luxurious of surroundings, for the prices of the dishes it is affordable for Ion's standards. Loved the ceiling decor, the lights and interior actually, a slight resemblance to Boss' mysterious black.

Paradise Dynasty
#04-12A Ion Orchard