Super sweet waitress & overall great service from the whole staff. Drinks are 12/10 - so yummy and…read morefun! Food is hitting the spot as well. Perfect casual spot for a solo dinner or bite with friends.

This past week we went to Zavy's for dinner for our wedding anniversary. Upon arrival we got…read moregreeted and sat right away but the table seemed a little sticky and messy. Like it wasn't fully cleaned. Even the hostess hesitated a little when she sat us down. They had a huge party in the middle so I don't know if that was the reason they could have been behind (thinking like a waitress because I've been there). We ordered right away because we had seen the menu prior so we already knew what we wanted. Started off with the cream cheese Rangoon's and they were tasty. The beef ribs pho was spectacular! That is what my husband had. I enjoyed the beef bulgogi which was just as delicious. Really enjoyed their kimchi too it had great flavor. We couldn't not come to Zavy's without getting one of their yummy matcha. I got the mango sticky rice matcha and my husband got the strawberry one so we could try a different one. We both agreed the mango sticky rice matcha was still our favorite. It's just so good! Service was a little slow because of that party I'm assuming but the hostess' could have helped a little too. My husband had to go up to the front so we could get the check. Still recommend for anyone to try and will be back to have that yummy pho!

3.8* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 3* Value: 5*…read more Service: 3* Would I go back / Recommend?: 4* (Probably) Total check/person: $22 08/02/2025 While this place has an admittedly non-descript brick exterior and clean but average interior, I appreciated it most for what it was: solid Vietnamese food at a great value, served with a family-owned feel. Biggest disappointment was that while alcohol options showed on the menu, they were unable to serve any alcohol - claiming that their liquor license had not yet been renewed. I was craving a spring roll with peanut sauce, so to start things off, we ordered #90 Bo Bia steamed spring rolls with shredded shrimp, carrots and sausage served with plum sauce (see picture). While the wrap was thicker than the 'paper' wraps that I'm used to, they were very good - and I really liked the plum sauce. My wife was undecided and our very helpful waiter Archie, suggested #69 Com Ga Chien Xa Ot (chicken breast fried with spicy lemon grass - see picture). It was good, but both of us would have preferred a bit more spice, as we ended up adding Siracha at the table. I was considering #99 Banh Xeo Vietnamese style crispy pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork & veggies based on the menu picture, but Archie talked me into #97 Banh Tam Bi Xiu Mai udon noodles with shredded pork, steamed pork meatballs and veggies instead (see picture). I was impressed with the coconut milk and lemon sauce that he poured over it when served with the instructions to stir it all together - very tasty combination of savory, sweet and tart, with a very slight spiciness. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.

Pho is an individual taste that checks all your palate boxes of freshness, well seasoned broth, a…read morevariety of herbs and veggies that sends the dish into obit. My chicken pho was good with the knowledgeable wait staff knowing which number would meet my needs. The calmness of the environment allowed me to enjoy all the enticing ingredients to the max.

The best grilled pork banh mi in Des Moines, in competition with the best I've ever had across D.C,…read moreSF, San Francisco...and dare I say it, Vietnam. If you like crunch, heat, unami, tartness, pate...don't miss out! =)

After a long work week in Ames and having good, but mostly American/Western food, we needed an…read moreethnic fix. Enter my comfort zone, Pho from my motherland. I knew we were in the right place when we walked I. And half of the restaurant were Vietnamese peeps. Was a warming experiencing hearing patrons throw a few traditional Lunar New Year greetings at each other and the owners. It's a small mom and pop shop, so much so, pop was the sole soldier working the entire front of the house. As such, don't expect super fast service, but good service nonetheless. We started with the fresh spring rolls, which were good, and their fried egg rolls, which I probably won't order again. The egg rolls were pretty much veggies, loosely filled, and served with a sweet and sour type dipping sauce. It was more of an Americanized Chinese style egg roll, not a Vietnamese cha gio with nouc cham. I ordered the pho dac biet and it was VERY good. The large is HUGE. Most places back home have suffered from shrink-flation and large bowls are tiny now. Not this place, I struggled to finish the bowl. My friends got the seafood pho, and another got the pho ga (chicken). I of course did not slide my chopsticks in theirs and swipe a bite, but they said they enjoyed theirs. I would definitely come back here again and maybe try some of their other dishes.

When walking up to this place, you're first greeted by the wafting smell of deliciousness. If you…read moreweren't hungry before, you're starving now. You walk in and it's a typical mom and pop Asian restaurant. It's crowded with almost every table full at 1pm. The front is staffed with 2 workers going as fast as they can. I was amazed at the variety of Vietnamese dishes this place served. It went far beyond your bowl of pho and grilled pork on rice. They had hot pot and family style fried fish, caramelized catfish, and sweet and sour soup to go with a bowl of rice. The server was friendly and the food came out fast once we placed our order. We started with the spring rolls which had a good amount of shrimp and pork paired with a peanut sauce. Pretty satisfied with this appetizer. We then had the banh hoi or woven vermicelli with crispy pork belly. This was swerved with a plate of mint, cilantro, lettuce, and a couple of other greens that I don't know the names of. The pork was perfect and crisp. Noodles were warm and when wrapped with the pork veggies and dipped in nuoc Cham(dipping sauce), every bite had you going back for more. I love an interactive dish that takes some assembly. Next was the rice paper salad, which wasn't on the menu, but I showed them a picture from Yelp, and he said they had it! This was my first time trying this dish and it was a plateful of so many savory flavors. Every flavor meshed so well together as well as the textures. Highly recommend this one. Finally the banh uot was a classic that I can't seem to find at most places. Like the previous dishes, it did not disappoint. The pork was seasoned and grilled to perfection lined with sides of cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots, and lettuce. Nuoc Cham was perfectly mixed as well. Overall, one of the better Vietnamese places I've tried in the US. Probably the best in the Midwest. Would come here every day if I lived in the area. I was highly satisfied.

Một sao cho thái độ phục vị kém, thiếu thân thiện với khách. Tôi không bao giờ quay lại ủng hộ, và…read morekhông giới thiệu bất kỳ ai đến đó.

It's been about two years since i've updated my review and it says a lot about the restaurant that…read moreit's been there as long as it has. It's conveniently located in the strip mall with plenty of parking..it's the same mall off of University with Campbell's health foods, Hy-Vee pharmacy, Frederich's coffee. This restaurant still has that old time mom and pop Asian family feel it's a definite classic type vibe with Auntie snd the neices up front taking orders and the rest of the family in the back cooking and putting to go orders together. I always like to support a locally owned business. It's also about expectations, everyone is under staffed, so I always appreciate the service staff who are working. Having said that the service was fast and efficient . It's also about being realistic about the food. This is not a mall based chain restaurant or a high end bistro somewhere. The food was well prepared hot and delicious. This is a Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant. So there's lots of variety in the menu. I have had the build your own Pho, Korean style Kalbi ribs. They also have Hunan Chinese style dishes, i have tried Mongolian beef, combination fried rice and potstickers. I also have tried the pork fried egg rolls. I usually go for a late lunch early dinner. I talked to the owner and asked her how they made their soup and she said they boiled bones and added their own spices which is the traditional way to do things, I think they have a good soup base, all soup comes with sprouts and fresh Thai basil, I usually add bok choy, brisket and steak. They have plenty of other Vietnamese dishes too. I have enjoyed their pork vermicelli which is a cool salad type dish which is nice on a hot day. Some of my friends really enjoy their chicken wings. So there's still a good option with lots of choices, good staff and reasonable prices.

Really good pho! Just what I was craving! The service was good and our food came quickly. I'll be…read moreback to try more dishes!

Service was quick and friendly. The location is your typical vietnamese joint, don't expect…read moreanything fancy because all of the attention goes into the delicious food. The Pho Dac Biet (includes 3 types of beef!) was incredible, very tasty broth without being too salty. Also went with a basic mongolian beef & broccoli, no regrets on the flavor profile there. Come on by they will be happy to have you!

The food is authentic, they are reasonably priced, they have large portions and fast service.read more

The Vietnamese Cafe has a long positive history and will not disappoint if you have an interest in…read moreauthentic Asian food. It is in a mall court but that does not mean it's not good. I love the entire concept of what is happening with this food court with some better small family-owned businesses having restaurants there. this eclectic mix has been good there's some good independent barbecue independent Vietnamese independent Mediterranean independent Italian and really the only chain is a Maid Right. You have really accessible parking right next to Kohl's and if you take a little later lunch you'll have no problem parking going in and either sitting in a safe distance at your own table or getting something to go. My friends and I usually go to lunch after 1:00 and each sit at their own table and wear masks and go for a little walk when we're done eating. The ceilings are very high on the air circulation is good so there is risk but it seems to be minimized. The staff and all the restaurants wear masks gloves in the mall has people sanitizing the tables in between each use and putting a table poster indicating that the table has been sanitized. The lady, who runs the place is very polite and accommodating and goes out of her way to make sure everything is clean, fresh, and flavorful. I had the Pork and Shrimp Noodle Soup (hu tieu), and it was outstanding it was a clear flavorful broth that just was so good. The noodles were not overdone and a medium was more than enough for me for lunch. They have some Sriracha there if you want to spice it up a little. it's a well-kept secret and a nice gem in Des Moines to get some multiple to-go orders from different businesses and satisfy everybody's taste cravings or to sit with social distance and have choices.

We stopped here because the food looked like authentic Vietnamese food and not Americanized-at…read moreleast on social media. We got the pho, which needs to be correct according to Vietnamese standards. The broth was not made with long-simmered bones. Store-bought broth was used, at least to a greater degree. Fried onions should not be added to the broth. The basil should not be added ahead of serving, but at the table by the customer. All-in-all a disappointing stop, one that we had looked forward to on our trip from Texas.

I love C Fresh Market and everything it has to offer!…read more Being back in Iowa after living in a big city for the last 25 years has been a bit of a shock to my system, but having spots like this definitely helps fill the food void I feel on a daily basis. Whether you're grabbing some hard-to-find Asian and Hispanic spices, groceries, and goodies, or hitting the delicious pho spot inside, you're gonna be leaving happy. It's clean, well-stocked, and gives me those big-city market vibes I'm always looking for. I'd also suggest grabbing a bánh mì, ready-made and good to go, on your way out the door. Enjoy!

Well a couple of stops in Wow they were open thanksgiving…read moreday! That was a total surprise A few things picked up Kimchi was one of the things on that day Ok next was Black Friday stop in Busy but not as slammed as thanks giving day Veggie Spring roles and pork egg rolls were my quest Spring roles yup 14 bucks for 80 as just over 4 lbs And yes as expected they tasted good with dragon fly brand sweet and sour sauce Deep fried at 400f in canola oil This is my fave cooker https://amzn.to/4i7UNCF Disappointed in the egg role section Over 30 bucks for a few egg roles? I should to have asked on that As it may to have been for a larger pack not in stock An ok couple of stops in for a mini restock

Definitely worth a visit! Their pho is incredible, affordable, and it comes out very quickly! For…read moreanyone who isn't absolutely starving, I'd say a small or medium size would be perfect. Their large bowl is absolutely giant! I highly recommend the #2, which is the raw steak and brisket. It comes with a heaping plate of bean sprouts, jalapeños, limes, and cilantro you can put into the pho, as well as some chili garlic oil and another teriyaki-ish type sauce. Every bit of the meal was absolutely fantastic!

So lucky to have a great local pho spot in Ankeny. Always fresh and delish. Staff is always…read morefriendly.