Kweilin
- Food served: Tue–Thu noon–2pm, 5–11pm; Fri/Sat 11am–2pm, 5–11.30pm; Sun 5–11pm. Closed Mon.
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 2
- Private dining: Up to 22 covers
- Also offers: Gluten-free options, Children's portions, Children's high chairs
- Music on stereo: Instrumental Chinese
- Capacity: 90
- Largest group: 90
- Open since: 1984
- Average price:
£10.95 (set lunch)
£17 (evening meal) - House wine: £15.50 per bottle
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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.
Like the prints of misty mountains on its walls, this Cantonese restaurant remains decidedly traditional – and that’s the way its loyal fans like it. Mostly they come for the seafood, fresh from an Anstruther supplier, and for the crispy roast duck. The muted dining room can get busy, even mid-week, but there's never a shortage of red-jacketed waitresses hovering to take orders. Perhaps due to its enduring popularity, this old timer doesn’t always stretch itself when it comes to the food. Dim sum tend to be run of the mill, the dumplings a notch better than bog-standard sesame prawn toast. Mains such as claypot-cooked monkfish with bean curd or garlicky Chinese mushrooms with broccoli are full of flavour but heavy on thickening agents and salt. Occasionally there’s a glimpse of what the kitchen can produce when it sets the cornstarch aside: scallops cooked in their shell in a subtle black bean sauce are in an altogether higher league. Steamed or stir-fried fish dishes may be the way to go if you want that Scottish seafood to shine.
- High point: Cantonese dishes using fresh Scottish seafood
- Low point: Thick, old-fashioned sauces
Reviews of Kweilin (19–21 Dundas Street, Edinburgh)
- 3. Blair – 14 April 2011, 10:34pm
KweilinReport -
Very much a seafood restuarant which is great, because there are plenty of other resturants offering the normal Chinese menus. It is expensive compared to those normal Chinese restaurants, but Kweilin isn't a normal Chinese restaurant. Don't go here if you want the the typical dishes, but do go here if you like to try something more genuine.
- 2. vistitor, edinburgh – 27 July 2008, 1:36amKweilinReport
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I went to the Kweilin restaurant for dinner last week on recommendation. The food was excellent, especially their choice of seafood dishes. I would definitely recommend the steamed sea bass with ginger and spring onion and the eight treasures duck. The service was also very friendly and welcoming. A restaurant I would definitely visit again.
- 1. visitor, Edinburgh – 3 March 2008, 12:20pm
KweilinReport -
This place was *terribly* disappointing. We are from the US and have been living here for a year. Yes, we are foodies, but are somewhat open-minded. Many fantastic places like Dusit, Kalpna, etc. We went to this place on the recommendation of the List and frankly the food was tasteless and over-priced. In particular, the orange chicken was a flavorless goopy mess. The other dish was a standard stir-fry chicken (something like kung pao, but I forget its name) and it was very average. Avoid.
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