Ginling Chinese Restaurant

Not bad Chinese foods, but not my fave thou. Better fare can be found in Chinatown. Services are pretty quick and the boss /​manager is quite friendly.

I’m echoing everyone in saying… Grab the yellow menu! You’ll such a huge (and much better) range of food to choose from. Ask if you’re unsure of what they are. The white menu (how ironic if you ask me) doesn’t offer much of a choice.
Ginling is like a wallflower — it blends in so well with the streetscape of Marion Road that you would never in a hundred years stop by and walk in. It’s like a completely different world inside. Its old, brown brick exterior is not at all inviting, but open the doors and it’s usually bursting full.
Service is good and food comes quick. It’s also reasonably cheap. We got the Peking Duck in lieu of Chinese New Year and it was a standout. The duck is lovely and crispy and pancakes are thin and unobtrusive. Make sure you book a table and the Duck beforehand (yes, they need time to prepare the duck) to ensure you get what you want.

This is one of the best chinese restaurants we’ve had consistently great take away from. Always busy but well organised. Highly recommended!

A regular source of our takeaway needs, and an occasional venue for family treats.
Very tasty and flavoursome, but regularly very full so book! — we are lucky to live just around the corner from this gem!

This restaurant is a favourite with my family. Experience friendly service, amazing food, and affordable prices. There is no better Chinese restaurant in Adelaide. Go with friends and get a banquet.

OMG! Best Chinese in Adelaide.
Shhh. Don’t tell anyone, but this little gem on Marion Road is awesome. I am now a Friday night takeaway regular. The food is great, the sizes a large and there is no upset bellies after this Chinese like you would find from other Asian establishments.
The only thing that people may feel that lets the place down is the décor, but I loved the old Chinese restaurant design. and I don’t think Ginlings décor has changed ever… but hey! why change it, if it works.
The prices are good and the staff are always friendly. I look forward to actually getting a chance to try some more items on the secret yellow menu!
Must visit when your hungry on Marion Road! :)

I knew Ginling would be a winner when I spotted a couple of staff and a chef from another adelaide restaurant. Surely they wouldn’t dine here if the food wasn’t on par with what they could be cooking for themselves at home, or get at work.
When you arrive at Gingling don’t expect a fancy modern looking restaurant. But if you ask me the slightly shabby Chinese restaurant decorated in the nineties look is actually more modern and cooler than places with shiny tables and flouro lights. The dimly lit dining room makes it feel cosy, and if you are lucky enough/​have enough diners you might get a lazy Susan.
You will be given 3 menus on arrival, a yellow one page menu with Chinese and translations, a banquet menu and a white 4 page menu. Go with the yellow menu, it’s initially written in Chinese, which means more authentic and in my opinion more delicious options. There are a number of vegetarian options, and the waiter when taking our order asked if we were vegan/​vegetarian.
For starters we had shallot cakes and spring rolls which were delicious, the serves were huge, we got two serves of shallot cakes for 3 of us, but one would have been sufficient (which isn’t to say we didn’t eat them all :/​).
For mains we ordered two to share, as previously coming here the serves have been pretty big. We got the fried tofu and vegetables and the vegetarian hot pot, which had at least four different types of mushrooms and other vegetable. If you haven’t had different mushrooms before you might find the squishy poppy texture of the little ear mushrooms, and the chewy-​ness of the oyster mushrooms a little off putting, so perhaps ask when ordering how mushroom heavy the dish will be. For me though I loved it.
The rice was cooked well and plentiful. The waitresses even filled our bowls for us which was kind.
The waitresses and waiters here were all friendly and the service was really good especially for the price we paid. My sister arrived first and the waiter got her a drink and had a small chat with her, which is nice and accommodating compared with the ‘sooo when are your guests getting here’ nagging you experience at some busy inexpensive eateries.
The carafe wine was a good standard, You know for carafe wine. And you could get a bottle of sparkling for $ 17 which is pretty reasonable.
The bill came to about $ 20 each which is really good for entrees and mains, and even though we shared two mains between three of us, there were leftover which they let us take home.
So winning all round for me!

To be honest I couldn’t recall what I ate from Ginling. I know we ordered the 12 course banquet. I know it was delicious, and I know that I ate a fish eye in my seafood soup (even though everyone else said it was a mushroom).
To set the scene, it was the day after my birthday, my third birthday dinner, and the previous night had ended with about 154 tequila shots and some really, stupidly hot, ghost chilli marinated chicken.
So we arrived at Ginling, and were promptly greeted by an incredibly tiny, absolutely fantastic little asian woman whose whole appearance and demeanor screamed of efficiency and good manners. After this we ordered some wine and some beers, and just let the absolutely delicious food roll in.
Whilst I can’t really be more specific than that, I would urge you to go in yourself and check this place out. They have two menus, one (the white one) is in English and is fairly conservative, the other (the yellow one) is in Mandarin and has some really crazy, traditional style stuff. All the food was excellent too, and the service was equally good.

No frills good value Chinese food.
A suburban institution, Ginling has kept Inner Southern burbs dwellers (and visitors) happy with a range of yummy dishes for decades. My (Chinese Malay) aunt insists on eating here when she visits Adelaide.
Customer service is hit and miss but easily overlooked!
My faves — Peking duck, chilli chicken and the roast duck. I also firmly believe their deep fried ice cream is THE best I’ve ever had!
Has never disappointed me and I’m a loyal patron.

If you’re looking for that homely Chinese cuisine, Ginling has it. For the past 30+ years, the family owned restaurant has been serving up some of the best Chinese food you’ll find in Adelaide.
Our family has been coming here for as long as I can remember and it’s still my go-​to when I’m looking to eat out. The staff know us by name and we always feel welcome there whether there’s just two of us or twenty.
Hot tip: If you feel like trying something different to the usual Aus-​Chinese menus, grab one of the yellow menus. The dishes on that are a little different to what’s on the main menu.
My recommendations:
— Salt & Pepper flounder
— Crispy skin chicken
— Jellyfish with shredded duck
— Combination hot-​pot
— Pork spare ribs in plum sauce

I’ve fond memories of Ginling.
We always used to dine here as a family. I was young, and so was my brother, and the name tickled our funny bone. We thought it was hilarious. I think we used to love coming here just so we can say, ‘Ginling!’ again and again on the car ride over.
I’ve never been here when my meal hasn’t been shouted for me, and my dad’s usually very secretive with how much money he’s spent on us, but something tells me that feeding a family of six can be expensive. However, if you’re only paying for your plate, or for two, I think that for the quality of food the price is reasonable.
I’m a Mongolian beef guy. I almost always go for it. I can’t stop myself. I try to explore the rest of the menu — I’ve even decided on a different dish — but whenever the waiter/​waitress comes around, I opt for the usual. I really, really like it, and if you find yourself stumped and looking at the menu like it’s written in a foreign language, go for the Mongolian beef.
If you don’t like it, I shall make a formal apology. You know, next time I see you.

Whenever I’m in Adelaide and I get a craving for sweet and sour scallops (which is like ALL the time), I head to Ginling.
Yes, they are that good. To be honest, apart from the scallops and fried rice, I haven’t tried much else here. When I’m onto something good, I find it hard to try something else.
The restaurant is clean and spacious, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

Located on Marion Rd, Ginling makes fantastic Chinese cuisine.
It’s great for family dinners, children, and even has a small selection of Western food for the less adventurous, or people who just want to be difficult.
There is parking behind the restaurant but this space is very limited when it’s busy, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Street parking is available.
The venue itself is spacious and service is friendly. The owner can often be seen serving and working at the front. There is one waiter in particular who you may confuse with the owner, just because he is super friendly, knowledgeable about the menu and prices, and remembers regulars. He definitely provides the best service out of everyone there.
In terms of food, I would recommend the salt and pepper squid (as always), crispy red beef, and hot pot. Basically everything on the menu is delicious, so don’t worry too much about choosing. Plus, the waiters/​waitresses will definitely help you if you’re stuck.
The prices are affordable, especially when feeding a family or a large group of people.
As far as I know, most dishes here are communal and meant to be shared between at least two to three people.
The ingredients are fresh and tasty, and the dishes are consistently well cooked.