St. Paul's Chinese American restaurants run deeper than dim sum carts. This list covers the city's steam-table and wok counters, the skyway lunch spots, and the eastside standbys that have fed St. Paul for decades, from Rice Street to the East Side to downtown's skyway level.
№ 01
Peking Garden
St. Paul $$
394 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · +16516440888
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Sesame chicken and mapo tofu anchor a menu long enough to need advance study. Peking Garden runs a spacious room built for group dining and family occasions, the kind of spot where a reservation for a birthday party gets seated on time. The kung pao chicken holds its own against the sesame chicken as the table favorite for regulars who have been coming since childhood.
What to ordersesame chicken, mapo tofu, kung pao chicken
№ 02
China Chef Restaurant
St. Paul $
2240 Highway 36 E, Saint Paul, MN 55109 · +16517779790
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The pho is the reason regulars keep coming back to this East Side counter, even though the menu reads American Chinese first. China Chef balances its hot and sour soup with a light hand, and the small operation keeps the same owner on site. It is a reliable stop for a neighborhood meal rather than a special occasion.
What to orderpho, hot and sour soup, chow mein
№ 03
Master Noodle (Saint Paul)
St. Paul $$
1337 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16513696688
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Garlic chicken fried noodles built on wide ribbon noodles draw families in for weeknight dinners at this St. Paul room. The Sichuan wonton in chili oil and scallion pancakes round out a menu suited to groups, served in a clean, well kept dining room with easy parking and generous portion sizes across the board.
What to ordergarlic chicken fried noodles, Sichuan wonton in chili oil, scallion pancakes
№ 04
HoHo Gourmet
St. Paul $$
1985 Old Hudson Rd, Saint Paul, MN 55119 · +16517310316
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Chicken wings have kept generations of St. Paul families ordering from HoHo Gourmet for decades, crisp enough to stay the draw on their own. The beef lo mein with thin noodles and mei fun round out a lunch buffet priced for value. The room runs busy at midday, staffed by people regulars describe as consistently kind.
What to orderchicken wings, beef lo mein, mei fun
№ 05
Golden Chow Mein Restaurant
St. Paul $
1105 7th St W, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512281276
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New ownership changed Golden Chow Mein enough that longtime regulars notice, for better and for worse depending who is asked. The egg fu young now reads as more considered than the old version, and portions run larger under the new owners, though pricing crept up with the change. Chow mein and pork fried rice remain the anchor orders.
What to orderegg fu young, chow mein, pork fried rice
№ 06
Tea House St. Paul
St. Paul $$
1676 Suburban Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55106 · +16517711790
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Garlic eggplant has been the standing order at this St. Paul room for over a decade, backed by egg drop soup and vegetable egg foo young that regulars order on repeat. Lamb dishes round out the menu. Consistency has wavered in recent visits, but the kitchen's long running favorites still define why people keep returning.
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 done well is rare enough in the suburbs that this strip mall room built a following on it alone. Little Chopstix pairs it with lunch and dinner combo deals sized for a weeknight, plus sweet and sour chicken and chicken lo mein as steady sellers. Portion sizes run generous for the price point.
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 and pork egg foo young carry over from the previous ownership under the Leo's Chow Mein name, though longtime customers note the flavor has shifted since the change. Sweet and sour chicken rounds out the order. It remains a casual, familiar stop for St. Paul diners who grew up on the earlier version.
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 is the order that gets singled out most often at this East Side staple, alongside a fried rice built with real technique. The sweet and sour sauce is made in house rather than poured from a jar, and the chow mein leans into the Midwest style that longtime St. Paul eaters expect. Service moves quickly.
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 repeat orders at this takeout only counter, alongside crispy egg rolls that regulars say are worth seeking out. Kim's Chow Mein also serves a chicken potato curry that stands out from the standard American Chinese lineup. The staff earns steady praise from customers who order often from this St. Paul spot.
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 a run of vegetarian dishes give this skyway counter range beyond standard combo plates. Ho Fan Restaurant blends Chinese and Vietnamese cooking, including banh mi, for a fast weekday lunch crowd in downtown St. Paul. The line moves quickly most days, though popular items can sell out before the lunch rush ends.
What to ordermapo tofu, vegetable stir-fry, banh mi
Frequently asked
What is the best dim sum in St. Paul near me?
St. Paul's Chinese American restaurants are spread across the East Side, downtown's skyway, and suburban strip malls rather than clustered in one dim sum district. Peking Garden, Master Noodle, and Wong's Kitchen are strong starting points depending on which side of the city sits closer to you. Each listing here reflects an Insider Score built from the public review record, not a paid placement.
Do any of these restaurants serve traditional cart style dim sum?
No restaurant on this list runs a rolling cart service. These are Chinese American and Cantonese kitchens serving wok dishes, noodle plates, and combo lunches rather than the dumpling and bun cart format associated with dim sum houses in larger Chinatowns. The name reflects the guide category, not a literal cart experience at every stop.
Which of these St. Paul restaurants is best for a family celebration?
Peking Garden is built for that occasion, with a spacious room, group seating, and a menu large enough to satisfy a mixed table. Master Noodle and HoHo Gourmet also handle groups comfortably. None of these restaurants pay to appear on this list; placement follows the Insider Score generated from the public review record.
Are any of these St. Paul spots takeout only?
Kim's Chow Mein and Ho Fan Restaurant operate as takeout only counters, the latter serving the downtown St. Paul skyway crowd on weekdays. The rest offer dine in service alongside takeout. Prices and hours can shift, so it is worth calling ahead. The Insider Score behind each listing comes from the review record alone.
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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.
