- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Lin Chinese Cuisine And Tea House
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
1537 W BroadwayVancouver, BC V6J 1W6
Neighbourhoods: Fairview Slopes, South Granville
(604) 733-9696
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
84 reviews for Lin Chinese Cuisine And Tea House
Review Highlights
-
"The xiao long bao here were DELICIOUS." In 15 reviews -
"Lin's is so much more then just her juicy dumplings." In 14 reviews -
"The food is delicious and the XLB are so good." In 24 reviews
Loading...
84 reviews in English
-
Review from Karen C.
5/22/2012
Xiao long bao are so good! We ordered four orders for three people. No dumplings left behind. The wrapper is the perfect thickness and the soup is full of flavor, but not excessively fatty.
We came here two days in a row while we were in Vancouver for a meeting. We almost made it a third time, but they were closed on Tuesday. :(
Pea pod leaves and spicy eggplant were also delicious. The second time back, we ordered more soup dumplings, because we had more people...our waiter looked shocked when we told him how many we wanted. He also recommended the pork fried buns. He was right! They were scrumptious and we actually wanted another order, but they had sold out. -
Review from Jenny C.
5/16/2012
coming back for a visit and staying with friends, craving for Xiao Long Bao and after yelping, this one seems to fit the bill. So off I go to order some take out..We had: spicy wonton, Xiao Long Bao, and pan-fried dumplings.
Spicy Wonton: it's spicy alright..but I couldn't taste anything else good about it. The proper way to make it, I believe, is to do it with peanut sauce along with chili oil. This one didn't have any peanut oil or sauce on it..all I taste is chili oil and garlic.
Pan-fried dumplings: This was the best out of the 3 dishes, It tasted good, like it should, but it was not exceptional.
Xiao Long Bao: Ok, I can't believe the size of these things..they were soooo tiny!! (yep, that's what she said). My friend said they used to be bigger so I'm thinking..the dish got popular and someone decided to cheap out on the size! they were the smallest XLB I've ever had in my life, they're for babies, I kid you not! Taste wise...it's good, but nothing ground breaking.
Overall, I would steer away from this restaurant, looks like it's gotten some good reviews in the past but sorry pals, the glorious days are O-V-E-R! Head over to Richmond for some real Chinese XLB's cause you ain't gonna find it here that's for sure! -
Review from Patricia L.
Vancouver, BC
WTF is going on at Lin's? The last few times I've made the trek from Downtown to come and eat, both the service and the food had gone downhill. The XLB is still decent (thank god) but everything else has slipped.
Your Tan Tan Noodles are now waaay too sweet, your Szechuan Chili Beans looked like they were weeks old and they tasted that way too. There's no more love in your food. I've never actually had to return food back to the kitchen, but I did on my last visit because the Beans were so mushy, wilted, cooked to death and just plain sad. What came back was exactly the same crap as the first.
With the way your service is so lacking, I figured there was no point trying to talk to you there at the restaurant - so I'm writing an update here. I even paid for the bad Beans, but I won't be back for awhile. I'm thinking you and I are like a good relationship gone really bad and I guess it's just about that time for a break.
Hopefully you'll get your sh!t together before it's too late because perfect XLB's or not, even they eventually will lose their holding power in keeping customers and getting them to come back for more.Listed in: I HEART Food!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/12/2011
Their XLB (xiao lung bao) rules like no other. There is a reason they win award after award for… Read more »
-
-
Review from Lily T.
Richmond, BC
5/1/2012
Yummy shao-long-pao (juicy pork dumplings) and cheap. Something nice and near by while you're a few blocks away from work. No need to go all the way to Richmond, this resto is right in front of the bus stop, you won't miss it.
Honey shirmp are good, i thought it would be too sweet, but it wasn't, im impressed. Must go back (specially during lunch break) since they offer good lunch meals. -
Review from Jenna B.
Coquitlam, BC
5/3/2012
Me and some friends were hungry and working late at school. Really really hungry. 5 of us decided to order delivery and eventually settled on this place. We ordered xiao long bao, honey garlic spare ribs, and shanghai chow-mein. The delivery was fast and boy was it delicious. It was worth every penny we spent. The xiao long bao was super delicious, and glorious, the spare ribs were so good I wish we had ordered more, and the chow-mein is one of the best I had in a long time. Just think about the food I tasted make me hungry all over again.
The only reason I can't give this place 5 stars was their over the phone service . It took ages for them to take our order.
I'm definitely going to come here again and help myself to this deliciousness.
EDIT: I would also like to add that on yelp it says this place is wheelchair accesible. Good thing I checked before taking my mom here because there are STAIRS to go into this place. So unless people think wheelchairs can levitate, or there is an invisible ramp somewhere this information is incorrect. -
Review from Bob L.
3/11/2012
November 14, 2011
[I'm way behind on publishing food reviews and will make short entries that will be modified at a later date.]
Lin Chinese Restaurant aka Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House
1537 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6J 1W6
(604) 733-9696
HST#833921950
http://www.LinChinese.ca
I love Canada and when I am able to afford to live there I intend on applying for Canadian citizenship. This eatery makes their dumplings before your eyes behind a glass window where the lady chef mirrors a zen state achieved through the repetitive action of making dumplings. I've been there myself while making wontons at home for the family. On this occasion my group ordered Hotpot Soup Supreme, Noodle Soup with Preserved Vegetables, Pork Dumplings, Green Onion Cake, Honey Prawns, Jellyfish and Radish Salad, and Steamed Sliced Rolls. The food was excellent and cost $68.52 + 8.22(HST 12%) = $76.74
I was a little confused paying the bill, because this and many restaurants in Canada use wireless credit card machines that are brought to your table...hightech!
This eatery/restaurant is one on my favorites list to visit on my sortie across the border into beautiful Canada.
Eat life before life eats you;
Mazel a presto! -
Review from Luisa D.
A colleague wanted us to go here for lunch as he'd recently tried what he called 'juicy broth dumplings'. I knew right away he meant Shanghai dumplings so I was in. When we walked in we could see the dumplings being made in the back. Yay!
Three of us shared 2 orders of Shanghai dumplings, a large hot & sour soup and an order of Mooshu pork. Everything was so good and I don't usually like hot & sour soup that much. Even the pancakes for the pork were good. Our server was very friendly and the food came quickly.
I was excited to find out they did delivery as they're near me. Last night I ordered some food for home. It was decent although our picks at lunch were my faves. The ginger beef was nice and chewy the way I like it though and the house fried rice was loaded with goodies. -
Review from Jenn J.
Vancouver, BC
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Dear Lin's,
When we first met it was XLB at first sight. Then you started to make me feel neglected through your carelessness. I still XLB'd you so I didn't care, we could make it work. My friends tried to warn me about how you were treating me but I didn't listen. After all, I was a foodie in XLB.
Then my friends started to really worry and knew I needed to open my eyes. I strayed, Lin's. I didn't want to but the temptation of XLB was too much and I succumbed.
And now I see.
Your XLB is good, but I have my integrity. You don't offer an apology when you've kept me waiting for 45 minutes. You never smile at me anymore. You don't even give me unchipped plates anymore. You don't give me...service...anyyyy....mooorrre.
XLB is not enough. I thought it was. But now that I've been with others I know what it means to have reasonable service. Maybe their XLB isn't quite as tasty as yours but at least I can leave without feeling neglected.
PS: I only liked you for your XLB. -
Review from Cheri B.
Vancouver, BC
3/4/2012
I highly recommend their Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai juicy pork dumpling). That's it. They didn't lie when they said juicy! It seriously melts in your mouth. You have to pick up the dumpling carefully, lest you poke a hole in it and waste all that juicy goodness. You don't want to end up licking up all the flavour from your bowl....not that I did that.. :-P
If I was forced to suggest another dish, fine. Order Tan Tan noodle soup with minced meat. The noodles taste delish. Starchy, just the way noodles are supposed to be! I do wish they give more soup though. I was expecting a huge portion of liquid to warm my body up after being outside in the cold rain.
Their honey prawns taste like mayonnaise.
Their sign outside also boasts of bubble tea (I have the picture to prove it!) but they really don't offer it. What's up with that?
Anyway, I wouldn't mind coming back here for their juicy pork dumplings! -
Review from Jamie K.
12/28/2011 6 Check-ins Here
"A restaurant with slow service because they're very busy isn't likely to be terrible - it's busy for a reason and could probably just use a few tweaks of improvement" - Jamie K.
If 4 stars doesn't say it, come closer. Psst. I like Lin's.
I've done takeout and have been frustrated with waiting almost an hour but at least they keep telling me it's coming (I'm not forgotten). But I've also had quick service when it's not SMOKING busy. I've eaten in and really enjoyed it. It was funny when the waiter asked if I wanted a fork. Hell no! (I was surprised by a yelper's comment that most customers are white but when I'm there customers are predominantly Chinese).
I don't look Chinese (I'm not), I don't speak Chinese, but MAN I eat Chinese. I don't call myself an expert but psst, I like this place..
People rave about the xiao long bao for good reason. They're outstanding. Now I haven't scoured the earth for xlb but the only other ones I've had of this calibre were at Ding Tai Fung in Markham, Ontario (close to Toronto) which might even be better. Certainly more research is needed on my part.
I like the hot and sour soup, not the hottest or most sour but very tasty.
It took a bit of convincing to get my girlfriend to come here but now she's hooked. Now when we're coming here, she gets "tho exthited". They don't mean to give slow service, they just have a crap load of people to feed.
Oh and I don't know a single person in the restaurant but the website says Lin is a dude. -
Review from Edward L.
I'd heard a lot about this place over the last few months. Wow, this place is life-changing good.
Parking isn't the best, but a block away are several streets with non-metered spots.
Initially I thought the interior was a bit tacky as the walls were pinkish orange, but this actually works nicely, as it keeps the atmosphere nice and bright. The other thing that was surprising was that the clientele were 65% Western. Not to be racist, but normally this is a sign that the food isn't authentic. This "rule" totally does not apply here.
For beer, they only have Yan Jing and Zhu Jiang. No Kokanee or Canadian available. Chairman Mao would be proud. For the Motherland.
Hot and sour soup - not the hottest, and not the most sour. But there is *something* special here. I had several bowls and couldn't put my finger on it even after some deep thought. And I'm not talking about no MSG here. A fine restaurant uses a lot of subtle flavours, and this definitely applies here.
Meat-stuffed pastry (Beijing style) - recommended by our waiter. He looked a little worn down, but I give him props. In a nutshell, this is literally like a larger Xiao Long Bao that has been squashed into a flat cylinder and deep fried. The filling is identical to the XLB, and there is even scorching hot soup inside! Don't burn your mouth. Oh baby.
XLB - need I say more? I was very distressed. Before today, I couldn't decide which place was better, Shanghai River, or Chen's (both in Richmond). Now I have a 3rd contender. Lin has won multiple awards, and I can totally see why.
Fried green bean - they did an excellent job here. Most places don't fry the beans enough. They were nice and dry and shriveled. Not too salty, with lots of complex flavours.
House Special chow mein - this was the "worst" dish out of everything (if you can call it that). Large prawns and baby corn cobs, with plenty of flavour. This dish was different, but again, lots of complex flavours.
The Shanghai restaurant market is heating up in this city. It's times like this that I am so glad I live in Vancouver. We truly are spoiled. Recommended.Listed in: 2011 Ed's Picks
-
Review from Ellen L.
Updated - 12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
*Clears throat* Ahem ahem:
XLB
Beijing style meat pastry
Szechuan beef noodle soup
Pork in chilli sauce
Eggplant in chilli sauce
I know I know, I'm just repeating my previous review; but they're reallyyyy good. I've brought people to try Lin and these are hits with everyone. Really solid budget Chinese.
Also, I change my view on the service staff. Was there for a birthday celebration and stayed well beyond dinner rush. A couple of the servers joined in to sing happy birthday and small talk was exchanged. An interesting side to see when they are not rushed and understaffed.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/23/2011
I have been to Lin a handful of times now and have not been disappointed to date (in terms of food… Read more »
-
-
Review from Vivian H.
9/30/2011 4 photos
The xiao long bao here are amazing. The skin was thin and soft, the thinnest I had ever had, but not a single dumpling broke. They all had a good amount of soup in each one. The bf and I had 6 orders of XLBs between us and the owner thought we were mad.
We also ordered green onion pancakes and green onion oil infused noodles. The pancakes were way too thick so they weren't very crispy. The noodles were tasty but were way too greasy. Stick with the dumplings!
Ask to sit closer to the front of the restaurant so you can watch the dumplings being made. That woman is a dumpling goddess. -
Review from Vincent N.
Vancouver, BC
10/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Lin's Chinese food is a great place that provides great value. Their chefs did a great job with the XLB (pork dumpling) and it was amazingly juicy and some parts were a little bit salty but that was okay.
Their Hot And Sour Soup was 6.99 was really big for the price but was well done, it had a nice balance of sour, hot, and complex flavours which a slight bitter tanginess to it. It tastes better than what I'm writing. If you like white pepper in your hot and sour then you'll enjoy this, I prefer not using white pepper in hot and sour.
Usually at Chinese restaurants soups are served first, however our XLB came first, then it was our second dish, and then the Hot and Soup came out only after asking one server, and then the manager. The manager brought it out. In a kitchen, scooping up soup that's premade should never require a half hour wait.
Truthfully the service wasn't the biggest issue, it was the actual waiting time to get all our food. I literally had set our parking to one hour, and after getting three dishes (remember one was a soup) that our parking had expired ( i went to go check outside). We received our 4 dishes in 1 hour and 15 minutes on a Saturday night at around 7pm. We spent only 2 minutes waiting for our table and another 5 minutes before we place our order.
So go to the restaurant, but avoid peak times during the weekend is my advice.
If you like good food, for great value then try it out. But the long wait time really put a sour first impression of the restaurant. I'll drop by again during a quiet time to give it a second chance. -
Review from Annie W.
11/1/2011
The food at Lin's is definitely above average as far as Chinese food outside of Richmond goes. When I come here, my order list always includes:
- XLB's (Shanghai Soup Dumplings)
- DanDan Noodles
- Shanghai Chow Mein
- Spicy Wontons
- Szechuan Beef Noodle Soup
If you want decent service you'll have to be proactive about it, because if you sit and wait patiently for the staff to come to you...you'll be waiting for a while.Listed in: Yelp 30 Day Challenge 2011
-
Review from Megan S.
11/14/2011
I'm a bit conflicted about this place - I ate here on a busy Saturday night with a friend and had a bit of a strange experience.
We had to wait about 15 minutes for a table, not too bad, and were seated at the same table as a couple who were regulars and had shown up just after us. When I say the same table, I mean they pulled the tables apart less than 2 inches - didn't really bother us, except that the staff kept giving our food to the other couple. The other couple also got 99% of the server's attention, and kept ignoring us despite our pleas for attention.
For a restaurant that calls itself a "tea house", I must say that the tea was horrible - the worst I've ever had. It was tepid and had no flavour...was pretty much just lukewarm water with floaty bits. We suspected that it may have been re-used tea leaves...or just made with water that wasn't hot enough. Either way - inexcusable, in my opinion.
We finally got our order in and were served promptly - XLB's were DELICIOUS little pockets of juice and pork, the Ginger Beef was some of the best I'd ever had - large portion, perfectly crispy and the sauce was amazing, with just a hint of chili. We also ordered the Vegetable Chow Mein and it wasn't that great, meh.
Despite spending the bulk of the night being completely ignored...guess who received and ate their entire meal AND paid, before the much-fawned-over regulars got even one dish? Sucks to be them!
Would come back for takeout, but not sure I'd subject myself to another sitdown meal here. -
Review from Karen R.
This review is about their takeout. I called the other night with a huge hankering for Chinese. This is really close to where I live and since the reviews here were quite positive, I thought I'd try it.
I ordered:
- Ginger Beef - crispy and spicy and plentiful! It would have been that much better had we eaten in.
- Sweet and Sour Pork - I had to order this dish, I wanted something deep friend and familiar - this was a huge portion of meat, freshly fried and still crispy even after carrying it home. They give you a GIANT container of sweet and sour sauce to dump over the pork and veggies.
- Braised Eggplant and Tofu - giant ass pieces of tofu were underneath a bed of braised, spicy eggplant. Flavourful, gingery and tender.
- Szechuan Green Beans - spicy, garlicky and crispy. YUM.
- Wonton Soup - meh - the dumplings were mushy on the inside and the dough was too thick, not my favourite.
- Chicken Chow Mein - the noodles were a bit slimy and the rest was pretty tasteless, probably the biggest let down because the other dishes were packed with flavour.
The woman I spoke to was curt on the phone - please remember to order the dish itself , not by number listed in the menu. When I walked in, one of the waiters barked at me to go to the back. The food was packed well, the bag didn't fall apart as I walked home - the containers were full and heavy. Also, you get 10% off of pick up orders. -
Review from Dave C.
Chilliwack, BC
1/29/2012
I was here tonight for the first time. Everyone says how great it is. There was 6 of us and we all order different food to share. I ordered the spicy beef with pepper. I really enjoyed it and all the other food ordered was good. There wasn't really any bad food and if it was just the food I would give this place 5 stars, but the service is so slooooooooooooooow that we almost walked out before our last plate. It took 1 hour 38 minutes from the time we order to the time our last plate come out. Too bad because I would have come back for sure.. now I don't know..
-
Review from Justin L.
8/6/2011
For a casual lunch, this is a decent spot for some Northern-inflected Chinese food. A la carte items are reasonably priced. SHANGHAI PORK DUMPLINGS (xiaolongbao) ($4.99) are juicy, if not memorably flavorful; WONTON IN SPICY PEANUT SAUCE ($4.99) was high on the spicy and low on the peanut, but quite edible nonetheless; and the BEIJING MEAT-STUFFED PASTRIES ($4.99) are worth returning for. Make sure you get these little discs of pan-fried goodness. Just don't burn your tongue!
What I don't find to be of particular value are the daily lunch specials, priced at around $7.99. For example, the LEMON CHICKEN meal comes with two small and thin pieces of breaded and sauced chicken, a small bowl of rice, and a small bowl of generic corn soup. Given that the latter two items are essentially toss-offs, you'd actually get more "chicken" in an order of chicken nuggets from McD's across the street. Mind you, the lemon sauce had a nice tang to it. And the batter--as far as these go--was nice.
What really knocks the stars off this place is the poor service from *some* of the wait staff. We ordered the ROTI WITH CURRY SAUCE, which was dumped on our table without the sauce. When we asked whether they forgot the sauce, one waitress casually said they ran out of sauce. She didn't seem to realize that the whole point is to dip the pan-fried dough into the sauce and that if they had run out of sauce, she should have informed us, or asked us if we wanted to order something else. Oh, we wanted sauce? How about some Hoisin sauce? Uh, iew, no. Fortunately, another waitress understood what happened and took the item off our bill. But I could hear the incompetent one defending herself, saying that it wasn't that she refused to give us sauce...
Credits cards accepted. -
Review from Matt R.
Vancouver, BC
2/20/2012
The Xiao Long Bao are perhaps the most epic little morsels of delicious that I've ever put in my mouth [for lunch]. Seriously though, this has got to be one of the best Chinese places in Vancouver. The other reviewers nailed it; service is a bit slow, mostly because they're packed, so come early and hungry!
-
Review from Iris T.
9/7/2011 3 photos
I wish I had a restaurant like Lin Chinese Cuisine near me. It's delicious Chinese food minus all the soy sauce and grease! And because of the three following reasons:
1) They DELIVER. When you're getting off the plane, what better to have waiting for you than hot, freshly cooked, and delicious Chinese food?
2) The food: juicy dumplings (xiao long bao). Get them. Tea-smoked duck? Probably better than the xlb's. Not like the peking ducks you've probably had at other Chinese restaurants. Flavorful and meaty, without all the grease.
3) Reasonably priced and hefty proportions. We ordered the previously mentioned food plus another entree and two side orders of rice and it lasted us about three meals!
As fellow Yelper Serena mentioned, do skip the honey prawns. They would've been delicious... had it not had all that slaw and mayo on it. Oh and the entrees don't come with rice so you will have to order it separately.
Next trip to Vancouver? I'm definitely stopping by here! -
Review from Roni L.
Vancouver, BC
I went here with a friend Saturday night as I had heard the food was good here and I've been meaning to try it.
We ordered the Shao Long Bao, hot and sour soup, sweet and sour pork and the Shanghai lettuce with rice. The Shao Long Boa came pretty fast. It was great, the best I've had in Vancouver, but that isn't saying much if you've ever had it in Shanghai (all the Vancouver ones aren't great).
Then came the sweet and sour pork not long after. It wasn't what I expect it to look like but was still decent.
Then it took about an hour to get our hot and sour soup and then the rice. Are you kidding me? The sweet and sour pork was mostly eaten by that point and was cold by the time the rice got there.
If you can imagine what it was like to have to dishes come almost an hour apart, I'm sure you'll understand how bad that was.
The food was good and I may return for the food, but they only get two stars because of the food. If the food was bad as well, then I'd give it a half star. -
Review from Diana H.
Vancouver, BC
2/14/2012
China is HUGE. If you're looking for chicken chow mein, fried rice, and sweet & sour pork, move on. This is not a Cantonese restaurant. Also, like many other Asian establishments, this place is all about the food. So if you're looking for excellent service and ambiance, again...move on. The manager and wait staff here are actually very friendly.
So many dishes here are excellent. This place has the BEST Shanghai Juicy Dumplings (XLB) in the city, hands down. Other stars include Honey Prawns (although quite pricey now) and their Tea-smoked Duck. I also recommend Tan Tan Noodle Soup, Pan Fried Pork & Vegetable Pot Stickers, Shanghai Style Chow Mein or Rice Cakes, and Szechwan Style Fried Green Beans. Yes, basic and predictable, but their obvious strengths. -
Review from Joshua N.
8/14/2011
I know I'm going to get flak from other Yelpers for only giving Lin's 3 stars. I'll admit, there aren't a lot of places to get xiao long bao (aka Shanghai soup dumplings aka juicy dumplings aka... well just read every other review here, every single one mentions it and they probably know more about them than I do) in Vancouver. And I like their xiao long bao. And I even like their other food. And the wait staff was extra super incredibly friendly (except for the lady who brought us the credit card machine. She looked like she would rather have been anywhere, the south pole, the surface of the sun, at a Nickelback concert, anywhere at all, other than working there that night).
However. We waited a really really really long time for our food. Even glasses of water took forever. One of our dishes was not the right dish (even after the waitress came back to our table a second time to reconfirm our order), but after waiting so long we just ate it and didn't say anything. They brought out our dishes slowly, one by one, over about 45 minutes, so we didn't want to risk having to wait forever for the replacement. If you were sitting at a different table and those were your Shanghai noodles that we ended up eating, my apologies, we were hungry.
So three stars it is. -
Review from Allen W.
Updated - 4/16/2011 8 Check-ins Here
Love Lin's food. It's 5-star. I've been to the restaurant about 10 times at this point and have never had any major issues .. until tonight.
We arrived and were immediately seated, getting one of the last 2-person tables. Everyone was busy bringing piping hot dishes out to the tables.
We ordered 3 items -- smoked duck, chicken dumplings, and clay pot rice. After 20 minutes, I was starting to wonder about our order ... then as we neared 30 minutes I noticed tables who were seated after us with tables full of food. WTF? We inquired and the waitress apologized for the slow kitchen.
Another 5 minutes, we get our duck. Then in another 5-10 minutes we get our dumplings. Still no clay pot rice.
At this point, it's been an hour since arriving. I've watched entire families come, eat, and leave. We continued to ask our waitress and still no clay pot.
After another 5 minutes, we asked for the bill and to cancel our remaining order. The owner (I think) came over and confirmed she'd cancel the order and bring us our bill. I was annoyed that she didn't really apologize but instead told us it was very busy and they've had lots of take out orders ... blah blah blah.
I didn't argue, but it's total crap. Total crap. Tables of people arriving after us received full tables of food and we couldn't get our 3 little dishes. Super annoyed at the excuses and inability to put our food on the table.
The food is good but this experience really put me off. I need some time apart from Lin's before I venture back again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/10/2011
Lin's is my guilty pleasure ... lots of carbs in so many delicious ways.
The famed XLB are hot and… Read more »
-
-
Review from Heather A.
Vancouver, BC
You don't go for the service, you don't go for the atmosphere, you just go for the honey prawns and spicy beans.
My friend and I catch up every other month meeting at Lin. The servers know us, they know our order. Tonight, the moment after we paid 'Fast Jimmy' as we call him, he came over and gave us the boot.
Well... there ya go...horrible service but lip smacking food. Until next time Fast Jimmy... until next time. -
Review from Stephene C.
Vancouver, BC
1/19/2011
This medium sized chinese restaurant is amazing! The food is inexpensive, good serving size and tastes great. I ordered a set lunch option, it included a bowl of chicken corn soup, beef and vegetables with a delicious black bean sauce and a bowl of rice. It cost only $6.99 for a sit down meal, it was great! My friend ordered a similar set lunch, but it came with the Mongolian beef instead, which was just as good! Definitly going to go back to try other things, maybe the dim sum options :)
Updated rating: Changed rating from 5 star to 4 star because shanghai style dumplings weren't what I expected.
St3Fin -
Review from Serena C.
Vancouver, BC
8/28/2011
Juicy dumplings are amazing, fried green beans are super tasty but the service is a little gruff and portions are smallish.
Wouldn't recommend the honey prawns...it's basically deep friend shrimp (cooked well though) drenched in honey/mayo sauce...kinda gross. -
Review from Kye G.
Vancouver, BC
12/25/2011
Went here Xmas day for premovie lunch and it was great. Good service, great food and decent prices. We had the Ginger Beef, Xal Lioa Bao, Egg Plant & Tofu and House Fried Rice. All very good and now on our go to list.
-
Review from Joyce P.
Vancouver, BC
1/18/2011
I have never been in this restaurant but I organized a group takeout for work recently just becuase they falsely advertised free delivery (nope!) and it was close by and the menu online looked tempting and cheap!
I looked up the menu online (very convenient!), and called them for delivery. They said sorry no delivery but can we pick up? I suppose, it's like 4 blocks away.
I got the golden honey prawns with rice and a soup. It came to $7.99. So cheap, so good. I'm so happy there's another choice for lunch now.
I know Lin is famous for their steamed dumplings and I must get my paw on some of those soon, just hard to order for take out.
My coworker who actually went inside to get the food said it was completely jam packed for a Sunday afternoon. Everyone else was happy with their lunches.
I may have to order again next week! -
Review from Kaitlin F.
6/7/2011
Nummy XLB! Very nummy indeed.
It was a novel experience to walk into a joint that serves XLB and be seated right away. The complimentary tea was surprisingly good for a little joint like this. We ordered two of the XLB, the scallion pancakes, the Shanghai rice cakes, and my hubbie got the lemon chicken. The scallion pancakes were just meh, I've had better, the lemon chicken was meh, the rice cakes were bomb, and the XLB were great. Next time would do more XLB, rice cakes, and would try the spicy green beans. Definitely a place to remember for the next Vancouver trip! -
Review from Cristelle J.
Updated - 4/21/2011
The food makes up for the horrible service. Basically if you aren't chinese and can't communicate with the waitresses, those who are chinese will not only get seated first they get their food faster. LAME!
WHY DID I EVEN GIVE IT ANOTHER SHOT!?Listed in: I want to be Canadian!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/12/2010
INCONSISTENT!
I arrived with my family to a somewhat empty restaurant and we were seated promptly and… Read more »
-
-
Review from Theresa W.
Vancouver, BC
5/2/2011
A solid four stars for their XLB! Best in the city in 2009, voted by the Richmond Night Market!
After reading everyone's comments about how fantastic the XLBs are, a friend and I decided to stop by on a Saturday. We came early (6:15pm), but still had to wait about 20 minutes. Next time I'll make reservations!
We had decent service, but the couple at the table next to us basically sat on fold out stools, and the guy always had to tuck as much as possible when people walked past him. We ordered the XLB, honey shrimp, a hot and sour soup, and stir-fried green beans. The food is delicious and the XLB are so good! There were a lot of other dishes that we really wanted to try, but we were so full already!
We ordered the red-bean pan-fried cake for dessert in the end, and I think they were a little displeased that we were adding a dish so late when there were still people waiting, but it came out quickly and definitely reminded me of home.
I'm looking forward to a second visit for some more good Chinese food without having to trek to Richmond! -
Review from David I.
Vancouver, BC
3/9/2011
My favorite restaurant in Vancouver. I've been there at least a dozen times since I live few blocks away, and it' really fantastic.
The lunch menu is the best deal you can find in the area. For $6.99 to $7.99 depending on your entree choice, you have a bowl of soup (Hot & Sour or Corn Cream), one entree (about 12 different choices, Beef, chicken, veggies, fish) and a bowl of rice.
Complimentary green tea goes with any order.
Everytime I come here for lunch, I have my favorite combo : Hot & Sour Soup (which is the most well balanced I have tasted so far) and Szechuan Chicken (Spicy chicken with basil leaves). I also add a basket of their famous Xio Long Bao (Shangaï Style Juicy Dumplings), they have won many contests with this and you'll understand why when you'll try it.
Another great pick is the pan fried pork buns, simple and delicious.
Service has always been busy, but efficient and polite. As a regular customer, it is maybe a little bit warmer than for someone who comes for the first time.
If you don't know this place, don't wait and go there !
If you do : Go back !!
Be careful, it is closed on tuesdays -
Review from Erin H.
Vancouver, BC
9/24/2010
Delicious.
I always go for lunch, and no matter how many people go, we only ever spend $10-12 each for lunch, and we eat a lot.
Favourites: juicy dumplings, ginger beef, green beans, beijing meat cakes, honey prawns (but I can't take too many of these!), pan cakes with curry sauce.
I've never had take out and rarely go for dinner, so can't really comment on it. At lunch time though, service is usually great! -
Review from Thom F.
3/27/2011 6 photos
Came here on a roadtrip up and down the Pacific coast. Probably my favorite meal of he trip and by far my favorite chinese meal I have ever eaten. Everything was perfect. The pictures I've posted don't even do it justice. Stop reading and just go!
If you want more info, check out my website through my profile page. -
Review from Jeff S.
Vancouver, BC
4/9/2011
Shanghai juicy dumplings!!! If this is the only thing the restaurant served, it would be reason enough to come. A truly good Shanghai Juicy Dumpling must be juicy, thin skinned, and not break too easily. I managed to eat the whole order without using a spoon - just chopsticks - and did not break a single one.
Some say they are the best outside of China, but I am not really an expert. However, certainly the best in Vancouver that I have had and if they are on the menu, I always order them.
PS:
There are many other juicy items on the menu too, but I can never figure out which ones to order (ie: Authentic). But that is what my Chinese girffriend is for....... -
Review from Kymberli C.
YUM! Their Shanghainese dumplings were soooo good! So good that we ended up ordering more after we ate them... They were the right amount of juiciness and they were tasty. We also ordered the pan fried pork buns and Shanghainese pulled noodles and those were both really delicious too. The noodles were in a ginormous bowl, we thought it was gonna be a smaller portion for the price but it was enough to feed maybe 3 or 4 ppl. The owner was really nice and he checked up on us and talked to us thoughout our meal.
Listed in: Vancouver in 1.5 days..., Hello, Dumplings!
-
Review from Caitlin R.
Vancouver, BC
10/23/2010
This was our first Chinese experience in Vancouver and we liked it. We have always done take-out and it is never more than a 15 minute wait.
How about I review the dishes?
Ginger Beef - our favourite, great sauce and awesome flavour. It was a little tough, but really enjoyable. 5 stars
Szechuan Chicken - chicken is good, very spicy, a little bit of chewiness associated with poor cuts of chicken. 4 stars
XLB (aka juicy dumplings) - Very good, great textures, 'pop' in your mouth. Something very different. 5 stars.
Springs Rolls - greasy and nothing very different, most likely packaged spring rolls. 2.5 stars.
Pork Buns - Not the best I've had. I wouldn't get them here again. 2 stars.
Bubble Tea - Don't even bother, they don't use bubbles but strings of tapioca and the slush doesn't taste good (mango). 1 star.
Service - Very friendly, funny and dynamic. 4.5 stars.
It should be noted that my boyfriend was shocked that I was giving 4 stars, he said I should give 5 stars. -
Review from Steven M.
Vancouver, BC
11/9/2010
Heard a lot about this place so it was a no-brainer to try when I was in the area.
The place to compare is the Great Wall Szechuan Restaurant at the Holiday Inn, a favorite of mine. Both restaurants are located in the same general area (about 5 blocks apart), and both serve non-Cantonese style Chinese food.
Had the same meal at Lin that I normally have at GWSR - the Kung Pao Chicken, which comes with rice and a hot and sour soup.
The Kung Pao Chicken - not a very big order, but very good. not nearly as saucy as the one at GWSR.
The soup - paled in comparison. The soup here was very runny. More water than hot and sour soup.
The rice - Exact same.
All in all, while Lin is certainly not bad, I'll be sticking with Great Wall Szechuan Restaurant.
