Mings Restaurant - Victoria, British Columbia

After 40 years of being a regular, very satisfied customer, it saddens me to report that the Ming's we all know and love is no more. Let me begin by what is now gone from the "experience" that was Ming's. No more pre meal hot towels or green tea, no ... more waiters dressed in the traditional Ming's attire (white dress shirt, red vest, and black slacks), and no more of the 3 variety dipping sauces with dinner. The wonton soup tastes like it's been reheated from the day before, spring rolls are now the usual flaky, greasy fare rather than the delicious, thickly battered ones of old, dinner portions are smaller, very greasy, and the food in general of a much lower quality. The one server on duty, while friendly and efficient, was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. The whole restaurant feels dead, and that old Ming's vibe is totally gone. A real shame. Sadly, tonight was my last meal at what was once my favourite Chinese restaurant. Read more

Due to health and sanitation concerns I would advise against anyone eating at Ming's. I almost feel sad for them. This place has a long history in Victoria and seems to have been very highly regarded, and the interior decor is so wonderfully charming in its own dated way. But, as I ... understand it, new owners took over last year and seem to have quickly run it into the ground. I dined in the restaurant twice in fall 2015, finding the service incredibly friendly, the won ton soup delicious and most of the other food acceptable though not great. My only real complaint on these visits was that it was by far the most expensive Chinese food I've had in Victoria, for similar or smaller portion sizes. The place was never busy but there were other diners seated at 4-5 other tables. Last night I ordered the King's platter and won ton soup for takeout. At around 7 pm there was no one else in the restaurant, just a couple of servers sitting on their phones and someone vacuuming the dining room carpet. Despite not being busy, my food took over a half hour to prepare. When I got home, it looked horrid and was criminally overpriced for the portion size. I ate an egg roll and a tempura prawn, both of which were mushy, bland, and tasted like they had just been microwaved to warm them up. The sweet and sour pork was dry and congealed. The vegetables looked like they were from a bag of frozen vegetables at the grocery store. The won ton soup tasted like hot water with zero flavour, and worse, there was a BUG floating in it (I thought fruit fly, my partner said it looked like a flea). We called to complain and they did not understand the issue. Finally after being transferred to someone else, they thanked us for calling in, said they would "look into it" and offered us a 10% discount on our next order. We said no as we would never be dining there again. After hanging up we brought the food back to the restaurant to ask for a full refund. There were still no customers nor staff in sight. Finally someone came to the desk and said she could not give us a refund just because we didn't like the taste. We persisted, she called a manager and finally gave us a refund. Upon returning home, I looked up Ming's health inspection reports and found they have had several violations this year for insect and rodent problems and unsanitary equipment. I strongly advise anyone considering dining at Ming's to choose somewhere else. Read more

Ming's can only be described as magical. Someone intelligent long ago thought of everything in Ming's and his or her influence can be felt in the plush upholstery that fosters you through your meal today. The staff are attentive and caring. The food superb. The music is non-imposing, usually ... classical. There is a big fish tank near the top level of the room, and mirrors decorate many of the walls, creating an open, glamorous atmosphere. I always have some of my meal packed up that makes for enticing leftovers, keeping the tasty train going even after my time at Ming's has ceased. They have an assortment of delicious but novel alcoholic cocktails I've often received with a sweet maraschino cherry on top. At the end of a dinner meal, your server will bring you a refreshing hot towel for you to apply to your face and hands. It's a really nice touch that typifies the relaxing ambiance Ming's creates for you while you're there. You do you Ming's. Thank you for everything. Anyone who dislikes Ming's is personally disturbed. Read more

I went here because I was told it was a place that has been in Victoria for years. The decor was horrible and dated. You can tell nothing has been done to this place since 1970. I waited 15 minutes before a waiter served me. I ordered a combo plate and it was ... cool to the touch a long with my green tea. No one cane around to ask me how my meal was. The waiter placed the bill on the table and I had to explain I wanted my change back. He was reluctant to do it. I will never go back. The one star I gave was for the hostess. She was smiling and very pleasant when I arrived. Read more

Trying to eat the plate in front of me was practically a Fear-Factor challenge. I ordered the "Dynasty" everything was coated in this thick translucent goo. The chicken was grey. The won ton soup tasted "off " like someone washed dishes in it. I was scared to eat ... the prawns, so I didn't. It's THAT bad. I truly believe their only customers are people that don't read reviews or haven't been in years when it apparently was quite good. As for the service, it was as terrible as the food. Watered down drinks, non delivered drinks, people's meals arriving an hour apart. Even the bathroom on a quiet Monday night resembled that of a dingy bar's on a Saturday night. Please, please don't eat here. You'll be doing yourself a great favor. And also possibly saving yourself from rare parasites. HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND Read more