Restaurant Review: The Lingnan

THE LINGNAN

10582 104th Street | thelingnan.com

Instagram: @thelingnan

Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

There are legendary restaurants in Edmonton and then there's The Lingnan. Open since 1947 (that's 78 years!!!) you would be hard pressed to find an Edmontonian that doesn't have some sort of relationship with this famed Chinese restaurant, its food, or the family who runs it. Speaking of the Quons, they have become celebrities in their own right especially after their family was featured in a season of the TV series The Family Restaurant in 2009 followed by The Quon Dynasty in 2011. The matriarch of the family, Amy Quon, is well known for her warm and friendly demeanor and the way that she takes time to visit with guests. The Lingnan was the first Chinese restaurant in Edmonton and most people would likely tell you that it remains the best. VUE Weekly named The Lingnan the #1 Best Chinese 2018. The Edmonton Journal has voted them Best/Favourite Chinese Restaurant 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. And EDify Magazine awarded them the Best Chinese Restaurant 2023 title. The list of accolades is long and with good reason. I have personally eaten at The Lingnan many times over the years and I have always appreciated their quality and consistency. I decided to pay them a visit on a recent Sunday evening to revisit this Chinese institution.

Located in Central McDougall right behind Rogers Place, the restaurant's tall vertical signage and red and yellow paint cannot be mistaken. They've also got a really cool mural painted on the side of the building. The interior is impressive, expansive, and ornate. Entering the restaurant you'll first be greeted by a life-size bronze statue of a Chinese warrior. Next you'll marvel at their large (and very clean!) aquarium stocked with giant goldfish. The space will take your breath away and there is certainly no where else like it in the city. Every inch is beautifully decorated and the colours of red and gold create the palette. Intricate Chinese lanterns hang from the ceiling. The tiling, the art, and the gilded accents stretch as far as the eye can see. There are at least three different dining rooms and many of these areas can be sectioned off to create even more spaces. Each table is covered with a white table cloth and servers in traditional Chinese clothing hurry about the room. A reservation is highly recommended because even on a Sunday night every single table was occupied and there was a lineup of people waiting to be seated. The Lingnan's patrons are loyal, many of them having spent their entire lives eating meals at the restaurant. A feast for the eyes, simply dining at The Lingnan is an experience in itself. Once seated and settled it was difficult to ignore the flurry of activity all around. Happy customers enjoying their meals, the aroma of delicious plates of food passing by, and the gorgeous jade-coloured ceiling with a dragon in the center of it. Looking for a beverage to match the atmosphere, a warm cup of Chinese Jasmine Tea would've been a wonderful choice. However, I ventured to the cocktail menu for something a bit more special. The China Moon ($10.00) caught my attention.

Soho Lychee, Hipnotiq, Blue Curacao, pineapple.

A beautiful green-hued beverage to match the ceiling overhead! I appreciated the list of custom cocktails, created to suit the restaurant. Seemingly a modern addition, these drinks elevate the dining experience by complimenting the food and overall ambiance. I loved this sweet, easy-drinking beverage and the flavours of lychee and pineapple were a delight. It's very chic to be sitting with a China Moon in hand. Like any good Chinese restaurant, take-out is a major component of the business. However, another more recent update has been the addition of a buffet. For the exceedingly reasonable price of $31 (every day of the week) you can feast upon some of The Lingnan's most popular dishes. I have enjoyed the buffet on several occasions in the past but on this particular visit I was interested in sampling some of the restaurants more upscale and unique dishes. But first let's take a moment for the Dry Spicy Chicken. An entire blog could be written about this dish alone. In fact, this chicken used to have its own restaurant. A true staple Edmontonian dish and affectionately nicknamed "crack chicken," we all mourn the loss of Chicken for Lunch. Operating out of the Rice Howard Place food court (lunchtime on weekdays only) and run by Amy Quon herself, this place used to attract immense lineups. Why? I mean, they did sell a variety of items but everyone was there for the addictive Hot and Dry chicken. Amy always treated everyone like they were someone special and she still does. With Chicken for Lunch gone, all is not lost because this famous chicken is still on the menu at The Lingnan! Available in both appetizer and entree sizes, I could not imagine visiting the restaurant without ordering it. On this visit I went for the Appetizer Dry Spicy Chicken ($12.00) knowing that I wanted to order a bunch of other things as well.

“Amy’s Chicken.” Breast meat strips lightly battered and stir fried with our home made chili oil and seasoning salt.

This dish might not look like much but IYKYK. Each crispy nugget of chicken is fried to a golden perfection and is just salty and spicy enough to keep you coming back for more. They could tell me that they make this using actual crack and I (nor anyone else) would care. There's never enough on the plate! Onto the main dishes, The Lingnan offers many à la carte plates but if you don't want to make your own decisions you can opt for one of their De-Luxe Dinners which offer a set menu. There's an extra special Yang Sing Gourmet Menu that includes six dishes and one day I will visit to order this! In the interest of having a higher-end meal, I first set my sights on the Mongolian Filet Mignon ($29.75) from the beef dishes part of the menu.

Slices of marinated beef tenderloin sauteed with onions in our chef's exotic tangy sauce.

The portion size was impressive for the price! When you imagine a filet mignon they're usually quite small. On the contrary, this dish featured large tender slices of beef that were still a touch pink in the center. The meat melted in my mouth and I was immensely pleased that it wasn't over-cooked. Everything was drenched in a delicious rust-coloured sauce that was packed with a ton of flavour. This plate was one of the biggest highlights (and surprises!) of the meal as it was executed so well. I like that The Lingnan's menu points out which dishes are traditional and which ones are western Chinese creations from Canada or America. It's helpful to see that distinction and it offers some guidance. One such dish; the Lingnan Special Egg Foo Yong ($20.75) comes with a story.

A traditional Chinese Canadian dish developed by the Chinese railway workers. Fresh eggs blended with shrimp, mushrooms, green peas, celery, onions and bean sprouts, topped with gravy.

As usual, this portion was generous boasting three large pancake-like Chinese omelets. The original Chinese version was more delicate whereas the Canadian version utilized the available ingredients and created a heartier fried omelet. Interestingly, this dish was the direct inspiration for the Denver omelet - an item found on every diner menu. The Lingnan's Egg Foo Yong embodies this history and learning about a culture through food is always the quickest way to understanding, in my opinion. A hefty dish indeed, the fried egg mixture was packed full with vegetables (lots of bean sprouts!) and shrimp. The gravy added a nice amount of moisture. This was a special one to try. Lastly, from the seafood dishes part of the menu I simply had to order the Lobster Tail Aristocratic ($41.75). It's name alone conjuring images of privilege and a higher social class.

Chopped into cubes, wok fried with hearty vegetables, and black bean garlic sauce.

Bright and full of colour, this dish was a great way to bring some freshness to the table and also a touch of luxury. The lobster tail itself had been chopped up, breaded, and fried. I really enjoyed this preparation! Each tender bite was full of big lobster flavour while also being an entirely new experience. I loved all of the vegetables, including baby corn and water chestnuts. The black bean garlic sauce was full of big flavour and tied all of the components together beautifully. And yes, there were fortune cookies at the very end! The Lingnan is in a unique position where, because of their incredible longstanding history, they truly have an opportunity to tell a story through their cuisine. I love and appreciate that they are taking full advantage of this and that their menu features an intelligent mix of authentic dishes, both classic and modern. Edmonton is richer thanks to the Quons and everything that they have shared. I look forward to ringing in that 80th year!!