Paradise Inn - 313@Somerset (樂天客棧)

We were at 313@Somerset looking for value for money lunch set. Only managed to come across the Paradise Inn at basement 3 after we had our lunch. We were quite attracted by their Seasons of Paradise set lunch and decided to come back again another day.

Finally we are here at Paradise Inn 313@Somerset today. Paradise Inn is part of the Paradise Group of Restaurants. Its a casual dining concept offering traditional and popular chinese cuisine, fruit fusion tea and variety of desserts.  To me, I interpret casual dining as affordable or cheap dining and I am truly satisfied with this meal.

Paradise Inn

The settings in the dining area are quite nice for casual dining. We get to choose a more spacious table as there isn't a lot of customers. If it gets crowded, believe you may need to sit side by side with strangers.

Dining Area

Seasons of Paradise are the first individual set lunch for Chinese cuisine offered by Paradise Inn @$11.80++ (U.P $15.80++).  Didn't really sight any use of ingredients that really goes according to the seasons, just pick the dishes you like.  Each set comes with a choice of double-boiled soup. It was an easy decision, we ordered the Summer and Autumn Lunch sets.

Seasons of Paradise Set Lunch

You can top up another $1.50 (U.P $4.20) for a choice of fruit-infused iced tea (水果冻茶).  We picked Rosy Vanilla Iced Tea (玫瑰与香草兰冻茶) and Lychee Mojito Iced Tea (荔枝与薄荷冻茶). Rosy Vanilla Iced Tea is a soothing blend of rose extract, vanilla and earl grey tea with some rose buds on top of the foamed tea. This drink is a bit sweet with a strong scent of rose. Didn't really taste the vanilla.

Lychee Mojito Iced Tea is quite nice, not too sweet.  I like the fact that the mint is not over-powering, well balanced with the lychee taste. From the menu, its tropical lychee and mojito with Earl Grey tea which is supposed to be an invigorating drink perfect to chill the summer heat. Wondering what's "Mojito"? Here's the description from Wikipedia -  A Mojito is traditionally made of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, sparkling water and mint.

 Rosy Vanilla Iced Tea (玫瑰与香草兰冻茶)
and Lychee Mojito Iced Tea (荔枝与薄荷冻茶)
Rating: 3.5/5

Summer Set consists of Sliced Smoked Duck, Crisp-fried Crystal Prawns with Wasabi Mayo Dressing, Poached Chinese Spinach with Egg Trio in Superior Stock, Stir-fried Curly Noodle "Hong Kong" style and sliced Osmanthus Jelly.

Sliced Smoked Duck (熏鴨片). Though the sliced duck is not juicy, but it goes with the refreshing cucumber, with a smoky fragrant and the salty and sweet sauce.

Sliced Smoked Duck (熏鴨片)
Rating: 3.75/5

Crisp-fried Crystal Prawns with Wasabi Mayo Dressing (青芥末蝦球).  This Wasabi Mayo Prawn is also an item in Taste Paradise signature trio (pan-seared Foie Gras, Wasabi Mayo Prawn and Bejing duck) which cost more than the Summer lunch set.  You can taste the crispness and freshness of the fried prawn and the well balanced "hotness" of the wasabi and sweetness of the creamy mayo.
The watermelon base is not complimenting the dish, I suppose its for clearing the taste bud before moving onto another cuisine.

Crisp-fried Crystal Prawns with Wasabi Mayo Dressing (青芥末蝦球)
Rating: 4.25/5

Stir-fried Curly Noodle "Hong Kong" style looks simple and good. Can't say much as I only get to eat a tiny bit of leftover, which is less than a mouthful. But I would have to say that the small mouthful is enough to convince me that its good.

Stir-fried Curly Noodle "Hong Kong" style (樂天炒麵)

Poached Chinese Spinach with Egg Trio in Superior Stock (金銀蛋浸莧菜) taste quite good as well. The difference between this and other poached chinese spinach egg trio is maybe the additional minced pork which adds more flavour to the stock.



Poached Chinese Spinach with Egg Trio in Superior Stock (金銀蛋浸莧菜)
Rating: 3.5/5

 For the soup, we get the double-boiled spare ribs and sea whelk.  Was a bit disappointed as its a bit salty.

Autumn Set comes with Sweet and Sour Pork with Lychee, Crisp-fried Prawns with Fluffy Pork Floss, Poached Lettuce with Supreme Soya Sauce, Supreme Seafood Fried rice, Sliced Osmanthus jelly. For the choice of soup, we get the double-boiled Spare Ribs and Winter Melon.

Autumn Set

Crisp-fried Prawns with Fluffy Pork Floss (肉鬆蝦球) tastes heavenly. I like this more than the Wasabi Mayo prawn. You can taste the different texture - fluffy pork floss, creamy mayo, crispy and springy prawn. I can't deny that the taste is a bit complicated and it may get a bit "jalut" if you eat more. But with only one precious piece in the set, its only right that it should give its best shot and thus the full-bodied taste. Yum yum.

Crisp-fried Prawns with Fluffy Pork Floss (肉鬆蝦球)
Rating: 4.5/5

Sweet and Sour Pork with Lychee (荔枝咕噜肉).  The pork is fried to perfection and is still crispy with the sweet and sour sauce. I have to admit that I realised that this is lychee sweet and sour pork only after seeing the one and only piece of lychee on the plate. Besides lychee, there is still the usual pineapple, onion, capsicum included in the dish.



Sweet and Sour Pork with Lychee (荔枝咕噜肉)
Rating: 3.5/5

 Poached Lettuce with Supreme Soya Sauce (玻璃生菜) and the double-boiled Spare Ribs and Winter Melon (冬瓜燉排骨湯) are normal. The Supreme Seafood Fried rice (海鮮皇炒飯) is a bit disappointing.  Its quite dry and is really not up to the usual fried rice standard of a chinese restaurant.

Supreme Seafood Fried rice (海鮮皇炒飯)
Rating: 3.25/5

Sliced Osmanthus jelly (飄香桂花冻) is a soft jelly dessert.  Its not sweet and has some floral or herbal taste which we couldn't quite appreciate.

Osmanthus jelly (飄香桂花冻)
Rating: 3/5

The whole bill comes to only $32. Can't believe that we are spoiled with all the variety of fine Chinese cuisine at only $32! Will definitely be back for more, before the promotion ends.  Great Lunch deal!


Paradise Inn (樂天客棧)
313@Somerset  
#B3-39/40
Tel: 6733 0348
website: http://www.paradisegroup.com.sg/ParadiseInn/index.html

Refer to my previous blog on Paradise group
- Taste Paradise (ION)