Wing Sing Inn

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Chinese restaurants in Scotland rarely offer something other than the safe choice. There might be one or two more traditional dishes speckled about some menus, but the predictable pantheon of westernised Chinese cuisine dominates. In the Wing Sing Inn in Fountainbridge, however, it’s the other way around. Pork lung, jellyfish and preserved eggs all feature here: popular standard fare for the many Chinese customers who visit, less so for the Scottish ones. Adventurous diners are rewarded richly; tender frogs’ legs come à la crispy chilli squid, with the lightest of batters, while slivers of meat are served with crisp fungus and a glossy mahogany sauce in the deeply savoury Yu Hung pork. The food is interesting, unusual and seriously good, and really is the only reason to visit, as the Wing Sing is remarkably unremarkable otherwise – it’s frequently busy with regulars, but the white walls and bright lights stifle much in the way of atmosphere. This, however, shouldn’t stop the curious epicure seeking it out and exploring Chinese cuisine anew.

Takeaway review
A favourite with those in the know, the Wing Sing Inn has been providing northern Chinese fare to Edinburgh diners since 2008. Expect to find a vast array of unusual dishes on the menu. Hot and spicy fried crab with chilli and garlic arrives still in shell, and is a delicious example of Asian shellfish, while pan-fried dumplings, though a tad doughy, have an exquisitely tasty filling. Where deliveries are concerned, however, its popularity and the occasional problem with communication can result in lengthy delivery times, with the food losing its freshness.

• High point: An unfamiliar menu, expertly cooked
• Low point: The unflattering light in the stark interior