Lucky Lotus I got to know Seng and Dala Chen who previously ran Café Fuzion on the east side of Des Moines for 14 years before establishing Lucky Lotus on Ingersoll Avenue. I have many fine memories of cafe fusion. I went there once a week since they were open. The Chens were very innovative in blending different types of Asian cuisine. Seng and Dala helped open up the new restaurant. The siblings took over the major operation of the restaurant , including the theme and the menu and the concept. (Brothers Souriyno Chen (who serves as General Manager and owner) and (Kevin Chen manage the day-to-day operations), offering Southeast Asian dishes inspired by their family heritage. Both restaurants also had numerous family members helping The broader family foundation listed by the restaurant also includes (Donny Chen, and Philip Chen.) Plus numerous other relatives serving and cooking. The young siblings tried to create a clever, modern, and progressive aesthetic with counter service, an upbeat hipster ambiance, and both indoor and outdoor seating. Why maintaining the historical concept of fusion of various asian cuisines Their menu is inspired by the cuisines of Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. My favorites are,various currys, pad Thai, drunken noodles, and spring rolls. I absolutely love Crispy Rice Rolls / Nam Khao The crispy rice wraps stand out for their crispy fried coconut rice, fresh lettuce, carrots, vermicelli noodles, and fresh herbs, all wrapped in rice paper. It's generous portions and so fresh! They are served with a flavorful brightside sauce and are large enough to share or enjoy as a light meal. Other things I want to try are the zen noodle salad, and khao poon (coconut curry noodle soup). The restaurant worked hard to create many dietary options: Widely praised on platforms like HappyCow for offering fantastic vegan and vegetarian options, with knowledgeable staff ready to help navigate ingredients.They offer fun unique specialty beverages including Keule lemonade and traditional Thai tea. Other drinks include the mango dragon lemonade with mango boba or the lotus lagoon butterfly pea flower tea with passionfruit lemonade and lychee boba. Seasonal drinks like pumpkin spice Thai tea also appear on the menu. They offer unique desserts like mango sticky rice with butterfly pea flower infused sticky rice and mango guava cheesecake with mango mousse and toasted almonds. It's well worth a visit and "to go" is a good option if you wanna take dinner home. There's lots of different parking options. read more

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We were greeted promptly by a friendly employee who answered our questions and was very accommodating of our food sensitivities and allergies. The atmosphere was fun and modern without feeling overdone. I was happy to see that the Thai tea could be made with oat milk. We ordered the Pad Thai with chicken, Lao sausage, Dala dumplings, and Nam Khao with sour pork. The Nam Khao at spice level 3 was milder than expected but still enjoyable. The dumplings had a great texture, and while the filling was bland, the dipping sauce made up for it and was delicious and complemented the dish perfectly. The Lao sausage was sweet and garlicky, but the sticky rice was a little dry. The Pad Thai was just how I like it with fresh vegetables and not overly saucy. Parking is hard to find, and it is on a busy street. So plan accordingly. It took us about 15 minutes to find decent parking that was half a block away. We didn't mind the walking, but we thought there would be a designated parking lot. But there is not unfortunately. Overall, we had a good experience and would recommend this spot if you are looking for Lao and Thai flavors. read more

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We wanted a quick lunch before catching our flight, and this was conveniently located near our location. Seating was plenty and room was spacious, with Thai-Vietnamese-Chinese decor. There is limited table service, as many amenities are self-serve. As an Asian, this was great: let me eat in peace :D. Nonetheless, the employees were pleasant and came to check on us to clear our table. We seldom dine at mixed/fusion Thai in California, so expectations were low upon seeing the menu. They have a small menu, but enough varieties for everyone. We ordered Khao poon with tofu, after-school fried rice (what we call pineapple fried rice), and eggrolls (not pictured). The soup was great: enough spiced, fragrance, and heat -- added extra chili flakes for my preference. However, the only disappointment was the tofu, as they were not cooked in the broth, simply added prior to serving. Would have loved them lightly fried for texture and flavor. Then again, it is the Midwest, so I didn't expect many tofu lovers for them to go through the trouble. Still rate it 5/5. The fried rice was delicious: Requested level 3 spiciness, which was too spicy for my uncle, but he managed to enjoy it. He would order it again, but at level 2 spiciness. The portion size is big enough for two more meals, so he was happy about that. We would dine here again next time we visit Des Moines. read more

Lucky Lotus - After-school fried rice with chicken. Essentially, it's pineapple fried rice. - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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In fairness to this family restaurant -- I am giving a three because their attempts to correct the food entries were sincere. I ordered the after school chicken fried rice with no spice. What I got was chicken fried rice with pineapples, peppers that had loads of spice -- my poor palate needed a water break. The young wait staffer confused the ticket -- seemed communication confused, inexperienced, but was trying to do his best in listening to key in the order but the kitchen failed short on delivery. The saving grace was the pork eggs rolls which were simply delicious. However my homemade chicken fried rice would taste better and would not have the upscale price. The poor communication and the presentation of the chicken fried rice made for a stressful environment that had me hurry my eating time by packing up my leftovers as a carry out. read more

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Came back for my birthday dinner! Had the Kao Poon with tofu. I was impressed! Menu stated that it was vegan based broth with spices and coconut milk. This soup had great depth and flavor. Also order some of the lotus cookies. Also! Vegan! Ordering was easy at front desk and received my order within 15 minutes. Enjoyed a great dinner with a good friend of mine. She ordered chicken laap. She loved it as well and said it was tasty. Every time I visit Lucky Lotus, it has been consistently delicious. They have never failed on the delicious factor. Service was excellent. My friend and I were the last ones in the shop and they were very gracious and kind that we were the last ones. We left before closing time. I would highly recommend Lucky Lotus to anyone looking for authentic Lao food in this area. read more

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Heat will keep you warm on a cold day. Heat will warm you from the inside. Pick your heat when you pick your meal. The most adorable interior of this restaurant. You have some menu highlights when you walk in and order at the register. Seasonal options and menu staples both available. The gentleman at the register was very helpful. With the order put in we snagged a seat. The smaller plates came out quickly. The rest came out to our table of three quicker than expected. The three of us really enjoyed our meals. I had the Crispy Rice wrap and a low spice Pad Tai. My friends devoured their After school rice and spring rolls. read more

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This little gem of a place is so good. I have gone here twice in one week are not huge but appropriate. The vegetarian options are limited. Everything I have tasted has been amazing. They use a fire wok in this really is an amazing taste. I chose middle of the road on the spice and it was pretty good for me but probably a little on the spicier side so be conservative with your choice. read more

Loved the ambience, music, and number of vegan/vegetarian options at this place. Service was pretty quick and friendly. My only complaint is the spiciness. They ask you spice level 1-5 and I said one, but it was still a bit too hot for me to really enjoy. I wonder if zero is an option? Hope to come back and try again someday. read more

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I've been here two times and both experiences were good. It's the type of restaurant where you order at the counter first and then self serve yourself water and to-go containers. Super easy. The drunken noodles here are delicious. It's got that wok sear (char) that you can really taste in the dish. The pad kra pow was a bit one note so I don't think I'd order it again. My boyfriend thought the Tom Yum soup was really flavorful. The manager mentioned that the sauces here are vegan so the sauces in the food likely did not contain fish. My boyfriend is allergic to fish so we were relieved the sauce here is seafood free. It's a bit expensive but the food here is good quality. Everyone here is very nice. read more

I would say I'm generous for a two because I did not even take my leftovers home to. I ordered a chicken fried rice to be safe and the chicken appeared to be cooked on a grill maybe . The chicken was a little strange, no flavor. I just was not able to eat it. read more

So good!! Tons of vegan options plus plenty of other choices, so there's really something for everyone. The aesthetic is super cute, and while it's usually pretty busy, the food still comes out fast and always tastes amazing. My go-to favorites are the veggie egg rolls, the khao poon with tofu, and the vegan pad Thai with tofu. They even have seitan, which I can't wait to try next time! Hands down the best Asian cuisine in the area. Do be mindful when choosing your spice levels a 2 seems like a 3 to me, and my family agreed. My only wish is that they had more locations and offered delivery or were on DoorDash. Definitely recommend! read more

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I usually really enjoy this place. In the quiet hours, it's extra enjoyable when you can sit somewhere cozy but they have seasonal menus and they have great food. Good service too! Clean establishment. read more

Great vegan options in Des Moines. We got a vermicelli noodle salad and a spicy noodle soup (khao poon) both with tofu. The noodle salad had very fresh ingredients and a yummy broth to pour over it and the khao poon was good as well. Also got thai tea with oat milk which was refreshing and not too sweet. Very happy to find these vegan options during our time in Des Moines. I would eat here again! read more

I got the tom yum with tofu which is apparently a winter special (I thought I saw it on their normal menu before though?). The broth was very flavorful to me, though bordering on a little too salty. There is no spice option but I appreciated it came moderately spicy. I wish there were more veggies and tofu and less broth. I felt like the balance was off. Service was friendly and patient. read more

Lucky Lotus - Tom yum with tofu - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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This is a great place if you are hungry, tired, thirsty and need comfort asian food. Yummmmm

When I came here for the first time, I went to another dimension. I'm glad I live in the same time of history as the 5 Spice Special Bing Bing Wrap. The atmosphere takes you to Southeast Asia Aside from waiting a little longer for fresh food. Great service and experience. Easily earns my favorite restaurant in Des Moines. read more

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Very friendly people working here. I wasn't impressed with the food, but that's partially my fault: tofu without heat is bland. I ordered Pad Thai and Spring Rolls with spice set to 1. I think with chicken and spice at 2, I would have been happier. Portions were enough for 2 meals. Prices are fair, after tax and tip, I paid $98 for 4 adults to eat. The overall space is decent, but it hasn't much more atmosphere than a McDonalds. Tables were clean, however. And extra points for grape Fanta is a real glass bottle. read more

We stopped by Lucky Lotus for lunch on our way into Des Moines. You order up front and they bring you your order to your table; we ordered the Chicken Pho, spring rolls, chicken wings, and drunken noodles with beef. Everything was hot and fresh, the chicken wings were very juicy and well fried. I enjoyed my drunken noodles, although I felt like it was a little bit heavy on the hoisin/oyster sauce. But their thick cut rice noodles were on point and very chewy. My hubby's pho was alright, and the spring rolls had a good ratio of shrimp to noodles to veggies. Overall, the food was pretty good. And the host who took our order was also very friendly. Ambiance was clean and modern with cool wall art and decor. Would we be back? Possibly! It's not easy to find good southeast Asian spots in this area so kudos to them for establishing Lucky Lotus. read more

The ambiance when you walk in is enjoyable, the lighting and the music are perfect. There is a light up menu with pictures when you first walk in. You order at the counter, there is only milk, an old fashion soda, or other types of drinks. Now for the food the crab Rangoons are delicious, along with the crispy lettuce wraps, but spicy. I wish I could say the food was enjoyable but to be honest my lips were on fire! I'm pretty sensitive to spice so not my place, but may be yours. I ordered the zen noodle salad but again there was spicy stuff in it so I couldn't really enjoy it. The sauce that was served with it was also kinda spicy. The one thing I really enjoyed trying was the lemonade- it has a unique fruit I believe called Keule, so delicious! Bf ordered the pad Thai w chicken and he said it was very bland. I mean he had his plate swimming in sriracha but it didn't do anything for the dish. Be sure to mention whether you like spice or not before ordering as they are supposed to give you options but they didn't with us. read more

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I came in for lunch and ordered the drunken noodles with chicken. The flavor was amazing, and the staff was very friendly. The restaurant was clean, and you could tell by the way the tables were cleared that cleanliness is important to them. It's a good thing I live across town- otherwise I'd forego maintaining a caloric or financial budget and be ther all the time! read more

Lucky Lotus - Drunken noodles with chicken - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Terrible service!!! Uncomfortable seating. Warning: you'll need to drink two gallons of water after eating there due to their maniacal use of sodium. A waitress who looked like she was 12 got our order wrong twice in a row. The first time our supposedly gluten free dish arrived with wheat noodles. After sending it back to correct the noodles, the dish arrived with mushrooms despite requesting no mushrooms- the waitress said, "Um, I know you ordered it without mushrooms but they didn't listen- sorry." And she walked away. Unbelievable. That's Gen Z for ya. My dinner companion sat on the uncomfortable wood slab for a booth seat looking shocked. I then understood why they ask for a tip in advance. This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened there. I am now fed up with their lousy service and sodium saturated meals to the point where I'll never return. Beware. read more

Stopped by this incredible Southeast Asian eatery in Des Moines, IA on a road trip and it was literally and figuratively. What a gem! They had Western-friendly names for some menu items, but the dishes themselves were about as authentic as you can get. For those that are sensitive to heat/spicy, I'd suggest just going with a 1 (on that scale of 1-5) because even a 2 is plenty of heat, and I have a high tolerance for spicy. They don't mess around! Zen Noodle Salad is a Vietnamese vermicelli bowl with fish sauce, and it's served warm. I'm accustomed to the noodles being room temp, but other than that, everything else in this dish was spot on including the egg rolls. Sky's the Limit was a nice stir-fried noodle dish and the shrimp exuded lots of flavor along with the rice noodles. I love dishes like this, but just be careful about getting the spicy level down to something you can enjoy! This place was a real treat for my friends and me. Des Moines is lucky to have it. read more

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Pretty solid! Fun ambiance right down in a little business district which is kinda nice to walk around before or after. Staff was friendly and good was good. I got the chicken pad Thai and while it wasn't anything super standout it was fresh and I enjoyed it! Spice levels were good too, they can pack a punch! read more

Lucky Lotus - Chicken pad thai - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

First off - it's all delicious! You walk in and place your order at the counter - then take your seat. We placed our order, took a seat and only waited a few minutes before it was on our table. It was all delicious and the portions were generous. We had plenty of leftovers to take home for lunch tomorrow. The place on the small side but has lots of photos of the founders as well as things from Vietnam. There were several people but they were cleared quickly and things moved along. As I said at the beginning - the food was delicious. I will definitely go there again. read more

Save your money and your time. This place is not worth it!!!! Waited for almost an hour for a veggie noodles and chicken dish with supposedly steam veggies. Food came out cold. And one at a time. So if you have a party and want to eat TOGETHER forget it! Not gonna happen! The food is terrible for the price they charge! And you can't complain of your food anymore because you pay before you get your food! NEVER goingg back again!!!! I had better food and service at Panda Express. Waste of money and waste of our night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We drove an hour for this place because of The Best of DSM! City view review is not accurate! read more

The food was amazing- I had chicken pad Thai the serving size was huge!!!! You order at the bar. No table service! The ambiance was amazing.. 10/10 loved the decor. If im ever in Des Moines Iowa again I would love to come back! read more

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I visited lucky lotus during a weekday lunch, but you would have thought it was the weekend- it was packed! I enjoyed the decorations throughout the store. Food is ordered at the front counter where they will give you a number to take to your table. Entrees took about 20 minutes to arrive. I enjoyed the soy sauce street noodles, which was their take on pad see ew. This is the best Thai food I've had in Des Moines. read more

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I've put off writing a negative review but I'm done. Looked them up on Apple Maps and says open 11-3, cool, it's only 1. Placed my order online and drove down only to find they are closed. Looked at my confirmation and says I can pick up my order at 5:30pm. No prompt having me acknowledge that I can't have my lunch for 4.5 hours. Which is honestly not much worse than their normal wait time. Not to mention the times I've waited an hour for food and getting food home only to realize they hadn't added spice. read more

Lucky Lotus - Their online hours do not reflect their actual hours - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Nice local restaurant just out of downtown. Good tasty food in a pleasant setting. We stopped in for lunch based on the Yelp reviews read more

Lucky Lotus - Walleye curry fish - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Got our order wrong, but fixed it quickly and professionally. Delicious food and great atmosphere.

Interesting menu. Very fast service. Good for takeout but not much for parking. Food is fresh and tasty.

I woke up at 5:30am today and had 2 bites of my leftover Crispy Rice Salad. *Holy* dried chili pod! I mean, who needs coffee ... right?!? I'm thankful my friend suggested Lucky Lotus and it's now my favorite Vietnamese/Thai restaurant. Food is great, generous portions, affordable pricing and friendly service. No delivery through the restaurant, but I need to get my steps in anyway. #success read more

Delicious, can't say enough! Best food! Wish it was right next door, I had the best pho ever, you guys rock! Hubby had chicken stir fry both of these were absolutely fantastic! read more

Flavorful food. Great vibes. Service was excellent. Been there at least 3 times now and they've been awesome every time.

The food is delicious. Had the panang curry and crispy chicken spring roll. Will definitely be back.

I don't know why you would go here when you can go to Thai flavors up the street. The wait time is ridiculous and the service is so bad. I really want to support them because the food can be quite good, but it's not worth the rude service and long wait times. read more

Went for lunch. Menu on wall does not reflect what's being served. They've had to shorten menu & don't offer any lunch specials. We arrived around noon to an empty place. & two more tables were taken by 12:30 pm. it was Monday, which might be a slower day. The crab Rangoon were the stars of the meal. Fresh & tasty. Friend's beef jerky appetizer for her meal was ok. She purchased rice as a side. My Unami Bomb with chicken was okay. Perhaps a 2 for spice would have been better than my "1" I ordered. Help was masked & attentive. Would we go back? Probably not. Just okay. read more

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This spot has by far the best Pad Thai in town. I tried the chicken Pad Thai for my family and I. They all loved it even my little brother who can be a bit of a picky eater. They have gluten free options which is the one I got and I'm so thankful they do that. I ordered some egg rolls and crab rangoons and they all loved them. Pad Thai was very flavorful and they give you a mix of dry peppers to add spice which just made it perfect. My brother said that they have the best crab rangoons he's had in a while. I'm excited to try the rest of the menu. read more

Lucky Lotus - Chicken pad thai with dry chilli peppers to add spice: - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I wanted to try this place due to the glowing reviews. We went on a Friday night and it was busy. You order at the counter and we did wait at least 20-25 minutes for our food. They did apologize for the wait. I had red curry and it was good not great and I found the portion to be small based on what I am used from other Thai restaurants. If you are in Des Moines I highly recommend going a block down the street to Thai flavors, best Thai in DSM in my opinion read more

Lucky Lotus - Winter squash red curry - Thai Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Went there at 5:30 pm on August 5. Placed order to eat in. Watched takeout orders being bagged and picked up. There was very few orders being delivered to tables. After an hour I asked when we were going to get our food. She asked for my table number. She said there were 9 orders ahead of ours. She said in house orders weren't being printed in the kitchen only take out. Tried to tell me they were doing the best they could. It was obvious there was no one in charge and no one was trying to fix the problem. We finally demanded a refund and left. Not sure we will ever go back. Total waste of time read more