Dive into Shlap Muan in Long Beach for Khmer-style chicken wings that balance sweet, savory, and spicy flavors, paired with delicious fried rice and garlic noodles in a cozy, no-frills setting.
"Few foods are more perfect than a tray of crispy fried wings swathed in a sticky, sweet, sour sauce. Enter Shlap Muan, a Long Beach Cambodian restaurant that also pops up at Smorgasburg on Sundays; its namesake means “chicken wings” in Khmer. The headlining Dirty Elvis wings are “violently tended to” in a searing hot wok, although the result is all love: a batch of fatty wings tossed with verve in a glossy, rich caramel sauce that coats each flat and drum from top to bottom. Finished with thinly sliced green onion and fish sauce-soaked chiles, there’s nothing to not like about this, whether ordering a batch to eat at home before the big game or making it part of a greater Smorgasburg stall crawl. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager" - Eater Staff
"There’s no shortage of classic Cambodian restaurants in Long Beach, but Shlap Muan is the only one that specializes in fried chicken wings. Expect unique flavors like orange habanero, jalapeño MSG, and spicy Cambodian Dirt, which tastes like lemon pepper spent a year kickboxing in Phnom Penh. If it's your first time, we recommend getting on order of the house special Dirty Elvis wings, glazed in a sticky soy caramel with dried chiles. Shlap Muan also has another location in Pasadena and sets up at Smorgasburg on Sundays." - nikko duren, garrett snyder, brant cox
"There’s no shortage of Cambodian restaurants in Long Beach, but Shlap Muan is the only one that specializes in fried chicken wings. The owners previously ran a fast causal wing shop in SF, but relocated to their parent's Cambodian restaurant in North Long Beach. Expect unique flavors like orange-habanero, jalapeño MSG, and spicy Cambodian Dirt, which tastes like lemon pepper spent a year kickboxing in Phnom Penh. If it's your first time, we recommend getting on order of the house special Dirty Elvis wings, glazed in a sticky soy caramel with dried chiles. The dining room has a few tables, but takeout if the move here." - Nikko Duren
"On a sunny weekday morning in early November, Smorgasburg general manager Zach Brooks arrives at Shlap Muan, a restaurant tucked away in a quiet strip mall in Long Beach. He’s there to meet the owners, Hawk and Sophia Tea, and talk about the family-run restaurant, which focuses on Cambodian-style chicken wings, but also boasts Khmer Chinese dishes like pork broth noodles and shrimp fried rice. The casual, counter-service restaurant, which opened in 2020, occupies a tiny space with just a handful of tables." - Jean Trinh
"At Shlap Muan, Hawk Tea pays tribute to his parents with humble-but-mighty wings. Serving Cambodian-centric takes on wing sauces and dry seasonings, Hawk and Sophia Tea have crafted a love letter to Cambodian cuisine and their family's heritage. The restaurant is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m." - Brian Addison
