Sally Ling's

1636 Palisade Avenue, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
(201) 346-1282

Tucked away in a corner of Fort Lee in New Jersey is a little gem called Sally Ling's. In a city of about 40,000 it can be found with other facilities that cater to Asian interests including a Japanese bakery, an after-school tutorial facility for budding young mathematics scholars, places to buy foods of almost every persuasion, and at last count, one Indian, three Japanese, two Korean, and nine Chinese restaurants.

Sally Ling's took over where Look See used to be and changed things from heavily lacquered and dimly lit Italian decor to light, airy, freshness with white walls and pastel colored paintings. Now modern ambiance and delightful elegance, even familiar classical music pleases the diner as do the courteous, friendly, and knowledgeable waiters. Note the simple white porcelain chopstick stands, they attest to attention paid to every detail.

Sally herself has been in the business for many years, at one time running four Boston restaurants. She came to Fort Lee less than a year ago and immediately started serving con-sistently good to excellent dishes that pleased. On four visits, she pleased us with the variety and freshness, particularly of the seafood.

Pan-toasted Scallion Pancakes reminded of traditional Chinese northern cooking. They

were crunchy on the outside with soft interiors. This thinner, smaller pancake differs from its western cousin as it is enjoyed as an appetizer.

Jelly Fish with Sesame Oil arrived light and crunchy in a transparent sauce. Chicken and Shrimp Sharing the Nest came in a clever basket of potatoes with tender pieces of chicken and jumbo shrimps sauteed along with crisp vegetables and a mite of ginger root. House Special New York Sirloin was seasoned with oyster sauce, beautifully tender and sitting on a bed of broccoli.

For pasta lovers, Noodles with Beijing Meat Sauce was authentic, the texture of the bean sprouts and noodles complementing each other. Rice Noodles Singapore Style came in a curry sauce with chicken, shrimp, and roast pork sauteed with vegetables, all providing pungent and robust taste.

At one lunch, Ma Po Bean Curd was a disappointment, the dish had too much rice and too little beancurd. At another, Rice Vermicelli Singapore Style was a taste sensation, the portion of moderate size.

The dessert menu is rather limited, some items not all that typical. We suggest that you negotiate with the staff for Bananas Flambe with Ice Cream, a fine end to a well prepared meal. We enjoyed its presentation and thought it delivered with expertise.

Some in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong judge Chinese restaurants by their variety and quality of tea. Sally Ling's wins on these counts and also because it serves very tasty food nicely presented and in a delightful atmosphere. We recommend it without hesitation.