02/12/07

Where have you been all this time!

by sc_ross

Good Chinese food... where have you been all this time! Ling Garden fills your desire for outstanding, well flavored Chinese food. Orange Beef was tangy without being too spicy. General Tsao's was crispy and sweet. We have been back here numerous times and not once did we have a negative comment. If you are jonesing for a good Chinese meal... Ling Garden is your spot. Trust me.

• Pros: Food to remember, service.
• Cons: Tired decoration.

08/30/09

Great food, friendly service

by scottpdx78

I've eaten here several times. Everyone here is always so nice. Yes, the place is a bit outdated, but it's very clean. The portions are large and there's always enough to take home. The pineapple chicken is my favorite. Flavorful but not too sweet.

Their delivery service is outstanding. Today I ordered potstickers, sweet and sour pork, and pineapple chicken. It was at my door in FOURTEEN MINUTES. And I'm about 15 blocks away. It doesn't get any better than that.

• Pros: Flavorful food, not too sweet.
• Cons: Decor could use a makeover...patio underused.

03/09/09

No nonsense, tasty food

by CSMobileUser

Went here for lunch recently and the orders come with hot tea, choice of soup, eggroll AND choice of steamed or fried rice for under $7!!! You would expect the food to be subpar for this deal, but it is just good, straight up, no nonsense, tasty eats with lots of flavor. Highly recommended for people who want to eat good food for good price. Check it out

02/08/09

hair in food is, well, disgusting

by kumm

The vegetable/tofu fried rice is delicious.. Unfortunately, in our to-go order, we TWICE found HAIR in the food.

Please invest in some hair nets.

• Pros: tasty food
• Cons: if you can get it without the hair in it

02/12/08

Free quick delivery.

by brookecary

I tried their lunch delivery service and was pleasantly surprised. I called to place my order, but realized my lunch was short of their $10 minimum for delivery. But they were nice enough to do it for me anyway (one-time) and he were here in less than 15 minutes. Very nice and accommodating. The food is good, nice they give you a whole lunch for less than $6. The hot and sour soup is delicious and I am NOT a soup person. I will be ordering again from them, and after my whole office saw my lunch, they plan to as well!!

02/01/08

Easy to find and super friendly

by EKJohnson8

I travel for a living and took a chance on this restaurant based on it's reviews.............I'm glad I did. I had an order of eggrolls which were very tasty and jumbo sized. The potstickers were just the right temperature but could have had a little more zing in the taste. I enjoyed the wonton soup. It had great mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots and of course extra large wontons. My total bill was $9.00 What a great deal. I'll be back next time I'm in Portland.

• Pros: The take-out was quick and easy and the customer service was friendly
• Cons: Overall the food was a little bland, but still very fulfilling and appetizing.

08/04/07

Chinese Take-Out

by futurelegend

It may be a bit unfair to rate Ling Garden so high because it is only one of two notable Chinese restaurants in the neighborhood. This is not to say that the food is good only by default, but in any other neighborhood there would be more competition.

Still, Ling Garden has to come out tops against the other (let's just drop the hint here: "AM"... think month and outer space). First off, they are much more friendly and accommodating, something that is always a big deciding factor for me regarding return visits.

I have lived and worked in this neighborhood for almost a decade and I am often asked for recommendations. Ling Garden is where I send them for Chinese.

I've tried several of the menu items and with only one caveat (never spicy enough, no matter how many times you ask!) have nothing negative to say. Check out their health inspection record online and you will feel secure in the quality of food being served. (And, as counter to that, check out the "AM" file. You may make the switch after that.)

Take-out is quick, usually ready in ten minutes time. I've almost got the number memorized, as this is how I usually order! They have delivery hours too so you can pretend you are in Greenwich Village. (Heh!)

The portions are huge. A thirteen dollar order can last you several days of leftovers, even feeding two.. What more can you ask for with Chinese take-out?

I've also noticed that this is THE spot for Portland City's finest, so don't be alarmed if you walk up and see four cop cars outside.

I recommend Ling Garden on many levels, but perhaps it all comes down to this, simply: I've never had a bad experience here and have always walked away completely full and quite satisfied by the meal.

The lowdown is, this is a good establishment all around, and I am happy to support and recommend it.

• Pros: Quick take-out and delivery! Amiable staff!
• Cons: If you like it spicy, you will have to get down on your knees and plead.

07/18/07

Authentic - those who lived in Chna would recognize the food

by wikmanr

We lived in China and spent several months in Thailand, and, we are always searching for authentic Asian food in the USA/Canada,EU. Our careers take us on the road 30+ weeks per year. We tried Ling Garden on our recent stay in NW Portland. The restaurant is sparsely decorated and clean, but not decorated for ambience. Similar to non-touristy (local) restaurants in China. The food was very authentic - not much Americanizing. Thank goodness. The seafood and vegetable dishes are the best of that which we tried - well flavored and crisp. Try any of them. If you like spicy ask them to add a little heat. We tried several shrimp, fish and scallop dishes - all rate at least 8/10 for authenticity. We will be going back for several meals in August once we return to Portland. Ling Garden is now in our top ten list of best Asian restaurants from anywhere we have traveled in the USA/Canada. From our experiences, any Chinese or Thai restaurant which advertises its ambience and authentic decoration, has Americanized its food. Ling Garden has stayed as true as possible to its roots.

• Pros: Food, authenticity, service
• Cons: Appetizers a little Americanized

01/29/07

Ick.

by jackbourbon

We went there based on the all of the good reviews we read on Citysearch. On arriving, we decided to get take out based on overall ambience. The service was good and the staff was very polite, we were offered tea while waited forour food. We got the Kung Pao Shrimp and Vegetable Deluxe. Pretty disappointing.The shrimp was bland and mushy (how does shrimp get mushy?). Worse yet, some pieces were not even deveined (ick). I had high hopes, but I don't think we'll be back.

11/25/06

Best Chinese Cuisine, Love it!!

by rtd2

I've been going to Ling Garden for 7 years and have never had a bad experience. The food quality is gradeA, especially for the PRICE!! My favorite dishes are the Tropical Chxn, Mother Baby Shrimp, and The Phoenix... oh, and the infamous PotStickers!! Everyone there is so friendly which makes it easy to want to go back again and again. I think it's nice to see the new (1yr old) inside paint colors create a comfortable atmosphere, but sometimes it's just a must-have-at-home takeout kind of night. Thank you Ling Garden staff and friends for all the wonderful years of dining in and out, I look forward to another 7yrs, Kommpadee!

• Pros: Service, Food Quality
• Cons: none