Lai Ling
Quick info
About Lai Ling
On Lickey Rd in Birmingham, Lai Ling is a Cantonese restaurant serving both a buffet and an à la carte menu to the table, alongside a takeaway option. The kitchen covers chow mein, including chicken chow mein and Singapore chow mein, plus curry dishes such as a house special curry. Orders are taken on a walk-in basis, with no reservations. It opens daily, evenings only. The restaurant is under new management, having recently changed hands.
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention sweet-and-sour pork cantonese style, chicken chow mein, buffet option and house special curry.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention sweet-and-sour pork cantonese style, chicken chow mein, buffet option and house special curry.
Customer Review Summary
The buffet draws consistent praise, with sweet-and-sour pork Cantonese style and chicken chow mein singled out as standout dishes, close behind a house special curry and Singapore chowmein from delivery orders. Several reviewers note the restaurant recently changed management, describing friendlier, more attentive staff and better food quality than before, with one calling the new ordering system a good improvement.
Customer Review Summary
The buffet draws consistent praise, with sweet-and-sour pork Cantonese style and chicken chow mein singled out as standout dishes, close behind a house special curry and Singapore chowmein from delivery orders. Several reviewers note the restaurant recently changed management, describing friendlier, more attentive staff and better food quality than before, with one calling the new ordering system a good improvement.
Featured reviews
- Liz Bosco
“Food lovely, tasted fresh and was nice and hot, staff really pleasant, nothing too much trouble, really nice local restaurant and seating placements are not over crowded, really clean, first time there last week, will definitely go again.”
- Edward Gough
“I ordered for a delivery, food was here in around 20 minutes, Singapore chowmain and house special curry with bbq salt and pepper ribs. Best Chinese food i have tasted in years, everything was cooked perfectly, the meat was lovely and tender and the curry had just the right amount of spices. Will definitely be using here for good now and would highly recommend 👌”
- Andrew K
“Had been coming here for years. Finally came under new management, the food quality is brilliant it has improved from old management. The staff are very attentive and friendly better than it used to be. It was very good before the take over now it is brilliant.”
- Emma Farrell
“We tried this since new management as seen on local social media pages! The staff were very friendly and accommodating. We did the buffet, good price and great new ordering system! Restaurant was full which was great to see and a good atmosphere. We would come again!”
- Matthew Bowater
“Well, this wasn't what I was expecting. I generally avoid places with low Google ratings, but my parents love Chinese food and were staying at a nearby hotel. Walking in, I noticed that the restaurant looked completely different from the pictures online. It turns out they have recently taken over the restaurant and given it a complete makeover, as shown in the picture below. There are two menu options: à la carte or buffet. I've heard quite a bit about the buffet option. (Side note: you cannot take leftovers home if you choose the buffet, so don't think you can cheat the system by ordering a lot.) The soups were good—chicken and mushroom, and chicken and sweet corn with vegetables. For the mains, we had sweet-and-sour pork, Cantonese-style sweet-and-sour chicken balls, mixed meat special curry, chicken chow mein, egg fried rice, and chips. The curry tasted different from what I expected. I asked if the chef makes his curry sauce, and I was told that they do. It was nice, and there were plenty of pieces of meat in it. The sweet-and-sour pork Cantonese style and chicken chow mein were the standout dishes. I highly recommend them. You can thank me later! If they keep this up, I can see them reaching a 4.5 rating on Google.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“Discreet eatery offering a buffet menu of Cantonese specials served to the table, plus takeaway.”
- ReservationsWalk-in only
- AccessibilityHas wheelchair-accessible car park · Has wheelchair-accessible entrance · Has wheelchair-accessible seating
Amenities
- Has wheelchair-accessible car park
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 2
- Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Has wheelchair-accessible seating
Location
Restaurants near Lai Ling
- Namaste England4.0572 mi£10–20Good for kids
gulab jamun, butter chicken, vegetarian thali
- The Cod Pot4.62183.8 mi£1–10
cod and chips, gluten-free fish and chips, fresh flaky fish
- Turel Fish Bar4.52154 mi£1–10
chips hot and fresh, fish and chips cooked to order, chips with curry sauce
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lai Ling | 3.9559 | — | — | sweet-and-sour pork cantonese style, chicken chow mein, buffet option |
| Namaste EnglandGood for kids | 4.057 | 2 mi | £10–20 | gulab jamun, butter chicken, vegetarian thali |
| The Cod Pot | 4.6218 | 3.8 mi | £1–10 | cod and chips, gluten-free fish and chips, fresh flaky fish |
| Turel Fish Bar | 4.5215 | 4 mi | £1–10 | chips hot and fresh, fish and chips cooked to order, chips with curry sauce |
The 3 nearest restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
