St. Paul's Chinese kitchens split into two lanes worth knowing apart: the old American-Chinese chow mein houses that fed the East Side and Frogtown for decades, and the newer Sichuan and Cantonese rooms drawing sharper flavor into the mix. Both lanes are full St. Paul rooms, not stops on the way to Minneapolis, and both deserve the trip across town.
№ 01
Peking Garden
St. Paul $$
394 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · +16516440888
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Sesame chicken and mapo tofu anchor a menu long enough to study before ordering. Peking Garden runs as a family room in St. Paul, built for group dining and celebrations, with a spacious floor plan that handles birthday parties and reservations without a squeeze. The kung pao chicken holds its heat well against the sweeter dishes on the same table.
What to ordersesame chicken, mapo tofu, kung pao chicken
№ 02
China Chef Restaurant
St. Paul $
2240 Highway 36 E, Saint Paul, MN 55109 · +16517779790
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Pho carries this St. Paul room as much as any Chinese dish on the menu, a point regulars make even though the signage does not announce it. The hot and sour soup runs balanced rather than sharp, and chow mein rounds out a menu built for repeat weeknight orders. Small and family run, it holds its neighborhood loyalty on consistency, not novelty.
What to orderpho, hot and sour soup, chow mein
№ 03
Master Noodle (Saint Paul)
St. Paul $$
1337 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16513696688
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Garlic chicken fried noodles come thick with wide ribbon noodles, a texture call worth making on purpose. Scallion pancakes and Sichuan wonton in chili oil round out a St. Paul menu built for families and groups, with a clean dining room and a lot handled at once given the parking. Portions run generous across the table.
What to ordergarlic chicken fried noodles, Sichuan wonton in chili oil, scallion pancakes
№ 04
HoHo Gourmet
St. Paul $$
1985 Old Hudson Rd, Saint Paul, MN 55119 · +16517310316
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Chicken wings have kept generations of the same families ordering from this St. Paul spot, crispy enough to anchor a lunch buffet that runs busy and value priced. Beef lo mein with thin noodles and mei fun fill out a menu built for casual gatherings. The room reads as classic American Chinese, unfussy and fast at midday.
What to orderchicken wings, beef lo mein, mei fun
№ 05
Golden Chow Mein Restaurant
St. Paul $
1105 7th St W, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512281276
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Egg fu young under new ownership reads more composed than the old room's version, a shift regulars notice right away. Chow mein and pork fried rice remain the anchor orders at this St. Paul spot, with portions sized generously even as prices crept up from the prior owners. Consistency on takeout orders varies more than the dine-in plates.
What to orderegg fu young, chow mein, pork fried rice
№ 06
Tea House St. Paul
St. Paul $$
1676 Suburban Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55106 · +16517711790
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Garlic eggplant leads the order at this St. Paul Szechuan room, a dish regulars call the reason to keep coming back over a decade of visits. Egg drop soup, vegetable egg fuyoung and lamb dishes round out a menu built on established favorites rather than trend chasing. Recent visits have run more uneven than the room's long reputation suggests.
What to ordergarlic eggplant, lamb dishes, egg drop soup
№ 07
Little Chopstix
St. Paul $
580 Woodbury Dr, Ste 200, Woodbury, MN 55125 · +16517974133
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Beef chow fun anchors this St. Paul strip mall room, with lunch and dinner deals that keep portions generous without inflating the bill. Sweet and sour chicken and chicken lo mein round out the order for weeknight regulars. Wontons and other fried items run more unevenly than the noodle dishes, worth knowing before a large takeout order.
What to orderbeef chow fun, sweet and sour chicken, chicken lo mein
№ 08
Fortune Kitchen 幸運小廚
St. Paul
277 McKnight Rd S, St Paul, MN 55119 · +16517710305
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Special chicken chow mein carries the memory of Leo's Chow Mein, the St. Paul room this kitchen succeeded, though regulars note the flavor has shifted under new ownership. Sweet and sour chicken and pork egg foo young round out a familiar, casual dinner menu. Order with modest expectations against the old standard and the plates land fine.
What to orderspecial chicken chow mein, sweet and sour chicken, pork egg foo young
№ 09
Wong's Kitchen
St. Paul $
1191 Earl St, Saint Paul, MN 55106 · +16517762522
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Beef lo mein stands out as the order to make at this East Side St. Paul staple, with fried rice and a housemade sweet and sour sauce that skips the bright red syrup most Midwest rooms use. Chow mein rounds out a fast, satisfying menu built for quick dinners. Egg drop soup and chicken wings fill out group orders well.
What to orderBeef Lo Mein, Fried Rice, Chow Mein
№ 10
Kim's Chow Mein
St. Paul $$
2048 Marshall Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16516464964
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Mushroom fried rice draws the strongest praise at this St. Paul strip mall counter, alongside crispy egg rolls worth seeking out on their own. Chicken potato curry and a solid fried chicken dinner round out an American Chinese menu built entirely for takeout. The room has no dine-in seating, so plan every order as a to-go run.
What to orderfried rice, crispy egg rolls, chicken potato curry
№ 11
Ho Fan Restaurant
St. Paul $
444 Cedar St, Ste 225, Saint Paul, MN 55101 · +16512279677
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Mapo tofu and vegetable stir-fry make this St. Paul skyway counter a rare vegetarian-friendly stop for a workday lunch. The line runs long at peak hours, and popular items can sell out before the rush ends. Banh mi sits alongside the Chinese menu, a reminder the skyway tier serves fast, mixed corridors rather than single cuisine rooms.
What to ordermapo tofu, vegetable stir-fry, banh mi
Frequently asked
What is the best Chinese restaurant near me in St. Paul?
It depends on the neighborhood and what is wanted. Peking Garden and Master Noodle work well for family groups, China Chef and Wong's Kitchen are reliable neighborhood standbys, and Ho Fan covers a fast skyway lunch. Each entry here is ranked by its Insider Score, built from the public review record, and no restaurant pays for placement.
Which St. Paul Chinese restaurants are best for takeout only?
Kim's Chow Mein and Ho Fan Restaurant operate as takeout-only rooms, both built around quick, reliable orders rather than a dine-in floor. Little Chopstix and China Chef also handle high takeout volume alongside dine-in service. Insider Scores reflect the full public review record for each, not paid placement.
Are these St. Paul Chinese restaurants authentic Sichuan or Cantonese cooking?
The cuisines vary by room. Tea House St. Paul is listed as Szechuan and Golden Chow Mein as Cantonese, while most others fall under the broader American Chinese tradition that has served the Twin Cities for decades. Neither style is ranked above the other here; each Insider Score reflects its own category.
How are the restaurants in this St. Paul Chinese guide ranked?
Each restaurant carries an Insider Score built from the public review record, weighing consistency and volume of feedback over time. No restaurant pays to appear in this guide or to rank higher within it. The order reflects the data, not advertising.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Kou Thao
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Kou Thao is the St. Paul & Corridors Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born in St. Paul and raised in Frogtown, he grew up working the family egg-roll stand at Hmongtown Marketplace. He covers the marketplaces, University Avenue, the East Side and West Side, and every corridor counter worth the trip across the river.
