Heng Seng Noodles — Restaurant in Cherry Hill Township

Stumbled upon this place by chance and was stoked to find out it served food from my culture. We ordered the Phnom Penh noodles, kaw ko (beef stew), and buk lahong (papaya salad).

Cambodian food isn’t always the most approachable—it can be bold, funky, and definitely an acquired taste. That said, my girlfriend (who’s Chinese and generally not too comfortable with Cambodian flavors) really enjoyed everything we had. Everything was super palatable for her, with little to no complaints.

The Phnom Penh kuy teav broth was excellent—flavorful and even came with a piece of bone marrow to suck on. My only gripe: it lacked the usual amount of ground pork that traditionally adds texture and complexity. Including more would’ve brought the dish closer to what I grew up with.

My girlfriend loved the kaw ko. The beef had a good chew (not the kind that makes your jaw work overtime). I personally found the broth a bit on the sweet side, though that might be because I was still tasting the savoriness of the kuy teav.

Then came the buk lahong. Objectively, it was a good papaya salad—bright, fresh, spicy. But to me, it leaned closer to the Thai style than a traditional Cambodian one. Granted, every family makes theirs differently, but the version I’m used to hits with a pungent, punchy flavor that can be intense if you’re not expecting it. This one was definitely toned down.

And I get it. Cambodian cuisine can be intimidating, and Heng Seng seems to be playing it safe—probably aiming to appeal to a broader crowd. The result is dishes that are tasty and accessible, but not quite as bold or traditional. If you’re looking for that deep, unapologetic Cambodian flavor, you might have better luck calling up your auntie—or better yet, asking a Cambodian grandma for her recipe and making it at home.

Great experience! Cute place. Awesome server. Eevee was super helpful (and has a cool name lol). The pandan coffee she recommended to us was comfortingly robust. We’ll definitely be coming back here if we’re in the area.

P.S. - The papaya salad came after our main entrees. Personally we don’t care, but I know others do care pretty passionately! Just thought it’d be some...

Pretty good. Though very reminiscent of Vietnamese.

They have daily specials now.

Bok Laong, Papaya salad. Pretty spicy. Comes as levels 1-3, the waitress said it was like spice levels 5,7,9 of other places.

Beef lemongrass soup, came with meatballs and some beef tenderloin. Tastes just like pho.

Phnom peng style dry noodles. Pretty nice. Surprised the liver, heart, and squid didn't have that typical heavy smell. It seemed like they were blanched clean but was still rendered soft. Comes with a small side soup, meat was mostly bone. Got a large, but I felt the bowl was too big for it. It wasted table space on an already small table.

Pandan coffee with foam, was nice, but sorta small to be filled with ice chips.

Lemongrass limeade, kind of just tasted like lime soda, pretty sweet.

Special of the day: Kaw ko, Cambodian nlbeef stew, tastes nice without feeling heavy or oily like other stews. Tastes clean. Bees knees with an added single pickled pepper.

Lort Cha, house mix (beef and seafood): springy noodles, clean tasting. I think the seafood includes tofu or fishcakes, possibly squid? It's somehow cooked or blanched from the heavy smell of the sea just like the intestines are blanched from the heavy smell. Enjoyed.

Special of the day, Pandan limeade. Really nice, has a clean pandan after taste. Waitress mentioned it was cooked pandan leaves extracted and made into a house syrup.

Pennywort juice, tastes like a green shot. Feels healthy. A little bitter.

Food felt clean, would go back to try something else.

Place was pretty spacious, if you get a booth it's probably nice but the small tables and chairs are a bit uncomfortable. There's a lot of dressings and large dishware, the single table is a bit too small for it all if you get 2 drinks, an appetizer and an entree. The hardwood chairs look nice but if you're not tall enough the angle of the back presses into your back uncomfortably.

Appetizer and entree all came out quick, and at the same time. Service was very attentive, spoken with a smile. 🙂

2%...

Heng Seng Noodles is an absolute gem! While the menu is small, it’s clear that this allows the restaurant to truly perfect the dishes they offer.

For starters we got the Bok Lahong, which is their papaya salad. Please be warned, this dish can be spicy, thankfully the waitress gave us a fair warning so we decided to go lighter on the spice level. For our main dishes we ordered the Phnom Penh and the Beef Lemongrass noodle soups along with the Lort Cha. The soups were authentic and light while the Lort Cha was flavorful and unique. Those dishes were an absolute must-try!

The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, even on a busy day. I overheard a waitress patiently explaining the menu to a whole table, detailing each dish and its ingredients, which really shows their dedication to great service.

This is a family-owned business, and you can feel the love and pride they pour into everything. We had the chance to meet the “big boss man” himself, who came by to chat with us and make sure we were enjoying our meal. He shared the heartwarming story of how his family started the restaurant and took us around to show family photos displayed in the restaurant. He even introduced us to his wife and kids, who were also working there!

It’s not just about the delicious food here; it’s about the experience of being welcomed like family. If you’re looking for amazing food served by wonderful people who truly love what they do, Heng Seng Noodles is the place to go....