Paul Bakery

PAUL - French bakery company with more than 120 years of savoir-faire. It is touted to be the leader in authentic French pastries offering unmatched quality of sweet patisserie using all real cream made with real butter and milk.

Our expectation was definitely raised after reading about this French Patisserie.

We ordered their cannele and a butter cream pastry for take-away.


Canele @$3.50
Canele is a small cake with dark, thick caramelized crust and soft centre. The name Canele came from the little fluted copper mould in which it is baked.

Canele

This canele is flavoured with vanilla and rum.  I would not describe it as soft and tender custard center but something chewy like Nonya kueh Bingka Ubi or Indonesia honeycomb cake.

The rum is quite distinct and the caramelized crust was quite nice as well.  However, $3.50 for such a small piece of honeycomb cake like canele is a bit expensive.

Canele

Butter cream pastry
Not sure what's the name of this pastry as the tags were all mixed up. Only get to know that it is some butter cream pastry from the salesperson.

It doesn't taste as good as it looks. Neither soft cake nor fluffy crispy puff, cream was nothing special as well. We didn't continue after 2 bites. Perhaps its just because we kept it overnight in the fridge.

ButterCream Pastry

Maybe we will try some other pastry fresh at the restaurant next time.

Paul Bakery
391A Orchard Road,
#03-16/16A/17 Ngee Ann City Tower A,
Singapore
Tel: +65 6836 5932

Business Hours
Bakery:
  Sunday – Thursday: 9am to 9:30pm
  Friday & Saturday: 9am to 10:30pm
Restaurant:
  Monday – Sunday: 10am – 11pm

TWG

ION TWG is just next to the ION taxi stand (which is outside of CBD). Had always been attracted by the lush and impressive looking cafe when we pass by. During tea time, there is always see a long queue in the shop waiting for a seat. Since there is no reservation for tea time, we make a reservation for lunch instead to avoid the queuing.

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique

The cafe is actually quite small, with almost half of the space used for store front, there isn't much space left for the dinning area.  Its actually quite camped in the dinning area, when seated, the back of the chairs are actually touching each other. The ambience is quite nice though, like the tins of teas as a backdrop in the dinning area.

Dinning Area

TWG had a long tea list, was a bit disappointed that the waiter can't really help to do much recommendation. We just settled for Orange Blossom Oolong @$10.50 and Smoky Russian @$11. The Orange Blossom Oolong taste is quite normal, some floral fragrance and citrus taste. The Smoky Russian is quite strong and there is really some smoky taste and "fragrance".


We ordered Soup of the day @$10. Can't really catch the name of the soup but it does taste good.  Its creamy, smooth and there seems to be quite a lot of vegetables in it . It come is a small cup portion with bread and TWG tea jelly and whipped cream.

Soup of the Day
Rating: 3.5/5

The bread is crispy on the outside and a bit chewy or tough inside.  It goes well with the soup, especially the crispy "skin".

Bread

Was initially quite impressed with its decor, plates and cutlery until i finish the soup. Was really disappointed when the base of the soup cup is revealed as i finish the soup, its quite badly scratched.

We ordered 2 scones @$8 which comes with TWG tea jelly and whipped cream.  The scone are light and crumbly, it goes really well with the refreshing whipped cream and the fragrant tea jelly.

TWG Homemake Scone

TWG Tea jelly and whipped cream

We also ordered a patisserie from their trolley @$8.50.  Quite nice, a bit crunchy, creamy chocolate moouse with some tea leaves on top. 
 

Chocolate Cake
Rating: 3.5/5

 
ION Shopping Mall
2 Orchard Turn, #02 - 21
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6735 1837 +65 6735 1837
Fax: +65 6736 1837

Taste Paradise 味之樓 @ ION Orchard

Taste Paradise is in a modern chinese settings with a number of Chinese Emperors' portraits as a backdrop in the dinning area.  The dinning tables are laid with matching tablecloth and exquisite cutlery and china plates.

Dinning Area

Dinning chair and table

Century egg with Pickled Ginger in Chestnut Roll with Wasabi Mayonnaise (芥末皮蛋子姜卷) @$4.20. The name sounds delicious and the it looks appetising as well. However, its a disappoinment. The ginger is too tough that you have to practically tear them apart. The sourness of the ginger also overwhelmed the mayonnaise and century egg.

Century Egg Wasabi Roll (芥末皮蛋子姜卷)
Rating: 2.5/5

Taste Paradise Famous XO Carrot Cake (金典萝卜糕) @$7.80. The carrot cake is soft but the XO sauce was a bit disappointing.  Find the XO sauce a bit choking and overpowering, the spiciness cover the other taste.

XO Carrot Cake (金典萝卜糕)
Rating: 3.5/5

Their Steamed Chicken Claw with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸凤爪) @$3.80 is very nice. The chicken claws had absorb the black sauce and skin is tender yet chewy, unlike some which can be too soft, wet and oily.

Steamed Chicken Claw with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸凤爪)
Rating: 4/5

Steamed Pork Dumpling Siew Mai (香菇魚子蒸烧卖) @$4.80 is pure delicacy. The tenderness of the pork, the aroma of the mushroom and the refreshing roe definitely mark it different from the other Siew Mai.

Steamed Pork Dumpling Siew Mai (香菇魚子蒸烧卖)
Rating: 4.5/5

Crispy Spring Roll with Smoked Duck Meat (脆皮熏鴨春捲) @$3.80. The fried spring roll is so-so, the smoked duck meat taste like ham and a bit salty and dry.  Still prefer the usual spring roll that is more juicy with those bean sprouts and vegetables.

Crispy Spring Roll with Smoked Duck Meat (脆皮熏鴨春捲)
Rating: 3/5

Crisp-Fried Egg Plant Tossed with pork Floss (肉鬆茄子)@$9.80.  A bit costly and somehow not as fluffy as what we expect it to be.

Crisp-Fried Egg Plant Tossed with pork Floss (肉鬆茄子)
Rating: 3.5

Steamed Cheong-fun with Dough Fritter (蔥花炸兩腸粉) @$4.80.  The fried dough fritter is crispy but a bit hard. Maybe we should have pour the black sauce onto the dish instead of using it as a dip.  The cheong-fun is thin, soft and nice with the sesame.  They also provide some extra dipping sauce that goes well with the cheong-fun.  Think its average rating is purely our fault for not pouring the black sauce.


Steamed Cheong-fun with Dough Fritter (蔥花炸兩腸粉)
Rating: 3.5/5


Pan-fried Pumpkin Pastry (煎南瓜餅) @$3.20.  Was hoping that the pumpkin pastry will be something like what we had at Summer Pavalion, but its just a normal pumpkin dough fried pastry with some fillings.

Pan-fried Pumpkin Pastry (煎南瓜餅)
Rating: 3.5/5

No. 2 Orchard Turn
#04-07 ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
Tel: 6509 9660
website: http://www.tasteparadise.com.sg/

Reference other blogs on Dim Sum
- Summer Pavalion
- East Ocean

Reference an cheaper alternative for Paradise group
- Paradise Inn

East Ocean Teochew Restaurant 东海潮州酒家

East Ocean is one of the restaurants that we usually go for Dim Sum. Over here, the waitresses will be dishing out the more common dim sum for you to choose from. For the less common dishes, you will need to order from the captain.

What is dim sum without prawn dumpling and Siew Mai. The prawn dumplings (虾饺) are quite big and I like the soft skin which might just tear off if you are not careful. The fresh prawn dumpling goes well with mustard and their famous chilli.

prawn dumplings (虾饺)
Rating: 3.5/5


Their Siew Mai (烧卖) are quire nice, you can taste the tenderness of the pork and freshness of the prawn and roe.
 


Siew Mai (烧卖)
Rating: 4/5 

  
Pan-fried Carrot cake (煎腊味萝卜糕). Simple yet nice carrot cake, the pan-fried gives some crisp to the surface, preserved meat add aroma to and gives a different texture to the soft carrot cake.

Pan-fried Carrot cake (煎腊味萝卜糕)
Rating: 4/5

We ordered the lotus root cakes 香煎藕饼 as we wanted to try somthing different. However, was very disappointed with our selection. You can taste the crunchiness of the lotus root but besides that, its only oily, oily and oily.

lotus root cakes 香煎藕饼
Rating: 3/5

Steamed Chicken feet 蒸凤爪. Find the seasoning a bit too strong, its a bit spicy, sour, sweet and a bit too wet and oily. I do like the additional beancurb skin added into the dish, which absorb all the gravy and make it very fragrant.

Steamed Chicken feet 蒸凤爪
Rating: 3.5/5

Steam rice rolls with deep fried dough (炸兩). You will need to order this from the captain and it will take some time to prepare. The deep fried dough is crispy yet not too hard and blends well with the soft steam rice rolls. The sauce is also the key element of the dish, nice!

Steam rice rolls with deep fried dough (炸兩)
Rating: 4/5

East Ocean inhouse Teochew chilli. Not sure what's inside the chilli, but there are some fried dried shrimps and its very fragrant. My hubby usually don't take chilli but he simply loved this.

Teochew Chilli

Pan seared Foie Gras (煎鹅肝)@$18++. The foie gras is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.  The strong aroma, sweetness of the onion and creamy taste and texture is pure heavenly when it melts in your mouth. There is peach, blackberry and bread to clear and wake up your taste buds when it gets too "jialut" or over-whelming after a few mouthful.  It's definitely value for $$.




Pan seared Foie Gras (煎鹅肝)
Rating: 4.5/5




East Ocean Teochew Restaurant (东海潮州酒家)
1 Scotts Road #02-18 Shaw Centre
Tel: 6235-9088
Mon to Fri: 11:30am - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sat to Sun: 10am - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm

Refer to the other blogs on Dim Sum
- Summer Pavalion
- East Ocean