FESTIVE TASTES OF PARADISE

It's the hottest Chinese dining hot spot in Bangsar right now. With its classically rustic yet opulently furnished interior reminiscent of the dynastic Chinese era, Paradise Dynasty is drawing the crowd as the CNY shopping frenzy reaches feverish pitch.

To herald the upcoming festive celebrations, the new restaurant has introduced its Paradise Fortune Pot (poon choi) that's available in two sizes, priced at RM388++ (4-6 persons) and RM688++ (8-10 persons).

This speciality is a feast in itself with 16 ingredients crammed into a huge claypot. Starting at the top layer, you'd find gourmet goodies such as abalone, prawns, fresh scallops, goose webs and sea cucumber. Delve a little deeper and up pops black and eringi mushrooms, slices of streaky belly pork, chopped chicken, beancurd puffs stuffed with dried oyster and black seamoss, broccoli florets and baby Chinese cabbage. Braised in a special abalone broth, the delectable ingredients have a nice sheen to them and lush, voluptuous flavour.

A basket of its signature Eight Flavours Xiao Long Bao (RM25.80++) is a 'must have' when dining at Paradise Dynasty. There is a little card on every table to guide diners on how to eat these dainty dumplings to avoid scalding one's mouth and why the ma la (tongue-numbing Sichuanese fieriness) variant should be saved for last. Slightly chewy, the xiao long bao skin is thin yet sturdy enough to hold the broth while the filling is tasty enough on its own without the usual vinegar and shredded ginger dip.

For the uninitiated, the restaurant takes great pride in its varied menu of Shanghainese and Sichuanese specialities such as Hot & Sour Soup. Admittedly it is one of the better ones I have tried; a tantalising blend of sour, salty and spicy accents that unleashes staccato bursts of explosive heat with each spoonful of thick, smooth broth.
Scrambled Egg White with Scallop & Fish is inspired by Chinese legendary folklore. Word has it that the dish was created for Empress Cixi who demanded for crabs. Since it was an off-season, one of the imperial cooks resorted to whipping up a mixture of fluffy egg whites with fish and scallops. When a whole egg yolk was gently stirred in, the whole ensemble resembled that of crabmeat and thus, the day was saved. You too will feel like a king once the velvety smooth egg white curds slicked with runny yolk caress your tastebuds.

Tiny bombshells...Close-up view of Sichuan peppercorns

Other regal treats that await include Sichuanese Diced Chicken and Salted Egg Yolk Prawns. Both dishes will wreak havoc on your palate with their riotous flavours and distinct textures.

CNY Festive Menus are available throughout the celebratory period, starting from RM388++ (4 persons) to RM1,088++ (10 persons) alongside ubiquitous servings of Yee Sang (RM48++ to RM88++).

For reservations, call Paradise Dynasty, tel: 03-2201 7022 (Level 2, Bangsar Village 2, KL) or 03-7887 5022 (Level 1, Paradigm Mall, PJ).  The restaurants will be opened throughout the Chinese New Year.

This food tasting session was organised by HungryGoWhere Malaysia – Discover, Eat, Share today! (URL link HungryGoWhere Malaysia to http://bit.ly/HungryGoWhereMY)