Cheng Heng Restaurant — Restaurant in Saint Paul

I visited St Paul for a week before I moved here, and vowed to try all the food possible. Cheng Heng was the only place I had to go twice. When I finally moved here, it was one of the first places I took my roommate when we went, and it's a staple for all visiting friends to be taken here.

The food is phenomenal, and one of the things I noticed on my first few visits was how diverse the customer base was. For me, this was just indicative of how delicious the food was, that it spoke to so many diverse palates. Chive cake is a MUST here. We always end up getting the roast pork plate, that comes with rice, a fried egg, and cucumber and tomatoes to brighten the flavor. We brought a vegan friend with us and they were so quick to accomodate without issue and no compromise to the flavor. The fried rice without egg and tofu only still had amazing flavor and that signature char to it, and honestly the leftovers of it didn't make it to the house.

Service is personally my favorite, but I'm biased because I love the owner. She's so sweet and so funny, and literally never remembers me, but that just makes the interactions that much sweeter to me. She's warm and wonderful and definitely wants people to feel like they're coming home when they're here. I always do, so she's done her job, as far as I'm concerned.

Aesthetically, it's not the most modern, but back in Thailand, we always say that it just means you're putting money into the food, so it's never been a concern at all for me. The food speaks for itself, and nothing else is lacking beyond that.

Parking is a little tight around the corner in the parking lot, but metered isn't really a problem, especially if you come later in the evening and you don't have to pay anything.

This place is a staple for me and I can't recommend this...

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...

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...