Paradise Pavillon

Paradise Group is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Singapore dining scene. Their restaurants maintain a rather high standard throughout, but a few of them are outstanding. One is the Taste Paradise, another is their Paradise Inn. And today, we feature their Paradise Pavillon.

The first thing that catches the eye and one's nostrils as one enters the restaurant is the huge ovens used for roasting ducks. Peking Duck is a delicacy in China. Indeed, I have recently tasted the best of the best in Beijing...the Da Dong Restaurant's Peking Duck is par excellence. Da Dong was certainly the best interpretation I have tasted. The very famous Quan Jude, also in Beijing pales in comparison. And in Singapore, Imperial Treasure's Super Peking Duck restaurant in Paragon is one other temple for Peking Duck. And recently, Paradise Pavillon.

The chefs in charge of the ducks, I understand, were trained in Quan Jude, and they use apple wood to produce the fire and smoke to roast the duck. But more on this later.

We were there for a banquet, my mother's birthday dinner, so we began with a special appetizer.

From foreground, the grilled Hokkaido scallop, the chilled Japanese cucumber and cheese bacon roll. All rather tasty, but I feel, perhaps the cucumber was a bit of a "cheat" to a meal which is rather expensive. But from a taste and presentation standpoint, it was very good.

Next up, double boiled superior shark's Fin with fish maw in shark's cartilage soup.

Yes, we do still eat sharks, but we also eat all the shark. The meat is used elsewhere, and in this dish, we have the shark's fin and cartilage. The soup was superior stock, very nice, thick, tasty. The shark's fin provided some crunch and texture which contrasts to the soft, tender, almost melting texture of the fish maw and the firm crunch of the cartillage. For me, this was the highlight of the evening's dishes.

We were then served pan seared king prawns with black truffle

The prawn was certainly very large. Nice, fresh, crunchy. The seasoning was a tad strong, but still quite delicious. I hardly tasted or felt the presence of the black truffle safe for a tinge of the aroma.

Next dish is the steamed live Marble Goby with chilli

This a very traditional dish, though at home, most would use garoupa instead of a live fish like marble goby. The fish was fresh, of course! and the steaming was done perfect. Just a bit pink at the bone, but the meat cooked throughout. Presented in this fashion, the fish was delicious. Tender but not overly so. Sweet, rich, fresh.

The Peking duck was next

Brought to the table whole, like in Da Dong, but an additional cost privillage in Quan Jude in Beijing. And carved insitu

Interestingly, the a sliver of only crispy skin was served to be eaten with sugar...a presentation pioneered by Da Dong, and not practiced in Quan Jude, where the chefs hail from. This style of presentation is also used in Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck.

And the rest of the duck was sliced skin and meat, to be eaten with wrapped around the pancake.

For me, the shadow cast by Da Dong is just too long. Nothing compares to the supreme taste of their duck. So this too pales in comparison. But nearer to home, I think Paradise Pavillon's duck also loses out to Imperial's.

After the duck, a braised edamame tobu with crab meat and chinese spinach in Tham's brown sauce was served

Much like a dumpling...the brown sauce, given its interesting name...the restaurant never did explain who Tham was or why the sauce was attributed to him. The dish was tasty, but not spectacularly so.

Noodles next

Fish noodles...where the noodle is made from fish is getting more common. Fish meat is mashed and made into noodles, and wok fried in shrimp stock. I found this dish to be quite nice. The noodles were more springy than regular flour made noodles...perhaps the mashed protein of the fish entangle with each other to form this springy noodle. And the stock very nice.

And for desserts, two style of pastry

Quite interesting too, but nothing special.

Reasonably tasty dinner, especially banquet style for a table of 12, but I felt a bit expensive for the quality of the food. The shark's fin soup was the highlight, and the Peking Duck, which I was looking forward to all evening was a minor let-down.

Paradise Pavillon
8A Marina Boulevard, #02-01 Marina Bay Link Mall

Tung Lok Signatures

I guess Tung Lok doesn't need any introduction...a old name in high end Chinese cuisine in Singapore, this chain of restaurants have outlets occupying the entire strata of price ranges to suit one's wallet. From the high end and quite expensive Tung Lok Signatures, to the more down to earth Zhou's Kitchen and Lao Beijing...both of which are permanent favourites of the family.

But a celebration warrants a higher end location, with a higher end budget to match. It was my mother's 79th Birthday, so we decided to splash a little...at Tung Lok Signatures at Vivocity.

We started with an unusual grilled foie gras with sliced duck served on a light pastry:



Quite superb. The foie gras was lightly seared...the insides were beautifully smooth and creamy. The outside crisped a little. The duck meat was nicely done, though not spectacular. And the pastry light and very complementary to the duck. Interesting migration of French culinary style over to Chinese.

Next we had the Tian Jia style braised shark's fin. Yes, we still eat sharks fin...



Rather nice. There was generous combs of shark's fin...small strands, which are crunchy to the palate. And the gorgeous chicken and seafood stock which lifts the dish. The stock is no ordinary stock...I can tell its been prepared with long hours over the fire...causing the protein in the chicken and seafood to denature, and completely meld into the soup...giving it a thick, and slightly sticky collagen consistency.

Next were sauted prawns with greens and yam spring rolls:



Excellent dish too. The prawns were nice, fresh, crunchy. Good breath of the sea was evident in the prawns as one bites into it. The spring rolls were also nicely done. Even though deep fried, the skin remained crisp and dry. The insides, as one bites into it, releases the rich, creamy fragrance of yam.

Fish was next, and we had steamed soon hock:



Not much to look at this fish...but the steaming was very well done. The fish was firm, but yet tender and juicy. The doneness was such that at the core...where the bones are, it is slightly pink. But thouroughly cooked. The sauce is what makes or breaks a simple dish like steamed fish, and this was equally simple with a superior soy and ginger and chilli. Not my favourite for the evening, but nice.

Next dish was the interestingly named Bomber chicken...



It turned out to be a whole chicken done like har cheong kai. Decently done, but I have tasted better har cheong kai elsewhere...and indeed even at home. But while this passes the mark, not one to write home about.

Braised beancurd with spinach was next:



Served with snow fungus and some vegetables, the tofu was fragrant, and very soft within its leathery, slightly crispy outer skin. The sauce tempered the taste and brought it up a level. I liked this quite a lot.

The rice dish was lotus leaf rice with dried seafood:



I found this to be very good as well. As the lotus leaf was being cut, the wift of the gorgous fragrance enters one's nostrils and thrills. The rice seemed to be a combination of regular long grain fragrant rice and sticky rice. Beautiful dish.

The desserts: Chilled aloe vera gel with lemon sherbet:



Kind of western inspired as well. The aloe vera jelly was very nice. Had a springy consistency, and allowed the chunks of fresh aloe vera to shine. The sherbert was a lime sorbet, and I suspect home made...the ice crystals were a little irregular, but the taste authentic and very good.

As we were nearing Father's Day, the menu included a serving of Longevity Peaches:



These were quite good...the skin and pastry outer was nice and soft...like a light pau...the filling was ling yong. And was rich and creamy.

Of course, as this was a birthday celebration, we had a cake brought in. The Tung Lok staff are used to birthdays...they gathered around, sang the birthday songs. Had the cake delivered on a large plate with birthday greetings hand written on. And the the cake, or rather fruit tart which we purchased from Fruit Paradise Tart Shop.



The tart is superb:



Loads of fresh strawberry on fresh cream, on a marscapone filling a tart case. Beautiful.



Tung Lok Signatures
QB House - Vivocity
1 Harbour Front Walk, 098585
6376 9555
Subway: HarbourFront
Open Daily 11am-10pm

Exotic Seafood for little money: Rabbit Seafood

This little place in Lucky Plaza has been around for a long time...ok, I have been around longer...as I remember fondly the Japanese inspired coffee joint, run by a few aunties which occupies the very same shoplot years ago. Strong brew, made by a method which coffee experts would think is completely wrong...their coffee is made by the Siphon, boiled (yes, boiled) and reboiled...twice siphoned. But their King brew is absolutely wonderful...mildly acidic, good body. Strong, with a good kick. Their thick butter kaya toast is also something to look forward to...silky smooth Japanese bread, spread with kaya, butter, toasted. They also serve a very mild chicken curry. But alas, they are no more.

And in their place, Rabbit Seafood has taken root...known for serving reasonably priced sharks fin, abalone, lobster...a serving (very tasty) of sharks fin omellete as shown costs a mere S$5.50.



Omelette with thin, loose shreds of sharks fin, a soup of prawns, and mushroom, and a dessert of cheng thng. A bowl of rice, a small plate of lettuce. Perfect complements to each other. The omelette was very nicely done...very tasty, the shark's fin is in small quantities, to be sure, but makes itself known. The dish is absolutely delicious. Plus they serve red cut chilli padi, and when coupled with soy sauce, takes on a persona of enabler to the omelette and rice.

The deep fried tofu with spinach and mushroom is also interesting.



A rather thick, somewhat gelatinous in texture skin covers the tofu. The texture of the skin is a bit springy, but gives way quickly...I imagined it to have been deep fried till crisp, and then allowed to absorb the sauce till it gains this texture. The insides of the tofu was silky smooth, and a nice fragrance of soy permeates.

The special for the day was two whole baby lobsters (technically these were large prawns, as they lack pincers), coated with batter, deep fried. And served with a anchovy condiment on the side. Also with shredded cabbage, a soup and dessert.



The lobster were rather small. The meat was tasty, but a bit tiny. And the batter covered the entire shell, making it a tad difficult to handle with chopsticks. The dish was very tasty...great crustacean aroma, nicely balanced with a tinge of sweetness and a touch of richness. Very nice. S$5.50 also.
S$8.50the same price. They also have Buddha Jump over the Wall for $8.50. I had tried this in an earlier visit...and it was great value for money.

Overall, the food is quite nice, and actually quite fantastic if you take into consideration the price.



Rabbit Brand Seafood Speciality
304 Orchard Road
#02-114 Lucky Plaza
Tel: 6737 9722