 First location in 2014 | |
Native name | 嶺南 |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Fast food restaurants |
| Founded | 1950; 75 years ago (1950) Santa Cruz, Manila |
| Founder | Tomas Fung Kuan |
Number of locations | 34 (2024) |
| Products | |
| Parent | Fruitas Holdings |
Ling Nam (Cantonese: 嶺南) is a chain ofChinese restaurants in the Philippines owned byFruitas Holdings. The first location inBinondo, Manila, was established in 1950, butRobert Fung Kuan turned it into a smallfranchise when he was CEO from 1976 to 1984. While it was a popular destination in Binondo, Ling Nam declined in the following decades and the Fung family put it up for sale. Fruitas Holdings bought the chain in 2022 and expanded it into 34 locations.
Binondo's Ling Nam is regarded as a pioneerpanciteria. Servingshort order fare, its top-sellers arenoodles,congee,dim sum (siomai) andsiopao. It is particularly known for its beefwonton noodles.
Tomás Fung's ancestors came fromZhongshan County, Guangdong, nearGuangzhou. His grandfather came to the Philippines in the late 19th century, and established a small restaurant on Nueva St., in a part ofManila which was already largely ethnically Chinese.[1] Fung's father helped with public relations for many Chinese restaurants.
As the fifth child in anoverseas Chinese middle-class family, Fung was given no clear career path. The family's situation was exacerbated by theJapanese occupation of the Philippines inWorld War II, and almost all their belongings were destroyed in theBattle of Manila. Fung decided he needed to go into business. With the ₱3,000 he had saved up, Fung started Wa Yan Restaurant inQuiapo, Manila in July 1945 with his other friends from Zhongshan.[2] However, they all had to work double shifts, had trouble finding and keeping good staff, and could onlybreak even, so Fung sold the restaurant for ₱10,000 in 1950.[2]
That year, Fung established Ling Nam (Cantonese: 嶺南ling5 naam4,lit. 'south of the mountains') on Zacateros St.,Santa Cruz, Manila.[3][4] Although he ran the restaurant, Fung had seven or eight partners.[5][6] He simplified the menu, focusing on widely appealing Chinese dishes. Their beefwontonnoodles andsiopao were joined by a variety of dishes over the years.[3][4] Fung moved Ling Nam to its current location at 616 T. Alonzo St.,Binondo, in 1965,[4] in the middle of where the Chinese district of old Manila used to be.[3] According toThe Philippine Star, "a trip toChinatown [Binondo] then always meant a stop at Ling Nam."[4] Ling Nam was a pioneer of the noodle houses (panciteria)[4][7] which were popular destinations in Binondo during those years. The restaurant had famous regular guests such asMayorAlfredo Lim.[4]
Before he foundedChowking,Robert Fung Kuan founded Ling Nam Enterprises, Inc., in 1976. Fung was Kuan's uncle, and his father was one of theshareholders. Kuan became the chairman and CEO of Ling Nam. With twelve-hour work days, he gradually expanded Ling Nam and was able to open five branches.[8][6] However, the shareholders were protective of the restaurant—having initially opposed Ling Nam's expansion—and Ling Nam was plagued by family squabbles. Kuan himself thought that the restaurant's growth was stifled because he had to distributedividends to the shareholders, his family members, who did not have any regular work hours.[6][9][a] In 1984, Kuan learned that the board was planning to relieve him of his position. He opted to resign rather than be fired and founded Chowking the following year.[10] Kuan told his acquaintances that the board's decision was because Fung's son wanted to lead the company.[11] Peter Albert K Fung,[12] Fung's son, became president of Ling Nam in 1984.[13]
In the 1980s, Ling Nam had 11 stores, located acrossMetro Manila and in malls such asAyala Center andHarrison Plaza. However, the chain went into decline in the following two decades,[4] along with other traditionalpanciteria,[6] facing management and labor issues. In 2004, the Fung family bought back theircontrolling interest in Ling Nam. Fung's son, Peter, returned to the Philippines from Canada to manage it.[4]
In 2006, Peter Fung incorporated a new company, Tri-Mark Foods Inc.,[12] and tried to expand Ling Nam slowly, opening three stores. Fung also added new dishes such as the DragonShrimp Balls, named for its resemblance forDragon Ball characterGoku's hair.[14] The Fung family put Ling Nam up for sale in 2020.Fruitas Holdings acquired the chain, which only had four locations, on July 1, 2022. It was a childhood favorite of CEO Lester Yu, who was raised in Binondo. As with other brands it acquires, Ling Nam–branded products such as Ling Nam Noodles are sold at Fruitas' other franchises.[15] Under the company, Ling Nam expanded to seven locations by February 2024. Fruitas also introduced simplified versions of Ling Nam, including three Ling Nam Express, one Ling Nam Noodle Bar and 23 Fried Ling Nam Siopao outlets.[16]
Ling Nam is aCantonese restaurant.[17] Because it has a short menu, ensuring that customers always know what they want to order, and quickly prepared fare, Ling Nam has been described as a fast food restaurant.[4][18]
Its top-sellers are itsnoodles,congee,dim sum (siomai) andsiopao.[15] Theirsiopao (Tai Pao) is rather large, at 4 inches (10 cm).[19] Reviewers have praised the Binondo branch's cuisine.Esquire Philippines thought it was "underrated" despite having the "most consistent-tasting menu" since it opened;[18] Ling Nam's four main products have always been cooked in the same way, with the noodles handmade daily. Other dishes includepancit canton andviands such assweet and sour pork,chop suey, and Ling Nam beef.[15] While the Binondo location's menu has long gone unchanged, other branches have extra offerings to cater to local clientele.[4]
The beefwonton noodles are Ling Nam's house special,[14] and are "much-recommended". In thePhilippine Daily Inquirer,Ambeth R. Ocampo wrote that "the meat was fresh and tender, the broth was excellent, the noodles on the soft side, prompting me to remind myself not to compare it unfairly withIppudo. However, the little old lady at the cashier said I could specify noodle consistency upon ordering."[20]
Media related toLing Nam Wanton Parlor and Noodle Factory at Wikimedia Commons