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The Lingnan
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
Sun 4 pm - 8:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for The Lingnan
24 reviews in English
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Review from Karly T.
Edmonton, AB
5/10/2012
Oh man, the Lingnan. It's exactly what I think when someone asks me what my favorite Chinese restaurant is.
I love everything about it. First, you can't deny how beautiful the interior of the restaurant is. It's so.....Chinese. Haha. I've never seen anything else like it in Edmonton. It's gorgeous.
The food is phenomenal. I've tried many, many items on the menu and everything always comes out of the kitchen piping hot and fresh. I also really like the hot iron plate things they place at your table which they put your food on so the food stays hot. It's almost like they want you to enjoy your food!
The servers are extremely friendly and make sure you have everything you need. Sometimes the Quan Family interacts with the customers. And if you watched "Family Restaurant" you get kinda star struck. Lol.
I was enjoying dinner there with my family on my birthday when 'Mama Quan' (I call her) came to our table to ask how our meal was and to chat a bit. She was hilarious. The fact that it was my birthday was somehow brought up and she ran to the back and brought out a tiny gold Buddha figurine. I may be a grown woman, but I still like getting treats! It's like the toy you get after going to the dentist as a kid. Haha.
If I had one thing I had to complain about, it's that the food is a little pricey. And, like someone else said in their review, you're paying for the ambiance. That's totally fine with me. It's not a place you should be going to every time you have a Chinese food hankering - it's a nice treat. Go treat yo'self! -
Review from Jenna-Marie L.
Edmonton, AB
5/9/2012
After watching Family Restaurant (I believe that is what the show was called) I have wanted to try The Lingnan. I felt like chinese and thought they deliver why not try them. Well I definitely should gone with my other option which was cereal. I ordered the spring rolls and they were soggy and all I could taste was pork which was disappointing as usually there are other ingredients in spring rolls. Also the chow main was bland as was the ginger beef (not the deep fried version). I honestly felt like I was eating at a crappy food court chinese place which isn't an issue if you pay food court prices however all together it wasn't cheap and although the portions were large my garbage got to enjoy those as I had no desire to eat anymore after my first servings.
Maybe I venture into the restaurant in hopes that it will be better but no promises. Definitely don't recommend as I have had so much better at other places. -
Review from Nitin B.
Edmonton, AB
2/20/2012
The personality of the owners and staff bring a certain element of intimacy In the sense that you feel like your having dinner at a family friends place. That being said, the atmosphere is decked out and looks awesome, lots of time and money was definitely spent in making it the best looking Chinese restaurant in Alberta by far.
The food is a westernized version of Chinese food which is not a knock though, I prefer the westernized version. They have a nice cocktail list as well.
The parking can sometimes be annoying on a busy night but is never a problem on the weekdays.
The szechaun chicken and shanghai noodles are excellent.
Try the Ling Nan Beer, it's yummy and locally produced. -
Review from Matthew L.
Edmonton, AB
1/25/2012
We ordered some food for delivery from the Lingnan on one night when my wife, Sarah, was craving some chinese food. We've found that the only vegetarian dish on your average Chinese delivery menu here in Edmonton is a mixture of garlic, tofu, and random vegetables. And sometimes you can get mushroom chow mein. And while tasty, the combination can get a bit tiresome.
Because there was a broader collection of dishes on the Lingnan's menu, we decided to order from them. And while their spring rolls are the best we've tried in the city, the chow mein and the cashew vegetable dish we ordered were somewhat bland.
I'll give the Lingnan another shot the next time that Sarah has a spring roll craving and I hope that the other dishes we order will be tastier. -
Review from Lea A.
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
You're paying for the ambiance more than the food. Don't get me wrong, the food was fine -- Chinese-Canadian fare, which I find nothing wrong with, as long as it's tasty (how can you resist deep fried whatever?). What was great was the fact that they had hot plates which the plates were set on so that the food remained warm -- that was good.
So why only three stars? As an Asian, I've had my share of Chinese cuisine, so I know exactly where to get similar dishes for much less price (though you "pay" for it in lack of ambiance -- but I find dives charming, haha) or even better taste. If you're a Chinese food connoisseur like me, be prepared to pay sometimes DOUBLE the price compared to another place ($12-14 vs $6-7).
The highlight of the meal was the hot and spicy chicken, but the "yang chow fried rice" just tasted like regular Chinese "special fried rice" to me, and the shrimp with peaches in mayo, my non-authentic guilty pleasure, was just bland to me. I've had better.
Still, good service, was a bit fun to see "the Quon Dynasty" in action, and the place is gorgeous. My sister says her Asian friends go there for birthdays and I think it's mostly because of the beautiful (though stereotypical) decor. They also serve very good local beer -- AlleyKat's "Pi Jiu." ($5 or so)
I'll continue watching the TV show, I think the Quons are great, but it'll probably take an event or something to get me to return.Listed in: Asian Sensations
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Review from Rachel F.
7/5/2011
Stepping into the Lingnan was like stepping into a time machine that took me back to the "fancy" Chinese restaurants my family frequented for special occasions (like Christmas Eve) when I was a kid. From the decor to the waiters' attire to the flavours in the Lingnan punch, it took me back to the giddy excitement I felt at "eating out" as a kid.
No, the cuisine is not contemporary Chinese. Nor is it authentically traditional. But it's very good Westernized Chinese fair like you could get at the "fancy" places in the 1970's and 1980's (so much better than the Westernized Chinese you get in the buffet places these days).
I was giddy the whole time I was there. Probably because everything about the place made me think that the next day was Christmas. -
Review from Bee R.
Edmonton, AB
12/20/2011
Our last experience (tonight) was sad.
I've ordered in from Lingnan countless times and have been to the restaurant 4 or 5 times, and had nothing but great experiences. I hadn't been there or ordered in about a year or so, but tonight we ordered in.
The food was NOTHING like it once was. The Cantonese Chow Mein was sort of dry and lacked the ingredients it once had, the Special Chop Suey was extremely bland and no better than what you'd expect from a mall outlet. The saddest part was the Spicy Dry Chicken - their flahship item from Chicken For Lunch - had only a handful of actual meaty chicken chunks in it - the rest was crunchy pieces of deep fried batter clinging to tiny pieces of scrap chicken. VERY SAD. I honestly was shocked at how bad the quality has slipped.
This place has gone downhill BIG TIME. Their show seemed to give them the opportunity to drop quality while riding on their fame. Sad to see an iconic Edmonton restaurant slide into mediocrity like this.
Won't be going there or ordering from there again. Too bad. -
Review from Kat S.
Edmonton, AB
6/6/2011
Delicious!
First of all, the staff here are SO incredibly kind. They're helpful and have a great sense of humor. All of them! So kind.
The atmosphere is very amazing, aswell. It's elegant and traditional. The only complaint I have is that its TOO DARK!
The food comes in heaping mountains...We took home a lot of leftovers. They have a dish called Hot N Dry chicken and its DELICIOUS... their broccoli beef is good, too. You can taste the spices they use, and its all so juicy!
Their curried chicken over fried rice is delicious, too, and so is their egg rolls! Theyre huge and VERY flavorful. I was not unsatisfied.
I will be returning here very soon!
Don't be discouraged by the neighbourhood/location :)
Its worth it! -
Review from J C.
Edmonton, AB
7/21/2011
Service was great the owners are fantastic.
The food is your typical Western Chinese variety. Don't get me wrong the dishes did taste great just not the authentic chinese.
It was odd that I was the only Asian customer in the restaurant. It makes sense as they tend to cater to the clientel that wants an egg roll or chop suey. The rating should be higher if that is the type of food you want. -
Review from Chris t.
1/1/2012
Upon entering the restaurant, patrons are greeted by a sign stating that, because all the food is prepared fresh, they should expect dinner to take roughly two hours. Maybe I'm off my rocker here, but apart from fast food, don't most restaurants prepare their food fresh? If another restaurant made its customers wait an hour and twenty minutes from placing an order until the food arrived, there would be no end of complaints, yet somehow it's alright at Lingnan. The food isn't the only thing you'll be waiting for; despite having a reservation, we were made to wait fifteen minutes for a table, then another ten before any waitstaff appeared to take our drink order. Our server, by the way, was entirely manic all evening long - I would not have been surprised to learn he was snorting cocaine between table visits.
The food, while not bad, wasn't particularly good and had a bland sat-in-the-smorgasbord-too-long feel to it. Again, it wasn't bad, but a very North Americanized style of Chinese, and definitely not worth the price. I've had Chinese food twice as good for half the price - our bill was over eighty dollars between four people, before beverages. I've been told in the past by Chinese friends that one can fairly accurately gauge the quality of a Chinese restaurant by looking at its clientele. Well, apart from the waitstaff, I did not see a single Asian in the place.
The cost wasn't even justified by the ambiance in the restaurant. While it is hardly the restaurant's fault that its customers were noisy during my visit, they could have taken steps to encourage their patrons to be more respectful of other tables. I've seen children quieter and better behaved at Denny's than some of the adults during my visit.
To summarize: the food is mediocre, the atmosphere is loud, the price is high, and the wait is near unbearable. -
Review from Kristin K.
Edmonton, AB
6/4/2011
Great Chinese restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere! Lots of staff always eager to help - I really appreciate a place where multiple servers/staff come by with water so that you're not always waiting for your server who is busy with their other tables.
It is a little pricier than your average Chinese restaurant in Edmonton - and frankly your average Chinese restaurant in Edmonton is probably a dive... so this one is nice. It's nice enough to take your Mom and Dad to for their anniversary dinner or a birthday dinner with friends.
I highly recommend the seafood nest or chicken/beef/pork nest. It's an assortment of fresh vegetables (and not filler like onions) and meat or seafood of your choice served on a "nest" of fried potatoes (almost like potato chips)... hard to explain but oh so delicious!
They have excellent Kung Pao Chicken and the biggest Egg Roll you've ever seen!
They can get pretty busy on date nights, so be sure to call ahead for reservations!
They also have those totally cheesy placemats with drink specials all over them - and I totally love it! They make awesome cocktails there and their drink placemat is a great conversation piece!
Be forewarned they are closed on Tuesdays.
*BONUS - They have coupons in both the Entertainment Book ($15 off a $40 purchase) and SUTP coupon book* -
Review from Brent W.
Edmonton, AB
11/5/2011
We ordered Chinese food delivery from the Lingnan tonight, as we have several times before. It is one of the better Chinese food restaurants in Edmonton, but could still use a bit of improvement (though not too much).
Since our last time ordering from them, which was 4 or 5 months ago, they've changed their menu somewhat. My wife used to love their spring rolls, now she says "They're okay", as they've added some sort of sausage meat to them.
Their chicken fried rice needs something more, maybe peas and carrots or something, as it is rather bland.
We tried their Lingnan Special Sweet and Sour Ribs tonight, and they were excellent! I remember ribs like this from many years ago. The sweet and sour sauce isn't like every other place in the city. It's more cooked right into the ribs, giving them a darker colour, and much more flavour. Definitely worth a try!
The chicken chop suey is good, being above average.
And their deep-fried shrimp is probably the best in the city. Their batter isn't as heavy as other restaurants, and they cut the tails off the shrimps.
We will definitely order from them again. -
Review from Brad H.
St Albert, AB
8/11/2010
The Lingnan isn't LIKE the 70s... it IS the 70s. Completely renovated after it survived a fire in 1975, this ornate Chinese restaurant is now celebrateing more than 60 years in business.
And even though the surrounding neighborhood is not so good, the interior of the restaurant attracts many, filled with lush, old-style elegance, and "drink menu" placemats to cover their big spacious tables. (I know that to some the Chinese zodiac is important; but any place that I find cocktail placemats instead of the ubiquitous Chinese zodiac placemats - is my kind of place!)
As I walked further into this stylish mahjong palace, with all it's Chinese lanterns, people speaking the language, and dragon tiles hanging on the ceiling, I felt certain that I time warped into a kitschy old Beijing opium den.
But this shouldn't cause you any concern - and neither should the food - as the fare is well priced, large portioned, and "flavor-licious" (uhhh, did I just type flavor-licious??). Anyways...
The friendly waiter, dressed in a stylish kung fu Chinese jacket, served us with great ceremony, delivering: mounds of gooey, sugary "Szechuan Beef"... chewy, noodley "Aristocratic Chow Mein" (their name not mine)... and the star of the show: Amy's infamous "Dry Spicy Chicken" - which is one part zesty, and other part delicious.
So next time you're hungry for old school Chinese food, eat at Lingnan; it's one of the many places that helps make life in Edmonton, tastier. -
Review from Mo H.
Edmonton, AB
4/6/2010
I heard so much about The Lingnan. Not only from friends, but also from the buzz around The Food Network's show, Family Restaurant: The Quon's.
First and foremost, this is traditional Chinese food so if you're going looking for a dine and dash meal, forget about it. The menu is prepared from scratch using fresh ingredients and as such takes time. From my experience the service was good, so was the food. However, if you're used to eating westernized Chinese food you'll be in for a shock. Their ginger beef is in certainly ginger beef, but not the gooey sticky kind found at most other restaurants. The dishes were certainly good, but nothing I'd write home to mom about. Perhaps it's that I'm not a huge fan of this style of cuisine.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is very traditional and I love the humongous fish tank at the entrance. It's very busy with people waiting for take out and the delivery guys are constantly in and out - which tells you something (and it's a good thing).
The Lingnan is pricey, but if you do get substantial portions of good food. -
Review from Lauren N.
2/6/2009 1 photo
This is the famous Lingnan restaurant of the show "Family Restaurant" on the Food Network. I'm taking a chance that they won't sue me here, since they're probably well-off enough to do so, out of my loyalty and sense of duty to all fellow Yelpers.
My friends and I decided to try it out Sunday night, curious to see what it would be like after seeing it on tv. I'm sure the place has been booming since the show began, bringing in a lot more business for the restaurant. We got there around 5pm, and while it was busy, it wasn't crazy-busy that there was always a crowd in the waiting area. I'd say it was more steady. We got a table right away, since there were only three of us, but I noticed larger parties needed to make reservations.
The restaurant is one of the fanciest Chinese restaurants I have ever been in, period. Lots of traditional red and gold details, kinda like when someone is having their Chinese wedding reception at a restaurant. A little overkill, I think. I did like the dragon tiles on the ceiling and the old-fashioned lamps though. Pretty cool.
I wasn't happy that we had to wait an hour and a half for our dinner. Granted, the daughter of the family did warn us that there was a long wait in the kitchen and that we might want to order quickly to avoid the wait. I ended up ordering the Vietnamese spring rolls as an appy just to tide me over, because I could feel myself blanking out from starvation.
I'm not really sure why it took so long. Like I said, it didn't seem ridiculously busy to me. But they also do take-out, and people were coming in to pick up their food as others came in for a table. So that could be why.
We ordered the triple delight (noodles), the crispy nest, and the prawns and peaches with rice. The crispy nest was the best, presentation-wise and everything. It's basically stir-fry veggies and meat in a nest-like bowl made from shredded potatoes. The prawns and peaches were disappointing as they were a little dry, and the triple delight dish could stand to use fat rice noodles instead of the thin ones -- it would taste better. The last two dishes were also very bland; I had to add a lot of soy sauce to my triple delight. Needless to say, I wasn't delighted.
If it wasn't for the great service (minus the long wait), I would be giving Lingnan two stars. The staff and family are really nice, and do their best to make sure you are enjoying yourself. All of them are dressed in traditional Chinese dress. They even have costumes available if you want to dress up your kids and take a picture. It's kinda funny.
As for price , it isn't too bad. It was about $25 for each of us that night, but that's more than your average Chinese restaurant. If my tastebuds were blown away, I might come back, but since they weren't, my friends and I agreed that it's better to just watch the show instead. -
Review from Jason L.
Edmonton, AB
5/25/2010
I think that in another city this might be considered one of the best Chinese retaurants in that city. I really wanted to like this place, as I'm a big fan of Amy's Chicken for Lunch counter downtown. The truth is that there is a least a dozen better and much more authentic restuarants in the city.
The Linguan is one of the older Chinese places and really hasn't updated it's approach to its cuisine (you have to make it so Westerners will eat it). Everything on the menu is Westernized. I smile at the review that claims that the food is traditional and that the Ginger Beef isn't "westernized". Ginger Beef is a dish invented in Calgary. That's Calgary, Alberta not Calgary, China. Unfortunately, that observation holds true for the whole menu. To a palate used to authentic Chinese food, the dishes are echos or ghosts of real Chinese food.
That being said, they do this pseudo-Chinese well, for what's that worth. Eggrolls, Ginger Beef, Chicken Balls, Dry Ribs, Egg Foo Anything, Sweet and Sour Anything, Chop Suey, most fried rice dishes ... umm, aren't Chinese food. It's food cooked by Chinese for Westerners. -
Review from Jack G.
Edmonton, AB
12/3/2009
Apparently this restaurant was on some show on the Food Network. I was actually surprised to find that out because I would of expected it to be a lot better than it was.
I've never been a promoter of asian food in this city, but Lingnan was a bit better than the rest. The food was fresh, but it wasn't anything spectacular. The szechuan chicken was kind of gooey, and the rice seemed undercooked. I don't have much complaints after that.
I think Lingnan might be one of the better Asian places in Edmonton. -
Review from Joanne H.
Edmonton, AB
6/21/2011
absolutely fantastic and authentic atmosphere! great prices! Definite best chinese food i've had in edmonton. Only minus is there is minimal parking. Otherwise, only place I go for chinese food!
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Review from Dan T.
Calgary, AB
7/20/2009
If you've seen "Family Restaurant" on TV, then you're already familiar with the Lingnan. My first trip there lived up to expectation. The food was excellent. We had the curried chicken, Korean beef, lemon chicken, wonton soup, and their special fried rice. All were excellent. We also tried the house beer (Amy's beer!). It's flavoured with ginseng and brewed by Alley Kat Brewing. It was very tasty. Our waiter was quite funny and did an excellent job. If I had one complaint, it's that the food could have been spicier, but that's easily remedied.
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Review from Adam S.
7/21/2009
An Edmonton landmark. Best eggrolls in town. Great interior. Hold it if you need to use the facilities
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Review from Maria F.
1/6/2010 2 photos
I too got lured into dining at Lingnan after seeing the show about this restaurant on Food Network. I didn't even like the show that much, but I had to see what kind of food these people had to offer.
My company and I arrived one late afternoon, and the place was virtually empty. I really liked Lingnan's decor: it was flashy, yet in good taste; lots of red color, wall decorations and ornaments. All tables were beautifully set.
We were approached by, what I can only assume was the daughter of the owner, who brought our menus and inquired what we would like to drink. As I carefully studied the menu, I was presently surprised with the prices: I was expecting them to be a lot higher, with the restaurant having its' own TV show and all. But no, everything was reasonably priced.
Several minutes after we sat down, customers started to pour in, so we hurried up and ordered. One of the items on the menu that stood out, and which I ended up ordering was Seafood Aristocratic Chow Mein. If you go with chow mein, it better be aristocratic, right? : )
The food turned out to be not what I expected at all! Shrimp was not as jumbo as one may have hoped, and scallops were rubbery. Noodles were especially disappointing: they shouldn't have been crispy, they should have been soft. Crispy noodles ruined the taste of seafood, and overall, made the dish taste very unusual and not particularly appetizing. Neither of my dining companions expressed ecstatic emotions about their meals.
I haven't given up on this restaurant though. Next time I will order take-out, and see what other meals on the menu taste like. -
Review from marina r.
Edmonton, AB
8/26/2010
I have heard mostly good things about The Lingnan and Ithink it was okay.
My special chow mein was pretty dry and my partners choice of Korean Chicken was so much better - reasonably priced, good portions and the service was good,
The only criticism I have is that the air conditioning was way too cold for me - had to sit and eat my meal with my jacket on.
I would go back and try it again though, only this time ordering a saucy dish. -
Review from John D.
Edmonton, AB
7/5/2009
I wasn't sure what to expect from this place, but was pleasantly surprised. The servings were way too big and a bit on the greasy side, but tasted wonderful. On the list of my new favorite restaurants. Yeah, good Chinese food in Edmonton!
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Review from Jer B.
Windsor, ON
5/16/2009
I've never had Chinese food before, and thought to myself after the first bite "wow this tastes like it was just cooked for me". This is the experience we had not once but every time we have ordered from Lingnan.
