Paradise Teochew Restaurant: Delicious Dim Sums and Classy Teochew Dishes

Savour the Rich, Fresh Taste of Authentic Teochew Cuisine.

Paradise Teochew Logo

In October 2015, Paradise Group revealed their new brainchild – Paradise Teochew Restaurant at Chinese Swimming Club – to offer the much-loved Teochew Cuisine, prepared authentic and delicious.

Led by Executive Chef Cheng Fa Kwan who was born into a family of Teochew chefs and who has had 34 impressive years of culinary experience, Paradise Teochew Restaurant now promises to pamper those who appreciate the good, fresh tastes of Teochew cuisine with a splendid selection of dishes to choose from.

Paradise-Teochew-Restaurant-interior

Located on the 3rd floor of the rather swanky Chinese Swimming Club, the Teochew restaurant does well to uphold the level of class with its elegant furbishing. Clean, carpeted floors, intriguing paintings of Chinese figures on walls and silky table-cloths laid down neatly at each table, just to name a few elements of the place that gave it a certain non-pompous air of opulence.

Paradise Teochew Baked BBQ Honey Pork Bun 紫麦雪山包

Now, on to the food. We were first served these adorable white, slightly porous Baked BBQ Honey Pork Buns 紫麦雪山包 ($5.40) which was a fantastic way for us to start off the meal. Each time I bite into buns, I feel a slight anxiety as I know not what to expect from the filling waiting ominously inside.

I had absolutely no reason to doubt this wonderful bun of joy, though.

Paradise Teochew Baked BBQ Honey Pork Bun 紫麦雪山包 Insides

When I bit into the Baked BBQ Honey Pork Bun, I felt an immediate rush of happiness as the warm, gooey, sweet and savoury filling took over my tastebuds. The crisp-skinned but fluffy bun nicely balanced out the thick, flavourful honeyed pork and it was just an overall absolute delight.

Paradise Teochew Steamed Custard Bun in Piggy Shape 奶香猪仔包

Another type of bun we had the opportunity to try was this cute arrangement of Steamed Custard Buns in Piggy Shape 奶香猪仔包  ($5.80). These buns were tight-skinned on the outside, but were likewise rather tasty.

Paradise Teochew Steamed Custard Bun in Piggy Shape 奶香猪仔包 Filling

These pig-shaped custard buns revealed soft, yellow insides with a couple of pine nuts stuffed into each custard-filled centre. The outer bun layer was a little thick but it still worked quite nicely for me as the candied filling’s flavours were mellowed out with the vaguely sweet bun.

Paradise Teochew Steamed Pork Dumpling “Siew Mai” 香菇鱼子蒸烧卖

Another delightful dim sum-type we thoroughly enjoyed was the Steamed Pork Dumpling “Siew Mai” 香菇鱼子蒸烧卖  ($5.80) which tasted exactly the way you’d imagine an authentic pork dumpling from the motherland would taste like. The thin yellow skin was soft but stuck nicely to the meaty pork ball that was packed with salty and fresh flavours.

I greedily stuffed the entire “Siew Mai” into my mouth but that was no mistake as I could taste all the flavours come into play beautifully.

Paradise Teochew Steamed Glutinous Rice Roll in Teochew Style 潮式糯米卷

The final dim sum we tried was the Steamed Glutinous Rice Roll in Teochew Style 潮式糯米卷 ($4.80) which was essentially sticky glutinous rice wrapped in a contrasting fluffy bun-type layer.

This was a rather interesting dish for me and I proceeded to dip my piece into various sauces and that proved to be a wise decision as the sauces help bring out the flavours of this dish more jarringly – just the way I like it.

Paradise Teochew Sauteed Sliced Beef in Satay Sauce

And now, on to the mains. The first mains dish that I fell in love with was the Sautéed Sliced Beef in Satay Sauce 沙爹酱炒牛肉 ($20 for Small) which was top-notch. Listed as one of the highlights in the menu, this saucy dish definitely did not disappoint.

The sauce was sweet and savoury, with a twinge of spice and there were crunchy, nutty bits that nicely balanced out the textures of the tender beef. Beautiful, really.

Paradise Teochew Braised Meat Trio

The next meaty main dish we had was the Braised Trio Combination in Teochew Style (Sliced Duck, Pork Belly, Octopus)
潮式卤味三拼盘 (鸭片,  五花肉,  墨鱼) ($24 for Small) which was a very straightforward dish comprising of rather thinly-sliced braised duck, pork belly and octopus.

It was a simple dish but it was also a recommendation as the meats were tasty in their own specific ways.

The pork belly was soft and tender in the right places and went nicely with the gravy, the braised duck meat was a little tougher than the pork belly meat and the octopus meat was chewy, the way I think it should be. To top things all off, there is a lovely surprise at the bottom of all these meats…Toufu! Silky and fresh, the toufu goes beautifully with the braised meats.

Paradise Teochew Steamed Diced Chicken Wrapped in Egg White Crepe

Next, we tried the Steamed Diced Chicken wrapped in Egg White Crepe菊花石榴鸡  ($16 for Small), a dish that was among the first few dishes Chef Cheng learnt to cook. This fascinating dish is prepared with absolute care and precision as the thin-layered egg-white crepe needs to perfectly enclose the filling.

The skilfully-put-together wraps were delicious and highly refreshing, to say the least. The filling was stuffed with a good mix of chopped chicken chunks, Chinese ham, bamboo shoots and water chestnut, wherein the included vegetables helped to make the wrap very cooling, even with the savoury oyster sauce slathered all over it.

Paradise Teochew Sautéed Scallop with Asparagus in XO Sauce XO 酱芦笋带子

Another main dish we tried was the Sautéed Scallop with Asparagus in XO Sauce  XO酱芦笋带子 ($26 for Small) which was nice and tasty. The scallops were springy and slightly spicy while the asparagus strips helped to balance out the textures of the dish well.

Paradise Teochew Sauteed Pomfret Fillet with Tomato and Salted Vegetables

One of the most well-known Teochew dishes, we next tried the Teochew Style Steamed Pomfret  潮式蒸鲳  (Seasonal Price $54, Small- $27). The Steamed Pomfret was soft and very fresh, especially when had with the sweet soft tomatoes.

The classic ingredients of salted vegetables and sour plum helped to make the dish even more revitalizing and also helped to bring out more zesty flavours of the dish.

Paradise Teochew Oyster Omelette

I always enjoy a good ol’ plate of fried egg when I can. Paradise Teochew truly delivered when this golden, crispy goodness was whipped up and brought to our table. This Pan-fried Oyster Omelette in Teochew Style  潮州蚝煎蛋  ($16 for Small) did not just look good, but checked out taste-wise too.

Paradise Teochew Insides of Oyster Omelette

The oyster omelette was surprisingly not very greasy and it was more doughy with a crunchy exterior than anything else. It was also an added bonus for me that the oysters were very fresh and its seafood smell could be easily masked by dunking chunks of the omelette into the side of vinegary chili sauce.

Paradise Teochew Crispy Sweet andd Sour Noodle in Teochew Style

And to ground ourselves in something laden with carbs (that is not dim sum), we indulged in an authentic Teochew Style Crispy Sweet and Sour Noodle in Teochew Style 潮式干煎糖醋面  ($14 for Small). The crispy noodles was doused in some vinegar and sprinkled with some sugar to bring out the sweet and sour flavours of the dish.

The flavours were all very subtle but in a nice, docile sort of way. Great for a snack.

Paradise Teochew Steamed Sweetened Yam, Sweet Potato and Gingko

After stuffing ourselves full with the mains, we moved on to the desserts which fared very well too. We first tried the Steamed Sweetened Yam, Sweet Potato and Gingko 高烧三宝  ($8 per serving) which was an interesting blend of sweet and pasty. The sesame seeds gave the dish an added bit of crunch which I enjoyed quite a bit.

Paradise Teochew Mashed Yam with Pumpkin 金瓜芋泥

We also tried the Mashed Yam with Pumpkin  金瓜芋泥  ($4.50 per person) which is in a way similar to the previous dish but in a very different texture. This classic Teochew dessert dish was thick with sweet yam paste which did not stick to the gums as it quickly melted away into my tummy.

This was a heavy dessert dish which wouldn’t be my first choice after the extremely hearty meal but I still liked its sweet mellow flavours.

Paradise Teochew Tau Suan with Gingko 福果绿豆爽

Now, this was a dessert dish I could fully appreciate. The Tau Suan with Gingko 福果绿豆爽  ($4 per serving) was delicious. The crispy fritters that were later added to the bowl of syrupy Tau Suan were magnificent and went splendidly with the thick, but lighter-than-yam-paste Tau Suan which were fitted in with nice soft bits to chew on. This made for a perfect after-meal dessert for me.

For a person who rarely eats at Chinese restaurants, I was extremely pleased with the quality of exquisite food served at Paradise Teochew Restaurant. I felt like the highlights were rightfully listed down as that, especially the Sliced Beef in Satay Sauce and the Chicken wrapped in Egg-White Crepes.

Another favourite of mine which I’ll definitely return to have more of is the Baked BBQ Honey Pork Buns, a definite must-try!

Expected Damage: $40 – $60 per pax

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Paradise Teochew Restaurant: 21 Amber Rd, #03-01 (Arrival Pavilion), Chinese Swimming Club, Singapore 439870 | Monday to Friday 1130-1530, 1800-2230, Saturday, Sunday & PH 1030- 1530, 1800-2230 | Tel: Website

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