MAY 2025 UPDATE: Heng Seng Noodles is now open!
Anthony Houng, 60, owns Heng Seng Restaurant in South Philly. He and his family came to America from Cambodia in 1981. First, they settled in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but eventually moved to Philadelphia in the late 80s.
Anthony Huong was the reason his father started Cambodian restaurants in America. He wanted to stay connected to their Cambodian culture and keep their food traditions alive. They’ve owned many restaurants over the years, but for the past 30 years, Heng Seng Restaurant has been the family business. The cash-only, hole-in-the-wall Cambodian restaurant is in Philly’s Cambodia Town at 2217 South 7th Street.
Now, Anthony’s daughter Annie wants to continue the family business of offering Cambodian comfort food in South Jersey. It’s an unrepresented cuisine, so I was very excited when someone posted about the new restaurant opening in the South Jersey Food Scene group, which led me to reach out to learn more!
Noodles are essential to Cambodian (Khmer) cuisine, which explains why Annie will call the Cherry Hill restaurant Heng Seng Noodles. Much like the South Philly restaurant, it will be a small restaurant that pays tribute to Cambodian culture and food. Her father told me that she decided she wanted to enter the family restaurant business, but do it on her own.
The signature dish of Cambodian food is Phnom Penh rice noodle soup (or Hu Tieu Nam Vang), which might be called the Cambodian version of Vietnamese pho, a flavorful soup featuring hot pork broth slowly simmered with pork bone and added shrimp, squid, offal (heart, liver), bean sprouts, aromatics (onion and garlic), and various herbs and spices. Heng Seng offers both rice and egg noodle options for its noodle dishes.
Rice dishes are also featured in Cambodian cuisine, including congees (or rice porridge).
Anthony told South Jersey Food Scene that permits were recently approved for construction, which will begin soon. They expect to open by the end of the year. Stay tuned for updates and more information as it becomes available to me!
Once again, the Hung Vuong Shopping Center at 1445 Brace Road in Cherry Hill (where it meets Haddonfield-Berlin Road) continues to create an oasis of Asian cuisine. Many are represented, including Chinese (dim sum), Japanese (ramen), and Vietnamese foods.
Let’s not forget 85˚C Bakery Café also coming VERY SOON to that corner!
Are you excited about Cambodian food in South Jersey? I think South Jersey is ready! Let me know your thoughts!
And here is a GREAT reference for Cambodian food and culture in Philadelphia by my friend, travel writer Brian May. I reference this often!
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SJFS is dedicated to food, dining, restaurants, and drinking in South Jersey. Got a news tip? Email southjerseyfoodscene@gmail.com.