Ling Nam

Ling Nam (Cantonese: 嶺南) is a chain of Chinese restaurants in the Philippines owned by Fruitas Holdings. The first location in Binondo, Manila, was established in 1950, but Robert Fung Kuan turned it into a small franchise 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 pioneer panciteria. Serving short order fare, its top-sellers are noodles, congee, dim sum (siomai) and siopao. It is particularly known for its beef wonton noodles.

Tomás Fung
Tomás Fung's ancestors came from Zhongshan County, Guangdong, near Guangzhou. His grandfather came to the Philippines in the late 19th century. He established a small restaurant on Nueva St., in a part of Manila which was already largely ethnically Chinese. His father helped with public relations for many Chinese restaurants. As the fifth child in a overseas Chinese middle-class family, Fung was given no clear career path. During World War II, their situation was exacerbated with the Japanese occupation of the Philippines and almost all their belongings were destroyed in the Battle of Manila. Fung decided he needed to go into business. With the ₱3,000 he had saved up, Fung started Wa Yan Restaurant in Quiapo, Manila in July 1945, with his other friends from Zhongshan. It served all kinds of Chinese cuisine. But they all had to work double shifts, had trouble finding and keeping good staff, and could only break even, so Fung sold it for ₱10,000 in 1950.

That year, Fung established Ling Nam (Cantonese: 嶺南, lit. 'south of the mountains') on Zacateros St., Santa Cruz, Manila. Although he ran the restaurant, Fung had seven or eight partners. He simplified the menu, focusing on widely appealing Chinese dishes. Their beef wonton noodles and siopao were joined by a variety of dishes over the years. Fung moved Ling Nam to its current location at 616 T. Alonzo St., Binondo, in 1965, in the middle of where the Chinese district of old Manila used to be. According to The Philippine Star, "a trip to Chinatown [Binondo] then always meant a stop at Ling Nam." Ling Nam was a pioneer of the noodle houses (panciteria) which were popular destinations in Binondo during those years. The restaurant had famous regular guests such as Mayor Alfredo Lim.

Restaurant chain
Before he founded Chowking, Robert Fung Kuan founded Ling Nam Enterprises, Inc., in 1976. Fung was Kuan's uncle, and his father was one of the shareholders. 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. However, the shareholders were protective of the restauranthaving initially opposed Ling Nam's expansionand Ling Nam was plagued by family squabbles. Kuan himself thought that the restaurant's growth was stifled because he had to distribute dividends to the shareholders, his family members, who did not have any regular work hours. 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. Kuan told his acquaintances that the board's decision was because Fung's son wanted to lead the company. Peter Albert K Fung, Fung's son, became president of Ling Nam in 1984.

In the 1980s, Ling Nam had 11 stores, located across Metro Manila and in malls such as Ayala Center and Harrison Plaza. However, the chain went into decline in the following two decades, along with other traditional panciteria, facing management and labor issues. In 2004, the Fung family bought back their controlling interest in Ling Nam. Fung's son, Peter, returned to the Philippines from Canada to manage it.

In 2006, Peter Fung incorporated a new company, Tri-Mark Foods Inc., and tried to expand Ling Nam slowly, opening three stores. Fung also added new dishes such as the Dragon Shrimp Balls, named for its resemblance for Dragon Ball character Goku's hair. 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 Nambranded products such as Ling Nam Noodles are sold at Fruitas' other franchises. 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.

Menu
Ling Nam is a Chinese restaurant. 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.

Its top-sellers are its noodles, congee, dim sum (siomai) and siopao. Their siopao (Tai Pao) is rather large, at 4 in. Reviewers have praised the Binondo branch's cuisine. Esquire Philippines thought it was "underrated" despite having the "most consistent-tasting menu" since it opened; Ling Nam's four main products have always been cooked in the same way, with the noodles handmade daily. Other dishes include pancit canton and viands such as sweet and sour pork, chop suey, and Ling Nam beef. While the Binondo location's menu has long gone unchanged, other branches have extra offerings to cater to local clientele.

The beef wonton noodles are Ling Nam's house special, and are "much-recommended". In the Philippine 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 with Ippudo. However, the little old lady at the cashier said I could specify noodle consistency upon ordering."