Ling Nam: Retaining tradition, starting anew

MANILA, Philippines - One of the most problematic things that occur when a family or a barkada dines out is deciding where to eat. It is a narrowing down of a list of cravings because most of the time everybody has his or her own “craving of the moment.” From choosing what place to eat in and what type of food (Japanese, American, Mexican) the arduous task of choosing a place either ends up in a coin toss or a majority vote.

A favorite choice for Filipinos is Chinese food. Having been exposed to Chinese cuisine for centuries, the Filipino palate is somewhat attuned to that of the Chinese. But with the myriad of Chinese restaurants around the metro, choosing one is a whole new ball game. Which is why it’s good to rely on an institution. For almost half a century, Ling Nam has been providing Filipinos with authentic Chinese food.

“Ling Nam started in the 1950s. Basically we started with noodles, siopao and siomai; during those times we called it the Chinese fast food because when you sit down, in two minutes you’d have the food served right on your table,” shares Peter Fung, president and CEO of Ling Nam.

“I have a principle. Anything that I eat, I can serve to the customer. Anything that I cannot eat I will not serve to the customer,” says Peter Fung, president and CEO of Ling Nam.

Ling Nam was already a favorite via its Binondo branch, but it was five years ago when the company underwent reorganization and really focused on measured expansion.

“In 2006, we incorporated a new company, re-launched the brand name Ling Nam, and we opened the Banaue and Greenhills stores,” Fung says. “We like to call this kind of restaurant ‘fast-casual’ because every table is waiter-served. It’s an easy and relaxed atmosphere. But the expectation of a customer when they enter a Ling Nam store is the quality of the food. We try to make sure that our products stay the same from one store to another. So we don’t go for rapid expansion.”

Upping the ante in their resurgence in the market, the Ling Nam brand has opened another branch at Barrington Place along Congressional Avenue in Quezon City. With it are new menu additions that are not only delicious but affordable as well. From the staple noodles (their house special, Beef Wanton Noodles is a must-try), siopao and siomai, Ling Nam is incorporating rice meals into their already delectable menu.

Fit for a king: Eggplant Ala King is infused with shrimp ball filling seasoned with fried garlic and red chilies. The dish is served with mayo, which further enhances its tastiness.

The new additions to the menu are sure to excite your taste buds starting with the Fragrant Harbour fried rice, which is seasoned with superior soy sauce, asado meat, chorizo, shrimp, egg, with a sprinkling of black mushroom, green peas, and bell pepper. Just the rice itself is enough to make you feel full with all the different ingredients added to it. But that is not enough to make you stop eating, especially when you try the very tasty sweet-and-sour pork, which is a deep-fried sliced pork toss made special by Ling Nam’s sweet-and-sour sauce topped with pineapple and bell pepper. If you think their sweet and sour tastes the same as that of others Chinese restaurants, think again. The special Ling Nam sweet-and-sour sauce is something you have to try first.

Another great addition to the menu is the Eggplant Ala King. One look and you’d dismiss it as just an ordinary eggplant dish but take a bite and therein lies the surprise; it is infused with shrimp ball filling seasoned with fried garlic and red chilies, making you forget that what you are eating is actually an eggplant. The dish is served with mayo, which further enhances its tastiness.

A quirky addition to the menu is the Dragon Shrimp Balls dish, which, according to Ling Nam operations manager Mona Mendieta, was inspired by the Dragon Ball Z series because of its resemblance to Goku’s hair. The dish is a deep-fried shrimp ball, wrapped with shredded wonton wrapper. The sweet-and-sour sauce that comes with the dish is a welcome addition to an already tasty treat. The crispy wonton paper covering the delicious delight is one you won’t get enough of.

Something new: The Fragrant Harbour fried rice is seasoned with superior soy sauce, asado meat, chorizo, shrimp, egg, with a sprinkling of black mushroom, green peas, and bell pepper.

But the highlight of the new menu additions is the Homemade Tofu with Three Kinds of Mushroom, which is cooked in oyster sauce and topped with spinach and — what else? — three different kinds of mushroom: button, straw and black. The tofu is a balance of soft and hard, salty and sweet all rolled into one delicious and sinful-tasting dish. It is one of those foods you have to taste to believe. The smoothness of the tofu is remarkable and you would wonder how such a simple-looking dish could be infused with so much flavor. This dish will especially appeal to vegetarians as every flavorful bite will make them forget that what they are actually eating is tofu.

“The tofu was a recent launch. It took us almost six months to develop it,” relates Fung. The amount of time spent on the development of the tofu was worth it because the dish came out very delicious and memorable.

Ling Nam caters to all age groups: whether old-generation Chinese or young professionals, there is something for everyone on the restaurant’s unique menu.

“We try to offer a variety but not too much,” says Fung, who wants to keep a balance between the old menu while offering something new and fresh.

All-time fave: Sweet-and-sour pork is deep-fried sliced pork toss made special by Ling Nam’s sweet-and-sour sauce topped with pineapple and bell pepper.

The Ling Nam branch at Barrington Place along Congressional Avenue is the newest addition to the already increasing family of Ling Nam. The place is cozy and is a good place to hang out with friends and dine with the family.

“This is our newest branch. We also have one in Frontera Verde in Pasig and we plan to open two more next year: one on E. Rodriguez and one in Makati.”

With more branches opening up, the Ling Nam experience will now be easily accessible to already loyal patrons or those looking for a different and unique dining experience.

The guarantee comes from the CEO of the company himself: “I have a principle. Anything that I eat, I can serve to the customer. Anything that I cannot eat I will not serve to the customer.”