St. Paul's Chinese American restaurants run generations deep, not hot pot tables. This list covers the city's steady chow mein counters and family rooms, from Frogtown to the East Side, none of which currently list hot pot on the menu, and all judged on what the record actually shows: lo mein, egg foo young, and the neighborhood loyalty that keeps a strip mall counter running for thirty years.
№ 01
Peking Garden
St. Paul $$
394 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · +16516440888
Photo via 
Peking Garden built its name on family celebrations, with a menu long enough to need advance study. Sesame chicken and mapo tofu anchor repeat orders, and the room seats large groups without a wait even on reservation nights. St. Paul families have been marking birthdays here across generations, which says more about consistency than novelty.
What to ordersesame chicken, mapo tofu, kung pao chicken
№ 02
China Chef Restaurant
St. Paul $
2240 Highway 36 E, Saint Paul, MN 55109 · +16517779790
Photo via
China Chef's pho draws repeat visits even though the menu does not advertise Vietnamese cooking up front. Hot and sour soup and chow mein round out a small operation where the owner stays visibly involved. It is a modest room, but the kind of St. Paul neighborhood spot that earns loyalty one regular order at a time.
What to orderpho, hot and sour soup, chow mein
№ 03
Master Noodle (Saint Paul)
St. Paul $$
1337 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16513696688
Photo via
Wide ribbon noodles set Master Noodle's garlic chicken fried noodles apart from the standard cut, and the Sichuan wonton in chili oil brings real heat to a family friendly room. Scallion pancakes and generous portions make this a St. Paul weeknight option with easy parking and a clean, well kept dining room.
What to ordergarlic chicken fried noodles, Sichuan wonton in chili oil, scallion pancakes
№ 04
HoHo Gourmet
St. Paul $$
1985 Old Hudson Rd, Saint Paul, MN 55119 · +16517310316
Photo via
HoHo Gourmet has kept St. Paul families ordering its crispy chicken wings for decades, a habit passed down at social gatherings. Beef lo mein with thin noodles and mei fun round out the menu, and the lunch buffet moves fast without sacrificing value. The room reads unmistakably American Chinese, and proud of it.
What to orderchicken wings, beef lo mein, mei fun
№ 05
Golden Chow Mein Restaurant
St. Paul $
1105 7th St W, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512281276
Photo via
New ownership shifted Golden Chow Mein's kitchen toward more deliberate cooking, and the egg fu young shows it: thoughtful rather than routine. Chow mein and pork fried rice come in generous portions at a modest price point, though the changeover has split longtime regulars between those who taste improvement and those still missing the old room.
What to orderegg fu young, chow mein, pork fried rice
№ 06
Tea House St. Paul
St. Paul $$
1676 Suburban Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55106 · +16517711790
Photo via
Tea House St. Paul built its reputation over more than a decade on garlic eggplant and a roster of lamb dishes uncommon on typical Chinese American menus. Egg drop soup and vegetable egg fuyoung round out the order. The room has had inconsistent stretches recently, so regulars stick to the dishes they already know work.
What to ordergarlic eggplant, lamb dishes, egg drop soup
№ 07
Little Chopstix
St. Paul $
580 Woodbury Dr, Ste 200, Woodbury, MN 55125 · +16517974133
Photo via
Little Chopstix runs on lunch and dinner deals that stretch a modest budget, with beef chow fun standing out as the kitchen's strongest dish. Sweet and sour chicken and chicken lo mein round out a suburban style menu at a strip mall address. Portions run generous, though the fried items can miss on an off night.
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
Photo via
Fortune Kitchen 幸運小廚 took over the old Leo's Chow Mein space and kitchen, and longtime regulars still measure the special chicken chow mein against that memory. Sweet and sour chicken and pork egg foo young remain solid orders even where the flavor has shifted from the previous era. Casual, quick, and familiar rather than reinvented.
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
Photo via
Wong's Kitchen has earned East Side staple status on the strength of its beef lo mein, made with a homemade sweet and sour sauce that skips the usual bright red syrup. Fried rice and a Midwest style chow mein round out a fast, no frills counter. Egg drop soup and cream cheese puffs are common add ons on a typical order.
What to orderBeef Lo Mein, Fried Rice, Chow Mein
№ 10
Kim's Chow Mein
St. Paul $$
2048 Marshall Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16516464964
Photo via
Kim's Chow Mein runs takeout only, and the mushroom fried rice draws people back on its own merits. Crispy egg rolls and a chicken potato curry, a menu item rare among St. Paul's American Chinese rooms, give this counter a distinct identity. Staff loyalty from regulars runs high, and the fried chicken dinner gets separate praise.
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
Photo via
Ho Fan Restaurant serves the St. Paul skyway lunch crowd with a menu that crosses into Vietnamese cooking, banh mi alongside mapo tofu and a solid vegetarian stir fry lineup. The line moves fast for a work day counter, though popular items can sell out before close. Skip the pre-prepped combos and order from scratch when the wait allows it.
What to ordermapo tofu, vegetable stir-fry, banh mi
Frequently asked
Is there real hot pot in St. Paul right now?
Not among the restaurants covered on this page. The rooms listed here are St. Paul's American Chinese and Cantonese staples, built on chow mein, lo mein, and egg foo young rather than shared simmering pots. Each listing carries an Insider Score based on the review record, and no restaurant pays to appear here.
What is the best Chinese restaurant near me in St. Paul?
It depends on the neighborhood. Wong's Kitchen anchors the East Side, Ho Fan serves the downtown skyway lunch crowd, and Little Chopstix and Kim's Chow Mein sit in more suburban strip mall settings. Check the Insider Score on each listing, which reflects the review record only, not any paid placement.
Which of these restaurants is best for a family group?
Peking Garden is built for it, with a large room and a long menu that handles big tables and reservations easily. HoHo Gourmet and Master Noodle also run family friendly rooms with groupfriendly seating. The Insider Score for each is drawn from the review record, and no listing here is paid for.
Are any of these restaurants takeout only?
Kim's Chow Mein and Ho Fan Restaurant both operate as takeout only, the former a strip mall staple, the latter a skyway lunch counter. The rest offer dine in service. As with every listing on this page, the Insider Score comes strictly from the review record, with no paid placement involved.
ƒ
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.
