Paradise Dynasty

Not much crowd on a Monday lunch. We coincidentally discovered they even had 23% off promo. Every dish that we ordered was great. The little dragon buns had sufficient stock and flavors were well balanced. I would definitely be back to try more dishes!

This was my first time having a lunch appointment at Canton Paradise in VivoCity. They are well-known for their dim sum and creative Cantonese dishes. We ordered: Steamed Chicken Feet Steamed BBQ Honey Pork Bun Pan-fried Radish Cake Crispy BBQ Honey Pork Bun Baked Mini Egg Tart 2 sets of Porridge, Coffee and Tea Overall, I would rate the dim sum 4/5. The flavours were good and enjoyable. The Crispy BBQ Honey Pork Bun, in particular, tasted better than those from some local HK-style chain restaurants. The quality of Canton Paradise’s dim sum still maintains a consistent standard, and I feel there has not been any significant drop in quality over the years. For the coffee and tea, there was no option to request a less-sweet version. One of the waiters suggested getting bottled water to dilute the sweetness; however, they eventually served us a cup of hot water for free, which we appreciated. I believe providing plain water should be a basic form of customer support. Another thing I found convenient was the ability to order through the app while queuing outside. This helps improve productivity, as customers can place their orders in advance. It reduces waiting time, speeds up the dining process, and increases table turnover. A win-win for both customers and the restaurant.

We had a family dinner at this outlet. Made an advance reservation. Ordered several dishes, such as Signature Original Xiao Long Bao, Pork Dumplings in Chilli Oil, Scramble Egg White Canopy, Stir Fried Spinach, Crispy Duck, Sweet Sour Pork, Stir Fried Pork Noodles, Scallion Oil La Mian, Fried Rice with Pork Cutlet, Steamed Custard Lava Buns and Steamed Taro Lava Buns. The dishes were generally delicious, above average. We especially like the XLB, sweet and sour pork and vegetables. We also ordered their desserts, such as Aloe Vera Osmanthus Jelly, Black Sesame Glutinous Balls, Pumpkin Pastries, Mango Pudding, and Tang Yuan in Ginger Syrup. The Mango Pudding and Osmanthus Jelly were refreshing, a good way to end the hearty meal. Service staff were attentive and efficient.

Had our lunch at this outlet as we were going over to Sentosa later. Ordered the Special Dynasty Xiao Long Bao (8 flavours), Signature Original Xiao Long Bao, Poached Chinese Cabbage in Superior Broth and La Mian with Scallion Oil. Overall, the meal was great. The 8 flavours XLB are very interesting, to each of their own taste. We still like the original XLB the most though. The Poached Chinese Cabbage with Superior Broth was 💯. And lastly, La Mian with Scallion Oil was flavourful though pales in comparison with DTF. I will definitely come back again to try other dishes.

The starter was good, but the rest felt quite ordinary, more like home-cooked food. In my opinion, the standard has declined. The skin of the Xiao Long Bao—especially the pinched tops of their specialty 8 flavours—was hard, and a few pieces even had a smelly, not-fresh taste. The pan-fried Shanghai pork bun skin wasn’t crisp as expected but soft, while the taro bun skin tasted of uncooked flour. The fried rice with egg was a little too oily, and the oil had a stale taste, as if it had been sitting in a bowl for a while. I came on a busy Sunday where turnover was high and I expected freshness. The only dish I truly enjoyed was the stir-fried Australian lettuce. Presentation overall could also be improved—the menu pictures looked far more appealing than the dishes served. 💔