Cheng Heng Restaurant

This Cambodian restaurant truly surprised me—in the best way. The food is authentic, full of bold, rich flavors that taste like real home cooking. From the moment I walked in, the hospitality was warm and genuine. It’s clearly an honest, hardworking family-run business. The recommended dishes were fantastic—good portions, lots of meat, and very affordable. We tried spring roll, papaya salad, #17, 22 and #38. #38 is especially good, spicy and full of flavor. I highly recommend #22 as well. Some of the dishes might be a bit on the sweet side for some people, but I liked it just fine. Everything we ordered tasted great, and it all feels lovingly made. A great spot if you want authentic Cambodian food and great service.

I've driven by this place for years and honestly never thought about what might be inside. On a quest to try new places I ventured in with a friend. Now, the menu was large it gave options I'd never heard of our even knew what they were talking about. We took a shot in the dark and randomly picked what we felt sounded like something we'd like. Turns out we did okay! The food was hot and fresh and honestly pretty damn good! The wings weren't full wings and short of small but nothing to complain much about. The prices were really really good! Now the service was lacking at times. The woman who sat us was younger and spoke great English but the man who took our order wasn't as fluent in English as my ears would have liked and we had to ask someone for help because of the questions we had about the menu. The place itself isn't the cutest but it gets the job done and was clean. Over all if you love Asian food, you'll want to go check this place out. I'll certainly be back!!

Omg! The food was amazing! The spicy wings had a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. Yum! I'll be dreaming of them later. We were pleased with every dish we got. I will definitely be back. 10/10.

Restaurant remains consistent. Good restaurant. Entrance to restaurant parking lot is easy to miss. Good food and fair prices. Could improve on cleanliness. Seating a little tight. The spring roll was different, tasteful. The pho was not bad, sweeter. Noodles more on the soft side. Okay protein. Bubble tea sweeter as well, different style.

Really great time here! Got the #22 and #11A as well as the chive pancakes which were really yummy! Everything tasted super fresh! The chicken was quite spicy in #11 and a bit dry, but still liked it! The service was super great, speedy, and friendly! The atmosphere is nice, but could have had some dimmer lighting! Very cheap for the size of the portions!!!

This restaurant is my favorite in the cities. The food is phenomenal. And the lovely lady that runs this place is what makes this restaurant really shine! All her people are kind, friendly, and ridiculously efficient. If you don't know what you want, they'll recommend something, and it's never bad! You will feel like you are walking into someone's home where there is always good homemade food and a friendly face.

This is the best resturant in the Twin Cities for overall flavor and hospitality. Every single time I've come here they are always so attentive, they try to sit you down as soon as possible, give you menus and also silverware and water/drinks fairly quickly :). Their menu is very large :), plenty to choose from and very affordable, I can always get a meal and get a drink without feeling like I'm spending too much. Some of my favorite dishes from here are their springrolls, eggrolls, pho, fried rice, vermeclli noodle salad, etc. I'll keep exploring the menu, but for now my favorite dish is #26, it's a dish with rice and chicken or pork, and there's a fried egg, cucumber, tomato, pickled daikon radish and carrots, cilantro, a broth on the side and some sauce as well. I pair it with a drink called tri color which has some colored jello strips, cantaloupe, honeydew, jackfruit in a coconut slush :). The flavors from this combo are so perfect I literally cannot describe it, but all I can say is that it feels like you're getting a big giant hug from your grandma. It's literally the best feeling in the world, so comforting during any season, any weather or whatever you're going through. I definitely reccommend trying some of their specialty drinks too!!! :) Overall this is my top resturant, 10/10 everything. Flavors are always consistent, food is always hot, and the family that runs the resturant is always attentive and welcoming :) and for the person who left a review saying they had to ask for a box or ask for the check... I mean yeah you ask for a box anywhere... and you pay at the counter? Yeah... they just wanted to complain XD they are always willing and happy to help, just ask if you need anything! :)

They have parking on the side of the building. The waitstaff was not attentive, not coming to fill our water or give us boxes when we were done. We literally sat at our table for almost 10 minutes waiting for her to get us boxes and our bill. Food was good, everything came out full of flavor. Only disappointment besides the service was the cream cheese wonton. They were hard like rock and had little to no filling. Overall impression of this restaurant is okay, 2.5 out of 5.

I went here with a friend recently, and I absolutely loved it! I thought the food was truly outstanding. The service was attentive, though it's definitely not a very fancy place in terms of ambience. I think moving forward I will most likely rely on takeout. I think their food is fantastic, the portions were really significant and the flavors were outstanding. I can't wait to eat it again and again and again. My only complaint is that they did leave the tails on the shrimp. This is not unheard of, but it is really irritating. No one wants to fish through their soup or stirfry or curry and pick off the tails with their hands and then have a big, huge mess. Like most restaurants they do remove the feathers from the chicken and the fur from the beef, so I would encourage them to remove the tails from the shrimp as well.

This place is a pretty hidden gem. I have been here once before but that was a while ago. I try this place again with my friend. This is his favorite place in Saint Paul with other places. My friend order all of the dish on our table and everything was so yummy. The chicken wing was not too spicy, and it was sweet, not dry and decently big. It was my favorite on the table. I really enjoy the seafood curry that we order as well. The curry wasn't so strong, and it went well with rice. The papaya was good, it wasn't spicy but it had a lot of flavor. Another place to come back to so I can try other food item on the menu. The server was nice, but I would say it would be nice to get water refill. There was a good amount of people coming in and out of the restaurant. I think a family came in to order pho. It is a small hidden location on University. Make sure to slow down so you can park in the parking lot.

Hi so me and a few friends decided to eat here after the Renn Faire and this became our favorite restaurant during our Minnesota trip. We are from NYC and SF and met in the middle and we will never forget the delicious food we had here. Recommended by the lovely and passionate service from the owner, we got #58, 45A, 31A, 17, and 10. I know I can speak for the group when I say we will absolutely fly back just for the food, just like the owner's daughter does.

Loved this little family-owned authentic Cambodian spot! It may not be much to look at from the outside, but the inside is nice and cozy, the owners are so lovely and striving to please, the menu is crazy extensive (and with photos!), and the flavors are on point. I opted for the spicy beef noodle soup, but I wish I could have tried the curries and a million other dishes!

Recently visited for a family lunch,had no idea this place existed - def locals know about this place Love that its family run, actually the owner told us it has been here for 27 years Authentic Cambodian cuisine very fresh vibrant flavors and affordable They do have their own parking lot and inside it's very small and quaint but cosy If I'm the area again I would totally come back here Service was good - we shared family style dishes so make sure to ask for extra plates etc as to not confuse the servers

There weren't that many people there when we arrived, but locals started coming in soon after we seated. I got #22 as I heard it was quite famous and I'm glad i did, it was refreshing and savory! The chive pancakes were soft and the dough felt like mochi. The tea was strong but sweet and definitely worth the try!

It was my 1st time trying Cambodian cuisine. Hubby tried this place with coworkers and enjoyed it. So I gave it a go! This place has its own parking lot which is nice on this busy stretch of university. Definitely a hole in the wall type of joint. It was busy but we managed to get a table. I ordered #38 Kor Koo Noodle Soup. I was looking for some type of beef soup...it was good though some pieces of beef had some fatty spots. The soup was good but very oily. Husband scarfed down his food which is one of their most popular dishes. The service was great and helpful. The locals seem to love it. Cambodian cuisine might not be for me but I was glad to try a new place!

The food is fresh and phenomenal. Something on the menu for everyone. We were seated immediately - fantastic service. Our order came out efficiently, and the restaurant was quite busy. Justifiably so, since the food is so good. We parked in a lot next to the restaurant but street parking is also available. Can't wait to return and try a few more new-to-me dishes. Highly recommend.

One of my favorite Cambodian restaurants in the country! Great and fast service, and appreciate the private parking lot of diners.

Appearance: No new tables,chairs, decor nor wall paint. How long has this place been here, over 10+ years and still no update!? Service is trash, no water refill until you are done with your food. Waiter or owner just sits watching/waiting until customers are ready to pay up front. Food was a big disappointment 8.99$ Butterfly shrimp seems from yesterday's fry as it shown a bad crisp and had no oil, maybe they microwaved and then served to us as it was warm with the shrimp being rubbery to taste. 0/5 Papaya salad id definitely a NO! 8.99 1/5 Very small amount definitely did not taste anything great from it. Was about 5 forks worth then it was done. The rest of it was peanuts and green beans and tomatoes Their beef soup ( Literally just PHO) 13.99$ Rice noodles beef meatballs and broth. If the menu had stated that this item would be PHO, it never would have been ordered. Was expecting real beef meat and spices and udon or wide noodles. 1/5 Cambodian style beef with veggies 13.99$ About 6 pieces of meat and the rest was vegetables Bell peppers, unions, and the sauce was salty and overly sweet. IMO it tasted like a Chinese dish. 0/5 Overall our first and last time visiting. Very surprised to see this place still in business. We didn't even close had a taste of Cambodia, flavors tasted as if we visit a bad taste of China! No photos because the food presentation looked so mediocre. I assume the people who do come here would be ordering some type of soup dish that they eat over and over again.

The food was really good, full of flavors and tastes. The fried rice is really oily so if you don't want that make sure to avoid it. The curry was really flavorful with sweet and salty. The chicken was tender and chewy. The food came out real quick after we ordered. The service is great. The atmosphere feels open and not too crowded.

Quaint Cambodian restaurant with homestyle food and "homestyle" service. Service was straightforward, and food came out quickly. We had the Kor Koo noodle soup, Chha Mekatain with Curry Sauce and the Cambodian iced tea. Flavor was overall slightly sweet but comforting. Would definitely visit again to try more of the extensive menu.

Overall, this place gets 4 and a half stars. The food was great but a little sweet. The inside reminds me of a typical hole-in-a-hole Asian restaurant.

They told me that they do not devein ANY shrimp! I won't be ordering shrimp here again. The cream cheese wontons are great!

I'm sad to post this...because I know this is a beloved restaurant for it's authentic food, but I will never step foot in here again. It's filthy. I went to the bathroom and thought, "if this is how little they care about the cleanliness of the restaurant where the customers can see, how much effort would they put into cleaning the kitchen where we can't see?" And that assumption was probably right because my family got sick after eating there. The food was decent but not worth the stomachache. Owners, taking care of your restaurant is taking care of your guests!

We heard from a from that the pho and food at this place is good, but we had to disagree. The pho was very bland , broth wasn't rich at all. The wontons were mostly dough and not very flavorful either. They also forgot our food as well and we had to order twice, they weren't very busy.

Met a friend for lunch and was pleasantly surprised by how amazing the food was and even better that there was parking. Nice size place with tables on both sides of the place. After driving through every pot/sink hole was very happy to see there were a few parking spots in the back. Food ordered: Spring rolls Roast pork with rice, eggs and other deliciousness. Whatever they do to the pork is amazing. It was so good! Service is good and the menu is extensive with so many options to try. Prices decent.

Husband found this via Yelp as we enjoyed our time visiting Cambodia before COVID. Friendly staff and we were seated immediately. Lots of soup options but without much description like tomatoes based or clear broth. There are pictures on some and the female server just said it's good and not spicy. I know bun rieu (tomato crab base) Vietnamese and was trying to see if they got something similar. Ended up getting #38 which the broth was quite oily and sweet. The beefs were tender enough but those vermicelli were overcooked. Never had a spring roll that the rice wrapper is opened. People said we eat with our eyes first before the flavor. Anyhow, glad we tried but it's not something I'd return. Maybe it's too Americanized...

Went after PWHL game. Cheese Puffs were awesome #67 was great #17 "showstopper" per Pioneer Press was OK

This is our family's favorite spot to eat! We ordered the appetizer sampler! We had the 15 Chha Mekatain with curry sauce. It is spicy but very very yummy. I had 46 Machu Angkor, it was sweet and very mint in a fun way. The Chha ginger with crispy tofu was very very gingery. All super good. Love this place

We've frequented Cheng Heng over the years, but after a long hiatus, we ordered #17, #18, #22, #67, and some spring rolls for take out. I believe I spoke to the owner and explained that I am MSG sensitive. She said they'd be able to accommodate because they make everything fresh :-) Our entire family was pleasantly surprised at how delicious and fresh-tasting everything was. We were really happy to support a small local family business, and got a wonderful meal besides!

Place is dirty and run down and if you saw the kitchen you definitely think twice about eating anything that was cooked in it.

very upset that my friends never have dragged me out to try this sooner. Cheng Heng 36:38 is definitely made from heaven. I'm not usually into sweet and savory food, but this hit the spot and was sooooo rich in flavor. Just wished i knew it didn't come with a lot of the pot meat, i would've ordered more But this is smacking good

I always crave the Curry Tam Yam with tofu here. Everyone I introduce the dish to ends up loving it as well! Sometimes we'll all come in and order the same thing haha. It's a little bit of a drive from my house but sometimes I'll just get two, one for here and one to-go This time around we also tried the fried fish which was actually pretty good. Fish was nice and tender. I also recommend their the Banh Cheo which is delicious and refreshing!

I've dined twice here and have no complaints about the menu. The service was subpar today. The worst combination is slow, inaccurate and unapologetic and this establishment met all three. You cannot serve an entree plate without offering a serving utensils plus individual plates. They also botched one order and offered us an item not requested.

To say that this restaurant is one of my favorites is a gross understatement. Not only do I often visit here for some affordable and delicious meals, but also I bring my friends from out of town to this place because finding a Cambodian restaurant anywhere in the United States is a rarity, and Cheng Heng simply does it way too well. The place is located on University Avenue in Saint Paul, which is a place where lots of local businesses are located at, so one can easily visit this restaurant when shopping for anything in the area. It seems like it is family owned, as I have been able to converse with one of the owners who happen to speak Mandarin Chinese. The main strength for this place, above all else, is food taste, which is single-handedly the reason why this place earns a 5 in my book. I have ordered many different dishes already, and so far every single one of them has been a hit. Some of the specific ones I recommend are: #14 Papaya Salad, #17 Chha Kroeng, #22 Banh Xiung, #26B Roast Chicken Over Rice, #38 Kor Koo Noodle Soup, #44 Tam Yam, #45 Machu Kroeng, #46 Machu Angkor, #47A Beef Saramann, #51 Stir-Fried Broccoli, and the dessert sweet rice soup. You do not have to order these specific items, but if you do, you will be very satisfied. If you choose to order other items, I am sure you will be satisfied as well! This is easily a top place that I will happily bring anyone to because of their food quality, cuisine rarity, small business atmosphere, and courteous services. If you are looking for somewhere fancy and clean, then this may not be the place, but this is when I proactively choose to shift focus to Cheng Heng's strengths, and that is why I highly recommend this establishment.

A well-run, unpretentious, and authentic family-run Cambodian restaurant, with a diverse menu and great service. I've only had the opportunity to go once (I don't live in the MSP area); I had the papaya salad and Machu Angkor, and both were great. Note: being authentic, the food can be quite spicy; you may want to order accordingly.

A simple restaurant with an extensive menu that has a good number of unique dishes. We felt well taken care of as the owners (with a great command of the English language) were taking customer orders and could recommend dishes that were meeting our taste preferences (how much spice? Soupy or stir-fry? and dietary restrictions (vegetarian/vegan; peanut-free, gluten-free). Food arrived quickly enough one by one from the kitchen as it got made (mine took the longest because the veggies needed softening but at least I knew it was made fresh and hey, I could sample from others' dishes in our party). Other customers were mostly Asians, a good sign for authenticity in my mind. Took off one star for the seedy location near what looked like illegal activity at the street corner. Great food with a new twist - we will be back!

This amazingly endearing mom and pop Cambodian restaurant is a gem in Minnesota. The service is homey and outstanding. A real family affair! Everything we ordered was made with great care and love and it really shows! Try their crispy SHRIMP ROLLS! The sweet sauce that accompanies it pairs so well with the sweetness of the shrimp. We had a fish stew soup that burst with amazing flavor! And we also sampled a lemongrass pork stir fry that had great coconut and lemongrass notes. The menu is so extensive and I wish I could come back and try more soon.

Reviewing AGAIN because I just got the chive cakes and #38 beef spicy noodle soup for takeout. On a Friday night, they answered immediately and food was ready in 10 minutes. Just so delicious, so authentic. SUPPORT THIS SMALL BUSINESS!!!!

Solid Love this location and the cream cheese wontons. Service is so fast and it's a cute place.

Cheng Heng has wonderful food. I have been going there for aver a decade. Their sauces and dishes are so very flavorful. I will get curry, rice, soup or noodle dishes and it is always good food. It is a family run business and the owners are very easy going and accommodating. I remember my dad who was vegan came there from out of town and the owner went out of his way helping him navigate the menu and then made a special broth for his soup. That's how hard they work. I appreciate that they stayed open for carry out during Covid years and stayed true to their posted hours. They are a try gem.

I have eaten at this restaurant numerous of times for the last 10 to 15 years. The food was still good but I would suggest maybe introduce some new dishes. The dishes are not heavy and flavors are right. We didn't have to wait long for our food. The customer service is good and they're attentive to their customers. The place is a bit outdated, and may be just need to update and modernize the place and fixtures. The bathroom should be a little bit more cleaner and control some of the odors. Overall, it is a good restaurant for family dining.

YUM! This was my first Cambodian food experience and wow have I been missing out! I came here for lunch with a friend and we were seated immediately as they have a humungo restaurant. I ordered the Cambodia Iced Coffee which was delicious. I'm not sure what what sets this coffee apart but it's good. We ordered the chive cakes to share and wow were those good. The perfect blend of texture with crispy and soft on the inside. We both also ordered #22 Banh Xiung which apparently was named one of St. Paul's best dishes. Whoever named it that was not wrong. It was amazing. It was perfectly sauced and the perfect amount of food. Although it was a noodle base and there was legit a fried egg roll in it, we were somehow satisfied but the food doesn't sit heavy in your stomach. All of the flavors were just amazing, my mouth is watering just writing this review.

I was so excited to try their famous banh xiung dish that is supposed to be one of the top ten dishes according to St Paul pioneer press, but sadly to say was disappointed. I believe this Cambodian dish is very similar to the Vietnamese ermicelli noodle dish that includes the fried egg roll, fresh herbs & veggies, and fish sauce. Except this one includes coconut milk too. I wish they would let us add our own sauce so the egg roll doesn't become so soggy. I've had better dishes like this one before and the egg roll is always what I look forward to. For a restaurant that raves about this noodle dish - I would like to think I would be perfected. Also, we tried their scallion pancakes which were nice and crispy so that sort of balanced out the experience with the noodle dish haha. Ambience: Typical looking Asian restaurant around that area. Tables were clean, bathroom could use a little work. Food: I only tried two dishes but I feel like I could get the same things somewhere else and it would taste better. Service: typical decent service - didn't go above and beyond from handing us our food and filling our water cups.

I love Cheng Heng! Growing up in Frogtown, this was always my family's go to restaurant for delicious Southeast Asian food! The menu is huge with lots of variety and affordable prices. The staff are always welcoming and helpful too! I usually get #39 (basically chicken and shrimp pho- sweet and savory) spring rolls, and the crispy chive cakes! Once in a while, I'll cave in and get the tri-color dessert because I think it's one of the best in town- it's creamy, sweet and looks beautiful! Tip- They have a small parking lot on the side, otherwise street parking is available too.

My brother and I are visiting friends and family in the Twin Cities and a friend recommended we look for Cambodian food while in town. We decided to check out Cheng Heng and WOW - so very glad we did!! The food was amazing. The flavors were rich and balanced, portion sizes were perfect, and the staff was friendly and informative. We got the Luc Lac and the Chean Chuen and couldn't decide which one was our favorite because they were both so tasty. The prices were very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food we received. I'll definitely be back next time I visit the Twin Cities!

Great food highly recommend Tam Yamnumber 44- wonderful family run restaurant spring rolls can't be beat price amazing so affordable very humble and sweet staff always willing to help

Wonderful food, different flavors from what you get at other Asian restaurant. Everything is fresh, many vegetarian options. The place has a wonderful community feel to it, the owners care and make sure everyone is happy. We keep coming back.

I apologize for having to write this but anyone who eats here deserves to know, a picture is worth 1,000 words. I came to pick up food here(#4&#28) I was the only person in the restaurant due to the Covid-19 virus. After ordering I sat down for a while and from under a ritual shrine I saw a mouse walk towards the front door onto the floor mat. I told the owner and she called for help from one of the gentlmen in back. He killed the mouse with a broom and disposed of it. As he swung the broom stick onto the floor mat a ton of dust and dirt flew into the air. I was maybe 8 feet away and could breath it in a bit. I'm just curious as to why, when work and customers are slow, is the restaurant still so filthy and really made me question what the kitchen looked like. I'm trying to be generous even with 1 star cause the food was brought out faster than any restaurant i've been to and looked to be prepared well but after this incident it's hard to believe that.

Food was good. It wasn't spectacular or something I'd go back for though. I ordered seven or eight different dishes and nothing really stuck out or stayed with me.

Legit. Classic. Great for takeout, great to dine in. A regular for our family. The #17 is both unique and comfort food at the same time. Highly recommend.

Went here for a second time. Which after this time I've decided I won't ever go again. Nothing stands out. The egg roll/meat salad bowl would have been good if the sauce wasn't added to it beforehand. I wish they would have asked if we wanted it added because it made everything super soggy. The egg roll was pretty good. The chive cakes are good but nothing special.

We came around a Sunday night around 9 PM. I placed an order around 850 and figured 1520 minutes. I was wrong. At 9 PM this place gets slammed. We waited until about 9:30. I got the spring rolls and something tasted off. We've had them before and they were good but this time something was off. I got 17 with chicken for the first Time and that was really really good. I also got 15 and 30. 30 is yummy, the sauce kind of weird but I enjoyed it. 15 I didn't think it had enough flavor.Overall, I appreciate that they are open late and it isn't my first choice for food on University.

The flavors were awesome at this unassuming spot. Even thee toddlers devoured their food. We tried drip coffee, appetizer sampler, chicken fried rice and chicken and shrimp soup. Parking in the lot was a bit of a challenge, but we got a spot. The server was quite busy. Food was prepared and delivered quickly. Surprise favorites - our 3 year old loved the Shrimp in the soup. Our two year old munched on bean sprouts and chicken wings.

Casual restaurant with a lengthy menu. We got number 17 with pork which was a vegetable stir fry with peanuts and added pork. Super tasty. We also ordered the green curry with eggplant and added chicken. Very flavorful, quick and helpful service. We will be back.

In the past - the food has been consistently good, tasty and authentic. Something has gone terribly wrong - gloppy sauce with odd flavor and overcooked, mushy noodles. Needs a total reset to be honest.

Great first experience of Cambodian cuisine. I've been telling myself to make the visit given all the recognition this place as received (top 5 in St. Paul) and finally got to doing it this past weekend. It is a true hole in the wall experience and the interior reminds me of a Kowloon restaurant on campus. The menu is extensive and I can definitely see the influence from the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. Ordered: - Chive cake (5/5). This reminds me of dim sum and street food I've had in Vietnam. The batter is fried and the inside is stuffed with chive leaves and pork. The dipping sauce is delicious as it is diluted fish sauce - Roast chicken over rice (4/5). A Cambodian spin on the Vietnamese classic rice platter. It is pretty good and came in large portions - a steal for the $8.50 that you're paying. I like the side of soup that came with the dish. It helps balance the dryness of the dish. The roast chicken was cooked about right and crispy. The egg was a bit weak. The fish sauce didn't taste like home but it still worked fine Cheng Heng is great. I will likely return again to try other dishes and explore more of this unknown cuisine.

Casual dining at University Ave with authentic flavor. The flavors are incredible diverse and fantastic! Price are very reasonable. Curry Tomyam probably one of the best soup dishes ever! So rich and creamy with fresh shrimp. Cha Katna with pork with "WOK" flavor and pork is super tender! Some might not the fishy taste of the curry fish but overall the broth is very tasty. Trust me all the disHes you ordered you will eat lot of rice!