What
Ling Long Xuan is a new Chinese restaurant located at 586 Newark Avenue. (They’re opposite the Brennan Courthouse and next to Cafe Peanut). The BYOB restaurant offers dim sum, lunch, and dinner options, as well as delivery.
Interior
The well-lit restaurant has an open and clean layout. There are three rows of tables evenly spread out. Decor is kept simple with just a few small paintings and a handful of Chinese lanterns dangling from the ceiling.
The Menu
Ling Long Xuan offers a wide range of dishes from China’s Sichuan and northeast regions. The restaurant’s multi-page menu can be overwhelming, but a few entrees come with pictures and descriptions that should help with the decision process. Entrees generally cost under $20 with a few larger dishes coming in at $30. The priciest dish we could find is a whole Peking duck for $39.
We Loved
The Tian Jin Style Wonton Soup is great. The wontons are delicate, but nicely sealed and taste fresh. The soup has these tiny, dried shrimp that are almost invisible to the eye, but give the broth a slightly salty taste (in a good way). Meanwhile, the Sauteed Cabbage with Hot Pepper elevates the humble cabbage to star status and makes for an excellent meatless dish. The Baby Bok Choy with Braised Mushrooms is another meatless hit, made with deeply savory mushrooms and vibrantly colored baby bok choy.
Could Be Better
Service can be on the slow side. We had to ask our waiter twice about a missing dish. (We eventually got it at the end of our meal). As a fan of spicy food, I also wouldn’t mind having someone ask me how spicy I’d like certain dishes.
Final Take
Ling Long Xuan is our new go-to spot for Chinese food in Jersey City. The menu can be daunting, but discovering new favorite dishes as we work our way through it is something we look forward to doing.
Ling Long Xuan | 586 Newark Avenue
I suspect you went to the restaurant either on its soft opening or shortly after it opened to the public. That being said, that’s most likely why service was slow…staff have to work the kinks out! (I’m sure you know this already.) It’s nice to hear your honest opinion. Your descriptions are great…I would love to try out the restaurant in the near future.
Do you speak chinese? If not then you should bring someone that does you may have a better experience, not that you need that but I have found in my travels to Asia having a local guide makes the experience all the better. My girlfriend said this food is exactly like her hometown food in China. We went for the first time yesterday and it did not disappoint.
If you ever have seen the movie lost in Translation – with Bill Murray in Japan, well I am finding similar things with the Chinese language. It’s not a bad thing but is something that people need to realize. If you ever want us to go along let me know.
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