Paradise Inn

West Coast Plaza #B1-48

It was called Ginza Plaza last time I ventured along the west coast. Now, with a minty new veneer and brightly coloured shops, West Coast Plaza is born. Along with its birth, is many new eateries eager for west side patrons. On this lazy afternoon, a late lunch here was the perfect stopover before collection of a prize hamper in Pandan Loop. With more than a handful of eateries, both familiar and strange, my friend and I opted for the new. Noting Paradise Inn was the only eatery with a queue on his last visit, my friend enthused it.

The Ambience

If I didn’t know better, I would have avoided the eatery like a coughing, sneezing man on the MRT. The gimmicky Chinese furniture, the hanging lanterns, the extraneous wood panels bearing the eatery’s name, forewarned of not too serious food. Luckily, I was proved wrong.

The Service

With mostly Chinese National waitresses, the service was efficient in mandarin. The waitress taking our order did not interfere nor introduce any dishes but did do well to explain that one of our orders would not look like the corresponding picture. Interesting. The request for ice water was also met with a nonchalantly quick response.

The Food

Since it was a late lunch, we carefully selected our dishes to fill the hunger without destroying dinner’s appetite.

Pork Belly with Lotus Bun

Inescapably, I had to compare this dish to my favourite one at Beng Hiang. The meat was a little tough on first bite. Cooked in a competent mix of spices, the meat and particularly the fat eluded a nice balanced fragrance. The bun was soft with just a touch of chewiness. The leftover sauce mixed with the fat was just right for dipping whatever was left of the bun. Overall not as good as Beng Hiang, but good enough for second helpings. I remembered the time I had trying to finish ten of these with a friend at Beng Hiang. Paradise Inn is a little more considerate, they charge per order.

Yang Chou Fried Rice

Our choice of filler was the ubiquitous Yang Chou Fried Rice. The individual ingredients, particularly the shrimp and char siew stood out as I munched through the spoonfuls. Slightly oily but nicely salted, the dish provided all the gestation comfort I expect from this dish.

Beef Fillet in Chinese Style

Looking slightly different from the print on the menu (we were not warned), the thinly sliced pieces of beef was sprinkled with tiny cuts of mango. Ignoring the mango, I took an entire piece. The tenderness was surprising. Each bite did not so much as cut the meat but instead brought out a strong, overwhelming garlic flavour. Mixed with the juices of the meat, the garlicky taste soon melted with the meat into a blissful goodness. The next piece was accompanied by the mango and the sweet, slightly tart quality of the mango went even better as it brought down the flavour of the garlic, making the taste more varied.

Mini Wok Tofu

The dish indeed looked different from the picture. The small spread of pork floss atop a plain looking piece of fried Tofu swimmingly in brown gravy was not impressive. Digging further, small cuts of shrimp, sea cucumber and mushrooms were revealed. The Tofu felt freshly made, soft, firm and light tasting. It went very well with slivers of sweet pork floss after it was dampened by the flavourful gravy. It might have looked different from the picture, but it provided an expected taste.

I could now understand the queue at this eatery during the weekends. The food was a lot better tasting than the name and the décor suggested. Having said that, I was still mildly puzzled at the queue as the meal did cost quite a bit more than expected.

Ambience – 8/15

Service – 10/15

Food – 10/15