Every time my niece and I pass the road to Ling Ling, my niece raves about wanting to enjoy a meal there. I understood her excitement after finally dining in for a light dinner.

Well, that was the intention, at least.

But we ended up with a platter of tofu with garlic, beef with sweet bell pepper, pork sisig, and assorted seafood with vegetables.

There were three of us, but Fr. R was off rice, so Kuya M and I shared a cup of rice. I'm happy to note we left no morsel on the serving dishes!

The tofu was soft, buttery, and perfectly seasoned, though I wondered at the copious amount of melted butter on the plate. The beef was tender, with a light and tasty sauce coating the meat.

While I did not try the sisig, I could tell my companions enjoyed the sizzling favorite because it disappeared fast from the table.

I'm saving the seafood with vegetables for last because I enjoyed it the most. It was steaming, with perfectly cooked, savory veggies and juicy strips of what I imagined was a squid.

We shared a pitcher of iced tea to round up a wholesome, filling meal.

Typically, I go for desserts first, but at Lingling Garden, I marveled at the simple decor and roomy areas for birthday celebrations (there were at least two loud bursts of happy birthdays in the half-hour we spent there.

I didn't even think of desserts.

People go there for the great ambiance. Our hut was clean, and there was a fan to ward off the heat.

The evening crowd was busy, but there was ample room for parking. Kudos, too, to the staff for prompt and efficient service. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes homecooked meals filling for the heart and hungry bellies.