Ling Kitchen offers a special chef’s tasting with classic and familiar Chinese flavors.
Chinese restaurants are not typically viewed as fine dining or high-end in the U.S. The conditioned perception is that restaurants are expected to have big portions at a cheaper price point. Trying the Chef’s Table experience at Ling Kitchen can help you shift that perception.
Ling Kitchen
You might be familiar with Chef Ling Qi Wu’s food in Austin. Chef Ling first opened Lin Asian Bar in 2018, then Qi in 2020, and most recently, Ling Wu in February 2023. All three are focused on East and Southeast Asian cuisine, especially dim sum. The best har gow (shrimp dumpling) I’ve had in Austin was at Lin Asian Bar. The restaurants are known for dumplings.
Opened in November 2022, Ling Kitchen is a more intimate dining experience with carefully crafted bites. The 20-person table is set in the kitchen, where you can watch all the action while each course is set in front of you.
The menu is where the cuisine differs from the other restaurants. The 10-course chef’s tasting menu brings more creativity and special ingredients to the table. This is where the culinary team can present new dishes in a small batch.
Meeting the expectation of this intimate experience, the service is a higher level of attentiveness. It’s clear the team focuses on making the dinner a memorable experience.
Chef’s Table Tasting Menu
If you want to be surprised about the dishes you’ll have, skip this section!
Here are the dishes we enjoyed on our 10-course menu.
Seafood with Lemongrass Soup
Dumplings Trio
Pan Seared Pork Belly
Crispy Shrimp with Japanese Aged Soy Sauce
Peking Duck with Foie Gras Mousse and Caviar
Stuffed Oyster Mushroom and Morel Mushroom with Burgundy Truffle
Pan-Seared Chilean Seabass
Curry Oxtail with Anchovy
Coco Lobster Cream Puff
Dessert – this was a duo of a mousse cake and a macaron.
Each dish was delightful and the presentation was next level. For those who don’t eat a lot of Chinese food or who want to see Chinese food in a different way, this tasting is a good option to try something new. I noticed that some dishes we had are available in a similar form at sister restaurants, so if the price of this menu scares you away, you can also enjoy the quality dishes there.
How to Make a Reservation
Reservations open on the first of the month for the next month. For example, on July 1st, reservations opened up for August.
The dinner is hosted on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights and there is one seating per night at 6 pm. Saturday reservations will book quicker and reservations in general are easy to make.
Details for Your Visit
Here’s a quick 101 about Ling Kitchen to help you prepare.
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Meal offered: Pre-fixe dinner
- Ambiance: Casual
- Attire: Business casual, no dress code
- Noise Level: Average
- Pricing: $150 per person, not including specialty beverages
- Dietary restrictions: Special diets typically not accommodated
- Reservation: Available and suggested
- Groups: Email for groups of more than 4 people
- Parking: Free lot behind the restaurant
Ling Kitchen
8423 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78758
https://lingkitchen.com/
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