Taste Paradise

Taste paradise is run by none other then the Paradise group of restaurants and has been raved by my friends in their blogs as well as commercial reviews. See here and here. My wife-to-be was having her birthday as well and that's when i decided to bring her there for a meal. Its a risk since i've never personally tried their food and seafood paradise wasn't exactly mind blowing but its what she has been asking for, so i figured it would be a good birthday present.

Location: 48,49 Mosque Street Singapore 059527

Contact: 62262959

Website: http://www.tasteparadise.com.sg

Price Range: $100-150 per head

The interior is slick with heavily carpeted floors, padded leather chairs and corner booths for comfort and intimacy. Its also one of the more colorful restaurants i've been to with emphasis mainly on red, yellow and white. Lighting was dim and sleep inducing with mild instrumental chinese music in the background for added ambiance. Everything felt perfectly synchronised and well thought.
Service is personalized and impeccable. The staff will remember you by name and provide commentaries and recommendations on the food if you are lost. Advise them on your preferences and they will remember it for you next visit. Simply outstanding.

Tea

Appetiser

Signature XO Carrot Cake ($7)

For a $7 carrot cake, it arrived with little fanfare. However, pop a piece in your mouth and you'll be treated to an explosion of taste and texture unlike any $3 carrot cake could ever dream of giving. Crispy and clear wok hei taste on the outside and quivery smooth on the inside with a fragrant XO aftertaste. This is definitely something everyone should try.

Taste Paradise Trio (Peking Duck and Wasabi Mayo Prawns)

Taste Paradise Trio (Foie Gras and Wasabi Mayo Prawns)

Peking duck: Fragrant herb taste, crispy and minimal fats make this a winner.
Wasabi Mayonaise Prawn: The prawns is generally big, juicy and well battered with a subtle wasabi mayo coating. The wasabi is strong enough to exert its presence, yet mild enough to not overwhelm. Add the fact that the prawn is crunchy and sweet and pair that up with a palatte cleansing watermelon and this is simply perfect.

Pan Seared Foie Gras: Having heard good thing about the foie gras, i'm glad to report that it is at least as good as they say. Soft and quivery on the inside and seared to a crisp on the outside. It doesn't feel overly oily as well but still, take in moderation.

Double Boiled Shark's Fin with Bacon Onion Roll

The generous amount of fins and scallop

Designed to be another signature dish by the restaurant, this traditional Beijing broth is double boiled to perfection and served in a japanese claypot to keep the broth warm all the way to the last drop. The broth is light and not starchy with generous amounts of shark's fin, scallops and dried conpoy. The accompanying bacon onion roll is also worth a mention as it is extremely crispy, fragrant and goes really well with the broth. This is most definitely the best item we had that day.

Baked Rack of Lamb in Lamb Stock

Smooth tender, medium rack of lamb with a delectable sauce. I'm not really into lamb but this is very very good.

Baked Cod Fish with Chef's Recipe

Sweet, soft cod fish marinated in chef's special sauce. The sauce gave the impression of being a little like teriyaki and honey which gave the fish its golden color. Its also lightly charred on the outside and still moist and quivery on the inside. Wonderful.

Baby Abalone, Hoshimeiji mushrooms and hand made noodles

I was pleasantly surprised when this final dish was served, to find a decent sized abalone sitting atop the noodles. The noodles were very springy and yet surprisingly soft just as the abalone is and the sauce it was done in reminded me of Sze Chuan spicy soup which is perfect since we were already pretty stuffed by this time. Excellent.

The desserts were nothing short of excellent as well. Especially so when one of them was given free via the recommendation of the captain. Sweet, sourish and palate cleansing, its the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.

The total bill for this meal came up to $222.45.

Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Food: 8.5/10
Value for money: 7/10
Overall Score: 8/10

Last word:
Good food, good service, new experiences and good ambiance. To me, this place has won me and my girl over quite simply and i'll definitely be back. No doubt about it. If i really need to complain about something, it would be the location. Driving is very much recommended to hae a meal here. To those who have not tried it yet, i heartily recommend giving it a chance. Go in with an open heart and it will warm up to your expectations.