Restaurant Review: Heng’s Thai Cuisine

When I first walked into , I noticed the calm, warm feeling of the restaurant and the quiet atmosphere. There were pots of purple orchids near the window and paintings of flowers on the walls. But what is most unique about the ambiance are canopies of tan fabric strung on the ceiling that softened the glow of the lights behind them. It was so pretty, and I had never seen anything like it before.

A nice young woman greeted me and asked if I had a preference of where to sit. I took a seat at a small table near the entrance, where I met Leslie Truluck (your Springfield, PA Patch editor) for lunch. Along the walls were comfy, cushioned sofa-like seats—not really booths because they wrap all the way around the sides of the restaurant.

There were many things on the menu to choose from, including entrees like Tuna & Salmon, Sushi Lunch Specials, Japanese cuisine, and of course Thai food- like Shrimp in Shell and Crying Tiger.

Out of the many different dishes, Rudee Lee, chef and owner of Heng’s Thai alongside husband Heng, recommended Pad Thai with shrimp, Panang Curry, Green Curry—the spiciest dish on the menu—and Drunken Noodles.

I ordered the popular Drunken Noodles. We were served very quickly and my plate came out good and hot. With chewy egg noodles and tender chicken were a variety of crunchy vegetables: shredded and decoratively cut carrots, broccoli, snow peas, onions, green peppers and a big slice of tomato. The initial first few bites I took were a little bit of a shock because they were very spicy—I forgot to ask for a specific level of spice ranging from one to four, so I guess my plate contained a moderate amount of spice. It burned my mouth a little, but it was very flavorful and also filling with the combination of protein and fiber. I ate about half and took the rest home.

Leslie tried a hotchpotch of five different sushi varieties in her Sushi Lunch Special. There were shrimp with sticky rice, California rolls with crabmeat, salmon and lobster with ginger root, wasabi and soy sauce. I tried a California roll, another new taste for me, which was light, cool and refreshing. With the lunch special comes Miso soup, a mixture of tofu and seaweed in broth. She said she enjoyed everything, and, like myself, had leftovers to take home.

The final bill was about $24. The lunch sushi special was around $10. Sushi is about $7 for a roll, specialties are about $15 and dinner entrees average $20.

After we ate, Rudee Lee told us more about herself and the restaurant.

Lee has worked in the restaurant business in the Philadelphia area for over 28 years. Heng’s Thai was introduced about eight years ago. She learned to cook through family traditions passed down to her; she also attended cooking school in Thailand.

The unique thing about Thai food, according to Lee, is the great number of ingredients used. Herbs and spices like lemongrass, lime leaf and ginger found in Thai soups and other dishes are soothing and contribute to good health, she said, which explains Heng’s motto: “We cook for your health.”

Lee said that her goal is for Heng’s to be a place that feels like home.

“I tell all my servers to treat the guest how they would in their own home,” she said.

Rudee and Heng are in the process of opening another restaurant in Center City on 40th and Locust Street called Ramen Bar, which is slated to open this May. The couple lives in the area with their three children: Chris, Charlene and Dean.

Fun fact: their names all have different meanings. For example Rudee means “heart,” and Heng means “lucky.” The family’s last name, Lee, is short for Leevongcharoen.

Heng’s Thai was a great experience—everything was clean, the food was very good and I highly recommend it. I hope to visit again soon.