Taste Paradise Introduces New Signature Dishes

This month, Taste Paradise by the Paradise Group introduces new menu items to its well-regarded retinue of Chinese dishes and the Food Prints crew was there to enjoy it.

Located at ION Orchard, Taste Paradise’s decor is is a mix of modernity with visual nods to classic Chinese aesthetics. Walls are adorned with depictions of China’s most prolific emperors, including Tang Taizong and Kangxi. In the main dining area, a modern interpretation of a dragon snakes across the ceiling and down a pillar. Private rooms (seats 16 to 30 people) are also named after Chinese monarchs like Qin Shi Huang and Yong Zheng, adding to the regal atmosphere of the Chinese fine dining establishment.

We started the meal with a single slice of smoked duck appetizer where the saltiness of the smoke duck was balanced out with the sweetness of a lemony-mango sauce. With our taste buds refreshingly awakened, we moved on to the first course of dim sum favourites including White Carrot Cake, Roast Meat and Char Siew BBQ Pork.

The XO Carrot Cake was pan fried with salted fish and XO sauce and garnished with sprouts. Its crisp exterior breaks away to reveal an interior that at once held firm and yet was fluffy, perfectly mixed with the crunchiness of the sprouts. This ordinarily humble dish was well executed with multiple layers of textures and tastes. 

The Char Siew BBQ Pork was sliced thicker than usual, each bite a substantial mouthful of delicious morsels of fat. Its roasted counterpart, the sio bak (Roast Pork), had a perfectly crisp crackling. We would have certainly ordered another portion had we not wanted to save stomach space for the main attractions.

As part of the August menu refresh, Taste Paradise introduces the Shark’s Cartilage Soup with Assorted Seafood in Young Coconut. The creamy white consistency of the soup is derived entirely from slowly boiling the shark cartilage for 6 hours and no milk is used to achieve this effect. Together with fresh scallops, prawns and sliced fish, the soup is served in a hollowed out young coconut which lends its characteristic, mildly sweet, flavour to the broth.

A visit to Taste Paradise warrants tasting its signature dishes, such as the Superior Shark’s Fin in Supreme Broth served with Crispy Spring Roll in Japanese Stone Pot. It proved to be a mouthful both in name and in taste. Taste Paradise is the first restaurant in Singapore to serve shark fin in a Japanese style stone pot which helps retain the temperature of the dish to the very last drop.

Each serving is accompanied by a thinly rolled crispy spring roll which you dip into the thick broth. The chef strongly discourages adding any vinegar or pepper (as is the usual practice) as the flavors of the dish have been carefully curated to be ideal on their own. The soup is thickened into a satiating gooey consistency through the use of Chinese ham and kampong chicken which adds a collagen-richness.

Different grades of shark’s fins are available and the dish starts at $45 for a 2-person serving. If you prefer, mock-shark fin alternatives are also available.

Another new entrant to the pageantry that is Taste Paradise’s menu was the Pan-seared Kurobuta Pork with Dang Gui (当归 ) Sauce in Casserole. Tender cuts of Kurobuta Pork sourced from Italy were served with a sauce made from Chinese Angelica Root (a herb known for its immunity boosting properties) and garnished with red and green peppers. The herbal taste was mild so it did not take away from the sweetness of the dish.

Next in this porcine course was the Char-grilled Spare Ribs with Sweet Plum Sauce. An existing signature dish, the ribs were nicely crispy on the edge, surrounding soft cartilaginous bones, and lovingly dressed with a fragrant plum sauce.

Taste Paradise is known for putting twists on traditional Chinese dishes by infusing non-traditional Western tastes and ingredients into their creations without becoming kitschy “fusion cuisine”.

To keep things fresh, regular customers in-the-know may also request off-the-menu items like the Pan Seared Codfish with White Truffle oil and Scrambled Eggs. Eggs are scrambled with truffle oil into a thick creamy curd-like texture that accompanied the firm flakes of cod fish with a burnt caramelized sweetness and speckled with fish roe. 

No Cantonese restaurant is complete without a star fish dish and here we found the newly introduced Steamed Empurau with Chinese Wine (specifically Gu Yue Long Shan Yellow Wine, which the Paradise Group’s CEO, Eldwin Chua, personally selects and hand carries from Shanghai). The Emperau is a prized fish known for its smooth flesh and natural sweetness, imparted from its diet of palm fruits. Together with its salty-sweet sauce, distilled from high quality yellow wine, the Empurau makes for a distinctive dish which warrants placing an order in advanced. Make sure you secure one for your dinner party ahead of time. Unfortunately we were late to the game but were content to try the same dish substituted with cod instead.

Rounding off the seafood selection was the Poached Rice with Assorted Seafood in Lobster Broth. Whole lobsters are slowly cooked in a broth for 4 hours, to which prawns and scallops are then added to give you a warm and comforting dish. Crispy rice pops are then added to the piping hot dish, their crackling sounds serving as an invitation for you to dig in.

One last dish worth mentioning is the Wok Fried Angel Hair Pasta with Japanese Ebi. Resembling yee-mee on first sight, the juxtaposition of Western ingredients with Chinese cooking methods yielded a surprisingly good combination.

Despite the veritable feast, there’s always space for dessert, of which the choices were

• Lemongrass and Aloe Vera in sour plum
• Avocado purée with coffee ice cream
• Mango sago
• Fresh fruits
• Black glutinous rice with coconut ice cream
• Pumpkin pastry with red bean paste (done without any flour).

We liked the Pumpkin Pastry with Red Bean Paste. It was old-school and fit with the collective calm we all felt after the sumptuous meal.

The meal was served with Nuo Mi Tuo 糯米佗 tea that was also personally chosen and hand carried by the Paradise group's chief, from China. The tea held a subtle fragrance and mild sweetness characteristic of Nuo Mi or glutinous rice, hence the name; and purportedly neutralizes oily food, aids fat reduction and calms anxiety. 

The new menu items are now available, so make your way down to this fine establishment that has been serving quality dishes since 2006, and experience it for yourself. If the pictures of Emperors do not make you feel like one, the exceptional service and painstakingly prepared dishes served on custom made dinnerware will.

TASTE PARADISE

2 Orchard Turn, ION Orchard #04-07, Singapore 238801

Tel: 6509-9660

Opening Hours

Mondays to Fridays

1130am- 3pm

6pm- 11pm

Weekends and Public Holidays

11am-430pm

6pm-11pm

Central Thai Food at Parathai One Km Shopping Mall

Stepping into Parathai was something not one would expect, especially being flanked by 2 of their own brand's bigger name chains. This is Paradise Group's first Thai venture. All we can say is the food is of high standards and very fresh, especially welcoming chilli and spicy lovers. Read about the tom yum soup below!

First came out drinks. Not too much new drinks to spoil your choice, yet enough to make you whet your appetite. The standards of the Thai Tea is above average, the Chendol excellent!

None of the drinks made use sugar, but all with Gula Melaka. Sweetness wise, you can expect it to be well moderated. Do give the Chendol a try... or rather... a must try here!

Lets start with the basics and firsts.

The rice you get here is not green colored rice. The Pandan flavoured rice is au natural. Indeed one can taste the pandan flavours and its not the chemical kind. Indeed pleasant to the taste buds.

 

The appetisers, Homemade Pandan Leaf Chicken. Very juicy, flavourful and a good bite. Takes a bit of skill to unwrap but it flavours are worthwhile. Order this enough for one per person first.

This appetiser is one which could put you on the fence. The food are battered fresh and deep fried. You are recommended to taste it with the prawn paste chilli sauce. It may look really spicy because of the chilli in it, but its really quite ok. However, prawn paste is something which either you love it or hate it. Order if you have a big group as it fills up empty spaces of time in between your chat and laughter.

 

This Homemade Minced Pork in Rice Noodle wrap has a very flavourful Cai-Po in it. This was an absolute delight. We would just walk in here to eat this or take away (yes they have take - aways! Hint to those who are in a rush or just walking around !!) Very refreshing, very tasty, very shortlived so do order more if you like. We would say each person needs at least 2!

The Tom Yum Goongs that we get in Bangkok are the clear translucent kind. However, Central Thai ones are not exactly that. They however bring a punch even more than those of the clear nature, spicy, sweet and sour all in a spoon. You are seriously warned. Do inform the waiter at the table how spicy a soup you like. Then again, its a relationship you need to build with the chef. Try it once and work it from there.

Portions in the soup is seriously generous. The prawns are not the usual tiger prawns that you get, but sea prawns.
  

How can one not try the Thai fish? This Pla Ka Phong Naung Ma Nao steamed seabass fish comes in a sauce that is filled with lime and chilli seeds. Impressively tasty and fresh. Non fish lovers would love this dish too. Quite a fair portion for the price that you are paying for. Finishing it albeit being tasty could be a challenge still.

 

The other dishes available are the more common Basil Pork. This is officially one of the 2 most spicy dish on the table. Be careful when eating this. The seeds are small bombs that go off in your mouth. Chilli lovers.. just munch blindly. You will love this.  The Stir-fried Mini Asparagus with Egg Beancurd and Mushrooms  is also a good green to round off your meal.

We had 3 desserts. Apparently someone comes regularly to do takeaways and it wipes out the good mango stock in the kitchen! Our favourite is the Mun Chiem Sweet Tapioca with Coconut milk dessert. It was well cooked and it keeps you happy when leaving the restaurant. The desserts are inexpensive to order all to try.

 

 

The Deep-Fried Banana Fritters served with Honey are special because the batter is made inhouse and the bananas are not the usual bananas that you can buy from the supermarket. Match it with the sauce. We would say people who love tim sum or hong kong cafes would love this dessert

The Tab Tim Krob Red Ruby served with Jackfruit and Coconut milk is special to the dessert menu. Not the usual, once again, that you would get at the hawkers or other Thai restaurants. The coconut milk they use is not the usual but of a different kind. You will get a subtle floral scent to it,resembling Jasmine. Large ice chunks may get in your way for more of the coconut milk but it helps to keep your dessert cold without diluting it!

 

Parathai is also a good place for large group gatherings, children's prams and wheelchair friendly, small group gatherings possible with the segregated areas, very clever play with the local flavours and style for a restaurant setting. Booking recommended. Book your desserts also if you don't want to be disappointed!

In conjunction with SG50, Parathai also has a Thai Classic Set Menu:

6 course meal at $50 for 2 pax

7 course meal at $80 for 4 pax

OCBC Cardmembers and Paradise Gourmet Rewards members enjoy a further 20% off the Thai Classic Set Menus.

Valid daily from 1 Jul to 31 Aug and for dine-in only. (even on National Day too!)

Not valid in conjunction with other discounts, promotions, vouchers or membership privileges. 

Other terms and conditions apply.

There are much more to try and we will be back to taste the other food. Search this post again to see if there are any updates!

ParaThai at OneKM

11 Tanjong Katong Road
OneKM #02-23
Singapore 437157

Tel: 6702 2541

Business Hours

Mon – Fri
11.00am – 10.00pm (Last order at 9.30pm)

Sat, Sun & PH
10.30am – 10.00pm (Last order at 9.30pm)

Table reservations are welcome.

The Greenwood Fish Market World Oyster Festival 2015

This month, the World Oyster Festival returns to Greenwood Fish Market. Up to 24 varieties of fresh oysters are available for the taking. We paid a visit to this Bukit Timah establishment to experience this year’s iteration for ourselves.

Quick guide to oyster appreciation

A fundamental mistake made by beginners is to discard the ‘liquor’ (clear watery liquid) found in the bottom shell. One is meant to sip on this before slipping the oyster meat into mouth (with a finger or fork) while slurping up the remainder of the liquor. The liquor comes from filtered seawater and contains a whole range of flavours that are essential to the oyster tasting experience.

Oysters have multiple layers of flavour that transition from start to finish. What begins as brackish makes way for a hint of metallic before finishing with a fruity sweetness. As such, it is recommended that you do the oyster justice by tasting it ‘naked’- without any condiments. If you must, a light squeeze of lemon would suffice. Drowning an oyster in hot sauce is a no-no.

Eating oysters is one of those rare occasions when you are encouraged to use your hands. The only utensil you use is a fork and you NEVER use it to puncture the oyster meat. If the fork is employed at all, it is only to nudge the meat loose from the shell before slurping it down your mouth. Remember to chew the oyster, relish its texture, be it dense or creamy.

Needless to say, you will never use a knife as cutting the flesh will only ruin the taste and texture that come from enjoying fresh oysters.

On this occasion we tried 18 varieties of oysters, here are the more notable ones we enjoyed.

Kumamoto

Beginners should start here. A mainstay among aficionados and palatable to the uninitiated as well. These are deep cupped oysters with protuberant shells that lend themselves to a mellow sweetness. Originally from Kyushu, Japan, they were brought to the United States in the 1940s and are now farmed in places like California.

Golden mantle

Oysters have often been described as metallic in taste. If you want a pleasant way to understand this notion, then the Golden Mantle is your choice. It had less liquor than the others but its creamy texture made up for it.

Mary point

If you love oysters and have the palette for more robust flavours, the Mary Point oysters should be on your list. They start you off with an intense brininess and the distinct taste of seawater. The Mary Point is an acquired taste and we cannot recommend it to beginners. Still, if you wish to experience an unambiguously full bodied oyster, the Mary Point can be toned down with some of the house-condiment, a tart dipping sauce with raspberry vinegar and sugar.

Fine De Claire

These come from the largest oyster producing region in the world- Marennes Oléron in France. They came in oak shells with streaks of algae and white. Though the flesh was slightly more petite, the intense brine flavour packed a punch but relented towards the end and finished with a soy sauce-like familiarity. 

NZ Pacifics

These were fresh and easy on the tongue. If there was ever an oyster for a quiet evening, our choice would be the NZ Pacifics. Beginners would take to it quite easily and connoisseurs will enjoy it as a welcome step back from heavy hitters like The Belons or Mary Point.

Belons

These were simply-put, veritable behemoths. They are among the largest oysters we’ve ever had (alongside the Barron Points). “True” Belons come from the Belon region in France. When sourced elsewhere, such as Maine, they are known as Flats. These scallop like clams came with a salty start and a hazelnut finish with hint of copper. Not for the faint of heart.

Belons are flat and wide

Barron Points are equally substantial

Tsarskaya

Named after the Russian Tsars and their well known appetites for fine foods like caviar and oysters, these are flat oysters from Cancale in Northwestern France. Overall clean tasting with a hint of iodine. Firm and meaty, these are must haves on your plate.

Wine pairing

Although we encourage that oysters be tasted naked, they go exceptionally well with wines. We paired our selection with white varietals from, you guessed it, Oyster Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand. Choose from a Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Chardonnay 2013 and sparkling Cuvée Brut, all perfect accompaniments to an evening of slurping oysters.

Dining In

Above the doorway hung a sign that read, in bold print, “oyster tasting! $2 each, anytime (eat here only)”. But beyond the oysters, the Fish Market brings in up to eight tonnes of seafood each month, including salmon that is smoked in-house and a retinue of crustaceans, molluscs and fish.

Decor wise, the Fish Market was unembellished. White walls clad by subway tiles create a bright and cheery atmosphere with nary a cheesy nautical reference save the few pencilled illustrations of salmon, crab and flounder. No life rings or bells to be sounded. Just tastefully chosen pieces of functional furniture well suited to the cosy space. 

The restaurant section of the Greenwood Fish Market serves up to 15 fresh fish options daily. More conservative diners may peruse the pasta menu for the usual offerings.

Valet service by insured and licensed drivers is available if you’re driving. The World Oyster festival is happening from now until 27th July.  

Greenwood Fish Market & Bistro

34 Greenwood Ave, Singapore 289236

Phone:+65 6467 4950

Website: www.fishshop.sg

Bread Yard at Galaxis, One-North

The Big Boy, $14. Choose how your eggs are done. 

Bread Yard has its roots from SUTD and had recently moved to its current location just 2 mins walk from one-North mrt. 

It serves simple, straight forward food at reasonable prices. 

The Bettino at $10 is a steal. Decent ham, back bacon and a great Hokkaido bread. It's a bread place, so don't miss out on the bread. 

Poached eggs were done decently. The Hollandaise sauce got a stronger than usual garlic tint to it, and the missing citrus kick, so don't expect too much out of it. Still a decent meal. 

Pancakes with yogurt and berries, butterscotch sauce, $9. 

The pancakes were actually very good. Not too extreme on the sweetness and a good touch of pistachios, berries, thin layer of yogurt and fluffy pancakes! The kid polished it off. 

Coffee, it says Brazilian coffee, is weak by local standards. Think coffee you get in American diners. Perhaps ask for a double shot if you like your coffee robust. $4, with milk. 

Overall a great place to hang with decent food at great prices. Sandwiches choices are aplenty. 

Nice cosy ambience too! 

Old Street Bak Kut Teh 老街肉骨茶

The newest kid on the block at nex Shopping Center, Serangoon MRT. 

This is intended to be a short post, because we are too stuffed to think now.  

This is one of the Bak Kut teh places that serves mee sua. Although served lumpy, makes sure you loosen it up. Note: the taste of the soup remains unaltered even with the mee sua, which is a feat by itself. 

Ok. The soup was superb. Expect a milky, thick and super flavoursome soup. We suspect pork big bones are used extensively to attain that milky state, and not just relying on the meat portions to give the taste like many bkt places do. 

Pig trotters and mui choi are a tad salty for our liking though. 

Be warned that the portions are huge (matching up to their price) and unless you are still growing up, we suggest you share. 

And.... Leave space for the youtiao (dough fritters) as they are made fresh, in-house. 

Did we mention the soya bean and soya bean curd is super AWESOME too. Make sure you pace yourself. 

The two of us had the promo set (premium rib, youtiao, rice and soya beancurd) with pig trotters, mui choy, another soya bean curd, mee sua and two soya bean drinks. 

Total cost: $43.80 and two very full stomachs. 

Note that the seating capacity is not very big (former Burger King premise) and the queues are long while waiting staff is overwhelmed. 

Come with a lot of patience. 

But it's worth it.