Paradise Dynasty (Taiwan)

Paradise Dynasty is a Singapore based chain famous for their signature eight flavors of xiao long bao, a delicate Chinese dumpling filled with pork and soup. During my visit to Taiwan earlier this year, I was able to try the Taiwan branch of this chain and it was one of the highlights of my trip.

The restaurant is spacious with a lovely interior. The dim sum menu is extensive, with many unique dishes I’ve never seen before. I wished we had been able to try more, but this was the final stop on our dumpling tour that day, so we only saved enough room for their signature xiao long bao.

The colorful dumplings are quite popular and have spawned many copycats, but this is the chain that originally came up with the idea.

Specialty Dynasty Xiao Long Bao

After you order the dumplings, you are given a sheet that tells you the flavors of the dumplings and the order they should be eaten in: starting with the mildest flavor and ending with the strongest flavor.

I was thoroughly impressed with these dumplings. Each one really tasted just like the flavor it was supposed to. The colorful dumplings are colored with natural ingredients and were so plump and beautiful. I am always comparing every xiao long bao I eat to the ones served at Din Tai Fung and I thought the skins on these dumplings were just as delicate, thin and pliable. And each one had just enough soup contained in them.

Lu Rou Fan (Braised Pork Belly Rice) Xiao Long Bao

During our visit, they were introducing a new xiao long bao flavor: lu rou fan (braised pork belly rice). Lu rou fan is a Taiwanese classic and I found this flavor to be incredibly creative and not a flavor I have yet seen anywhere in Taiwan.
The two-toned dumplings managed to capture the flavors of the classic Taiwanese dish in one perfect bite. The soupy dumplings even had rice in them. I really enjoyed these as well.

Radish Pastry

I also couldn’t resist ordering this. Radish cakes are a dim sum staple and this was a delicious and beautiful twist on the original. The radish pastry was full of thin, crispy layers.

Salted Yolk Custard Lava Charcoal Buns

Salted yolk buns are one of my favorite things to order at dim sum because I love the lava custard center. What made these unique were the charcoal buns, a stark contrast to the traditional pristine white buns. While these looked very cool, we found the buns to be a little bit dry. It was the only item we had that was disappointing.

Overall, we really enjoyed our visit here. Next time, I want to have a full meal here so I can sample more dim sum items and I definitely want to eat more of their signature eight flavors xiao long bao. Paradise Dynasty is planning on expanding to LA next year, so I look forward to trying that location as well when it opens.

Paradise Dynasty
110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road, 68號微風信義商場4樓