The 8 Flavors of Xiao Long Bao and a Beautiful Sunset at Paradise Dynasty, S Maison Conrad Manila

December 3, 2016 Ruth Dela Cruz

The 8 Flavors of Xiao Long Bao and a Beautiful Sunset at Paradise Dynasty, S Maison Conrad Manila

The colorful Xiao Long Bao served steaming in a bamboo basket made a perfect centerpiece during the intimate food tasting I attended in Paradise Dynasty in S Maison, Conrad Manila.

Rainbow colored, enticing and truly #instagrammable. But Paradise Dynasty in S Maison has more than the 8 flavors of Xiao Long Bao to be proud of – they serve comforting dishes of Chinese cuisine at (surprisingly) affordable price.

My #instagramgirlfriend (for a day) Joan and I came in a little late for the 3:00 pm call time for the private food tasting; but we were greeted with a spread of delectable Chinese Cuisine.

Paradise Dynasty opened last September 15, 2010 is a casual dining concept by Paradise Group that offers affordable selection of northern and southern Chinese cuisine at seven restaurants in Singapore, with overseas presence in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.

The concept was derived from travels and explorations of Paradise Group CEO Eldwin Chua. He started Paradise Dynasty as he was inspired by the array of food in the different provinces across China.

“With this new concept, we want to provide diners with a valuable dining experience that comprises affordable food in a mesmerizing setting located at a prime location,” he says.

Let’s first talk about the main attraction, the 8 Flavors of Xiao Long Bao. They are not the usual flavors but one-of-a-kind selection created after a series of tasting and testing.

8 Flavors of Xiao Long Bao Paradise Dynastry

Original: Enjoy these traditional xiao long bao featuring fresh pork filling in a sweet soup broth.

Ginseng Relish (green): Taste the soothing herbal goodness of this ginseng and pork soup dumpling.

Foie Gras (brown): A touch of French luxury is married perfectly with this traditional Chinese delicacy.

Php 388/8 pieces

Black Truffle (black): Feast on the unmistakably plush aroma and taste of black truffle in this luxurious treat

Cheese (yellow): A novel combination that features the silkiness of cheese—a sure hit with all ages.

Crab Roe (orange): These morsels are infused with pork and delicate crab roe.

Garlic (gray): A simple twist on the traditional xiao long bao by just adding fragrant garlic.

Szechuan (red): Spice up your palate with the subtle heat from a touch of chilli oil and peppercorn.

I personally love the Truffle. Not too strong a taste but with a nice hint of truffle flavor.

The other dishes are equally good. It is like having Chinese food takeout but in a good setting. I remember our trip in China, but we were quite disappointed with the bland food – or maybe, we went to wrong places and restaurants? It is comforting to know there is a new restaurant to go to for some good Chinese food.

For those who love noodles, Paradise Dynasty offers wide selection of la mian (hand-pulled noodles). You can see the whole production process in the store’s open kitchen. They are served with assortment of soups, sauces and ingredients – like sliced pork or dumplings.

Some of the dishes I love from Paradise Dynasty,

Lotus Paste Bun with Salted Egg Yolk Php 138 (3 pcs)

Scrambled Egg White with Fish Canpay Php 328
I love how smooth and silky it feels in my mouth. A must-experience dish!

I forgot the name of this dish, but you eat this Peking Duck style.

It looks like noodles, but it is pork 🙂

Beef with Scallions

I may sound biased here because I love beef. But I love how tender and flavorful each thinly sliced beef is – I would have wanted to order rice 🙂

Steamed Glutinous Rice stuffed in Red Dates Php 230

We got curious when the other table said, it was their favorite. I was surprised that it is served as an appetizer. I had one after meal (a good decision) because it is too sweet and sticky. I am not a fan of sticky rice and kakanins, but it was perfect that moment to eat something sweet after all the flavorful spread.

For legit dessert spread in Paradise Dynasty, you can have selection of glutinous rice rolls, pan-fried pancake or rice dumplings.

Now here’s a quick Paradise Dynasty review:

Ambiance

I love the shades of gold and black. There are intimate corners for couples and small groups, and bigger round tables for families and friends. The place may look a bit too intimidating and “expensive” for a Chinese restaurant. It is that #instagrammable. The bonus? Paradise Dynasty has restroom inside the store.

Service

I cannot talk much about service because we went during media event and everyone was attentive to our needs and requests. I hope the staff is consistent with it – bloggers or not.

Love this bag keeper 🙂

Total Damage/Budget

The dishes at Paradise Dynasty are so affordable. We were all pleasantly surprised! You can bring a date for only Php 1,000 🙂

Parking

It is inside the mall. You can use mall or Conrad Manila’s parking 😀

Plastic Money

Yes to major credit cards.

Restroom

There is a restroom inside Paradise Dynasty but I didn’t get to visit (wow, that’s a first for me!). I trust that it is well-maintained 😀

Dress Code

Come as you are! But it would be nice to dress up as the place is so instagrammable!

with Youtuber Say and her date 🙂

Crowd

Families, friends, couples, foodies, Instagram Couples!

The Verdict

There’s more to Paradise Dynasty than the 8 flavors of Xiao Long Bao – so much flavors and offerings at affordable price. The place is “fancy-comfy” to enjoy a good spread of Chinese food. I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes everyone’s favorite new restaurant. The bonus? The beautiful view of the sunset.

Love this group!
with Phya, Charlene, Joan, Marj, Nikki and #AskMeWhatsHubby 😀
Thank you Joan for coming with me (and taking food photos!) 🙂 🙂 🙂