By Anton Diaz
PARADISE DYNASTY is a Singaporean restaurant franchise specializing in modern imperial cuisine with exquisite and approachable flavors from Northern and Southern China. The flagship store in Manila opened in S Maison Mall in Conrad Hotel, SM Mall of Asia Complex.
The restaurant is famous for its legendary 8 colorful flavors of Xiao Long Bao, but we were surprised that almost all the dishes we ordered–from the soup and appetizers to the Szechuan and La Mian dishes–are deliciously unique at a good price.
Here is what to order beyond their signature 8-Flavored Xiao Long Bao…
PARADISE DYNASTY Philippines
2/L, S Maison, Conrad Hotel, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
Facebook: @paradisedynastyph
Instagram: @paradisedynastyph
Telephone: +632 828-8333 / 838-8333
Website: https://www.paradisegroup.com.sg/
Paradise Dynasty can be quite intimidating for first-timers because of its location at the high-end S Maison Mall. Its has a modern imperial design with lighted vases and wood carvings and is quite full during lunch and dinner.
Paradise Dynasty Menu: Xiao Long Bao | Dimsum | Soup | Appetizers 1 | Appetizers 2 | Appetizers 3 | Hot Dishes | Szechuan Cuisine | Rice & Noodle | La Mian and Signature Pork Bone Soup | La Mian Noodles 2 | Desserts | Desserts/Beverages
The restaurant only has a seating capacity of 105, with a coveted function room with a dragon backdrop.
Half of the restaurant is dedicated to the air-conditioned kitchen where they make most dishes from scratch.
XIAO LONG BAO
Specialty Dynasty Xiao Long Bao (8 Flavors – P388). Original (white), Ginseng (green), Garlic (brown), Black Truffle (black), Cheese (yellow), Crab Roe (Orange), Foie Gras, and Szechuan (red).
One basket is meant for one person so that you can taste all the flavors. My favorites are the Black Truffle, Foie Gras, and Cheese.
Black Truffle Xiao Long Bao (P330 – 6 pcs | P540 – 10 pcs)
If you intend to share with a group, I suggest you order your favorite flavors in single flavor baskets.
Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao (P330 – 6pcs | P540 – 10pcs)
The Xiao Long Bao is delicately hand crafted with exactly 18 pinches to form the spiral knot.
Some people eat this in one big bite while others put a hole in the skin to drink the soup first.
DIMSUM
Steamed Pork and Chive Dumpling (6 pcs – P168)
The dumplings are good but overshadowed by the Xiao Long Bao. Eating plenty of dimsum would be quite filling so it’s best to pace yourself.
Radish Pastry (P3 pcs – P138)
For something different, order this delicately folded fried pasty with hot radish inside.
Homemade Barley Water (Cold/Hot – P80)
Order a serving of their barley water to help cleanse your palate after each dish.
SOUPS
Double-boiled Chicken Soup (P198)
The soups are served in elaborate pots. I like the clean taste of the broth and the fall-off-the-bone meat of the chicken.
Yang Zhou Double-boiled Meat Ball (P238) with Crab Roe soup.
I also like this clear soup with flavors of crab roe and a big meat ball in the middle.
APPETIZERS
Steamed Glutinous Rice Stuffed in Red Dates (P238)
This is quite unique–sweet red dates with suman inside. Try it!
Lettuce Roll with Homemade Sesame Sauce (P238)
Lettuce rolled lumpia-style so that you can easily dunk it in the sesame sauce. A simple salad innovation.
Chilled Jellyfish and Seafood in Vinaigrette (P328)
We love jellyfish and it was refreshing to see it served in a unique way. This is like noodles in vinaigrette sauce with chunks of shrimp.
HOT DISHES
Stir-fried River Shrimps with Garden Greens (P488)
My favorite! This is like shrimp popcorns. It’s small but full of flavor. Use chopsticks to eat it one by one.
Scrambled Egg White with Fish and Conpoy (P328)
I like this light scrambled egg white where you distribute the yolk on top and not mix it because the white would disintegrate and lose texture.
SZECHUAN CUISINE
Poached Beef in Szechuan Chili Oil (P688). A well-known Szechuan dish, the beef slices are boiled in a spicy soup with Szechuan spices.
The highlight of the meal for me was the Beef Szechuan, which chili heads would love. It is served spicy, but you can ask for it to be extra spicy or less spicy.
I like how the spiciness coats your mouth. Drinking the soup with some of the beef and a bit of noodles is quite addicting!
Spicy Szechuan Crispy Chicken (P298)
Another must-try are these chunks of crispy fried chicken served with Szechuan spice, chilis, and peanuts.
LA MIAN AND SIGNATURE PORK BONE SOUP
La Mian with Braised Pork Belly (P330)
Another highlight was the Chinese “ramen” with long noodles made in the store itself and topped with flavorful braised pork belly.
La Mian with Scallion (Dry – P200)
The noodles are good by themselves so some people order them with simple toppings of scallion with soup on the side.
We came in expecting just to enjoy the Xiao Long Bao, but we ended up raving about each unique Chinese dish we ordered. A memorable dinner indeed.
DESSERTS
The dessert selections are not as strong as the main dishes and dimsum selections.
Pan-fried Pancake with Red Bean Paste (P168)
I would recommend this fried pancake with sweet red bean paste inside, which reminds me of piaya.
Glutinous Rice Ball served with Ginger Soup (P100 – 3 pcs)
The ginger soup is good for ending your meal on a refreshing note. It also pairs well with the mochi.
Glutinous Rice Ball topped with Grated Nuts (P138 – 4pcs)
A comforting mochi-like dessert coated with nuts.
We highly recommend this place for their different flavors of Xiao Long Bao and their Szechuan and La Mian dishes, which provide good value for your money.
Reservation is a must, especially when you are going with a big group. Make sure to ask for the function room.
I recommend starting with your favorite flavors of Xiao Long Bao and some light hot/cold appetizers such as the Double-boiled Chicken Soup, Lettuce Roll, Chilled Jellyfish and Seafood in Vinaigrette, Stir-fried River Shrimps, and Scrambled Egg White with Fish.
Don’t miss to order the Poached Beef in Szechuan Chili Oil, Spicy Szechuan Crispy Chicken, and La Mian with Braised Pork Belly, which you can all share family-style.
If you must have dessert, I recommend the Pan-fried Pancake with Red Bean Paste for sharing. Here’s hoping they can improve their selections.
Budget about P700/head. Just skip the dessert and drinks.
The 8-Flavored Xiao Long Bao is a nice hook to get you into the restaurant, but the rest of the dishes actually satisfy your Chinese Food cravings.
Congratulations to Paradise Dynasty Philippines for successfully opening in the very competitive restaurant landscape of Manila!
PARADISE DYNASTY Philippines
2/L, S Maison, Conrad Hotel, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
Facebook: @paradisedynastyph
Instagram: @paradisedynastyph
Telephone: +632 828-8333 / 838-8333
Website: https://www.paradisegroup.com.sg/
Operating Hours:
Weekdays: Lunch Daily 11 AM to 3:00 PM, Dinner 6 PM to 10:00 PM
Weekends: 11 AM to 10 PM with last call at 9.30PM
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of Paradise Dynasty. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. Can you guess where the next store would open?
brings back memories of binondo from the early to mid 70’s
Are you serious? I don’t think there were places like Xiao Long Bao anywhere in the Philippines in the the 70s.