Inside Orange County’s Highly Anticipated New Dumpling and Ramen Destinations

Real dumpling fans have known about Paradise Dynasty for years. The growing Singaporean chain has already expanded, thanks in part to its colorful xiao long bao — perfect for the age of social media — to nearly 50 dumpling-focused locations; the group also has a slew of other restaurants spread across the Asian continent. Now, they’re ready for a big Orange County reveal at upscale South Coast Plaza, complete with an entirely new second space that focuses on ramen.

First up is the downstairs restaurant, Le Shrimp Ramen, a more compact (1,100 square feet) full-service spot that leans into seafood-based noodle soups. The bisque-like broth is a slightly smokey and concentrated mix of shrimp and pork, done up with chewy noodles. There are housemade wontons as well, plus lots of head-on shrimp and separate dishes like teriyaki chicken and braised tofu. Between July 31 and August 15, Le Shrimp Ramen will offer a “buy one bowl, get one half off” deal to all customers as well.

Upstairs is the new Paradise Dynasty, which is scheduled for a larger September opening but is serving now with limited hours, staff, and seating. The elevated space is wrapped in black, gold, and grey, with booths, bar seating, and two-tops spread across the large 5,200-square-foot dining room and kitchen. Diners get views directly into the dumpling-making action, from the signature xiao long bao to dim sum staples like pan-fried dumplings, steamed buns, and egg yolk custards. The opening menu is below, as is the menu for Le Shrimp Ramen.

Paradise Dynasty

Plans for Paradise Dynasty have been in the works for Southern California since 2018, though at the time it was believed that the group would end up somewhere on LA’s broad Westside. One pandemic and a change of scenery later and the Paradise Group team is now open at South Coast Plaza, the tony Costa Mesa shopping center. The arrival is part of a large dining overhaul at the Bloomingdale’s inside the mall — called Collage — that features multiple new restaurant tenants spread across two floors.

For Le Shrimp Ramen, start at the ground floor; the larger Paradise Dynasty is upstairs. Both are still operating at limited capacity until at least mid-September, so expect a possible wait for now. Daily hours run 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., though there will be closures on August 2 and August 9 as the restaurants continue to slowly creep up towards full capacity. The plan is to eventually offer full lunch through dinner hours daily, starting as early as 10 a.m. on weekends.

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