It is unorthodox to begin a restaurant review by talking about the service. I must, however, begin by commending Paradise Dynasty on the exceptional attention to detail of their staff: We were immediately warmly greeted, waiters and waitresses were attentive, each dish was presented with an explanation, and my tea cup were regularly topped up. It was some of the best service I have had in Yangon.
The restaurant’s décor is sleek and the environment is lively. The experience put me in mind of a Hong Kong dim sum hall on a Sunday morning—a pleasant hubbub of conversation and tantalizing dishes being whisked past your by servers.
I started with the restaurant’s trademark international xiao long bao combination basket with ten variations: original, ginseng, fois gras, black truffle, cheese, crab roe, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorn. The colourful wheel of dumplings in a bamboo basket is an instragrammer’s dream. (For xiao long bao virgins, Paradise Dynasty provides an eating guide on each table.)
An intense analysis of the original revealed Paradise Dynasty’s xiao long bao game to be on form, but not sensational. The flavors of the pork and soup were solid but the skin was just a little too thick.
The specialty varieties were hit and miss: The cheese, black truffle, and garlic variations added a welcoming new dimension of flavor while the tastes of fois gras, ginseng, and crab roe were not really discernible. The addition of Sichuan peppercorn and garlic overpowered the delicate xiao long bao flavors in a way that did not please me.
I tried the drunken chicken—the meat was tender and the skin packed with flavour. Some may criticize the chef for being heavy handed on the shaoxing wine, but I lapped it up.
The quality of the Sichuan peppercorn in the la mian (noodles) with hot chilli vinaigrette was fantastic. A deep chilli flavour with a pleasant tingling numbing sensation lingering on the tongue and lips. Again, the skin of the dumpling was a little thick—their tails did not slither about one’s mouth in the way they should.
Down points? The napkins are neither of high quality nor plentiful and the bathroom is not in the restaurant itself, but a small adventure away in another part of the square.
Address: No.(2)&(3), Junction Square Extension, Between Pyay Road & Kyun Taw Road, Kamayut Township Yangon
Phone Number: 09 979 313333
Opening Hours: 11:00AM – 10:30PM
