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    Pho & Tea

    4.5 (46 reviews)
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    18. Beef Noodle Soup (Pho Bo)

    Great spot. Good pho: rich broth, plenty of noodles, and there's a LOT of meat in it. For $14.45 after taxes, this is well worth its price. The food came out quickly, the place is clean, and there's soft jazz music playing over the speakers at a decent volume.

    Combo Cold Cuts banh mi
    Lobster ..

    Been wanting to try this place for awhile so I stopped in today for spring rolls and banh mi. Once I started ordering, I opted to try a bubble tea, since I'd been curious about trying one of those too. I'm not a tea drinker, but I was told the bubble teas have lots of milk and sweeteners in them, so it's not really like drinking tea at all. Waited for my buddy to order and was going to get it to go, since all the tables were either occupied or were recently vacated, but the cashier said she'd bus a table for us real quick, so we stayed. Water was delivered to the table first (nice!), then the bubble tea/boba came out. My buddy had ordered peach fruit tea with mango "poppers", while I had chosen a milk tea as close to "classic" as I could, complete with the traditional tapioca pearls. My buddy took his straw, poked it through the sealed plastic, sampled it, and remarked on how good--and especially how sweet--it tasted. I stabbed mine, took a draw on that wide-set straw, and...immediately felt something bull's-eye the back of my throat. Man, those little spheres go RIGHT UP that straw! Wasn't expecting that, but it was fine; I knew it wasn't going to be like sipping a glass of pop. The texture was, uhh..."unique", as well. I found the center of the pearl had decidedly more 'body' to it than the exterior. Had some extra chew hidden in its gelatinous shape. Not that that's bad, buuut it wasn't the greatest "mouth-feel", as they say. Maybe I shouldn't mention it, because I'm not trying to scare anyone off of exploring new things, but my mind couldn't help but flash on the thought, "frog spawn!", as I rolled those little gooey orbs around in my mouth. However, the part that ruined my first-ever boba experience was, in fact, the taste. I was lied to: it DID taste like tea, which is to say, it tasted horrible! I would've rather eaten an entire glass of boba pearls than to drink that muck. In fact, the flavor of the tea was getting in the way of me enjoying chomping down on those tapioca spheroids! It was awful! But here's the thing: I have no doubt the staff made this drink PERFECTLY, and it would've been thoroughly enjoyed by any rando you grabbed off the street. I simply do not like tea. But this isn't a complaint! Now that I've honestly sampled the "classic" version of boba, I can tailor it more to my liking next time. And there WILL be a next time. From there it only got better. My two spring rolls came out, and I discovered that they were VIETNAMESE spring rolls--also known as "summer rolls". You've probably seen them before; the opaque rice paper, wrapped around lettuce, rice noodles, cucumber, cilantro, and shrimp. Served chilled (to combat the heat of summer, hence the moniker), with a delicious peanut dipping sauce. I traded my other spring roll for two of my buddy's crab rangoons, which were also delicious. Especially with their sweet chili sauce. Excellent trade; we were both equally pleased with our appetizers. Then the banh mis came out. I don't know what my buddy got (grilled chicken?) but mine was just the standard/regular(?) one: Combo Cold Cuts. I'm not going to pretend I know a lot about Vietnamese cuisine, but it had cuts of pork and some sort of red meat in there sitting atop shredded carrots and probably cucumber too. And when I say "red meat", I'm not talking about beef. I think it might have been "Vietnamese brawn", which I think is just a mish-mash of pork, cooked in a terrine and sliced up. Whatever it was, I enjoyed it and wanted more. The sandwich was great, but was crying out for a sauce of some sort. My gut-reaction is mayo because, come on; it looks like a little sub sandwich. Of course that's going to be the go-to choice for a condiment. Instead of mayo, however, they had a bottle hoisin sauce on the table so I put a few dots of that on. Not bad, but I still had some of that peanut sauce left over from the rolls. Drizzled some over the bread and meat: fantastic! This is a great, no-frills place with a straight-forward menu, and a friendly, attentive staff. I will definitely be back.

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great friendly service! Food was tasty! Drinks were amazing! We had the fried rice dumplings and spring rolls. I recommend all of them!

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    6 years ago

    This place has really good service and really good food! The fried rice and boba tea was really good.

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    The BEST pho soup I've ever had. The service was fast and very good. I highly recommend going here.

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    6 years ago

    This place is so good! So glad I tried it! The best egg rolls I've had in Ames by far! Fast customer service as well!!

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    HuHot Mongolian Grill

    HuHot Mongolian Grill

    3.7(64 reviews)
    68.6 mi
    $$

    There is really not much to it -- I'm a HuHot lover through and through…read more I don't think I could be a bigger fan of this restaurant model. There is nothing that gets me quite as excited as piling up heaping bowls of meat, noodles, and veggies and cooking them with the HuHot sauces/oils. I've never left a HuHot location unsatisfied and the Cedar Falls location was no exception. Service and ambiance are always great, and I'm lucky that I'm accompanied by the best company whenever I come here. Lots of memories and great conversations had in the booths of this restaurant!

    We do love Hu Hot. Our servers have been really good the many, many times we have been there with…read moreour kids and grandkids! Tonight we actually had an exception. I will preface this with the fact we found out it was her 3rd shift as a hostess/ server here. Grace and understanding applied for that...and they saved a star by the way they removed us from her server duties and spent time going over the SHOULD HAVE BEEN 'non-issue' she had turned into an awkward situation for all. I have family in town from out of state visiting us as I am battling inoperable stage 4 cancer. We recommend Hu Hot saying they are always good! Our servers have always been fast and friendly! Our server came and she introduced the process and 'one bowl' rule to our visitors. (All in late 70's and 84 yrs old and never been to a Hu Hot) I have never had them push that ONE BOWL rule except on the sign. But...ok. Asked about drinks and I asked for a bowl of lemon wedges for all the waters then ordered drinks. My aunt opted for just water, I ordered an ice tea, wife ordered a lemonade then my uncle said, very clearly, "ice tea please" and my aunt said "me too, I will have the ice tea". All 5 of us were very clear on what was ordered. She dropped off 1 ice tea, 1 lemonade and 3 waters and the lemon slices. We noticed 2 missing ice teas NO BIG DEAL! EASY FIX! and I told my wife we would just flag her down. A different server came by and I asked for the 2 missing ice teas. He said "Sure! I will let your server know". The original server came back and set down 3 ice teas on the end of the table and said "Here's the 3 ice teas but you said 3 waters! But I will replace them anyways". Very rude tone! Our jaws actually dropped and 3 of 5 of us all spoke up and said "nobody ordered 3 waters and we all heard ice teas. She walked off in a 'whatever' manner and we all stared at each other in a bit of shock. Really!!! Mad at us because she messed up the order we all heard?? Wife went up to the same server at the bar to make sure we weren't charged for the 4th tea and explain that we ordered what we wanted...in a very calm tone. Server said "I don't like the way your talking to me and am getting a Manager! Mind blown again. The assistant Mgr came out and had a good , calm, intelligent talk at the table (learned it was her 3rd shift) and they made adjustments in the staff to get us a server we could talk to who did a great job. The food, (good as always)second server and assistant mgr earned the 3 stars. Really do NOT know what this young lady is going through in life...plus a new job...so Grace and possible extenuating circumstances mindset applied. I do hope it's not as bad as inoperable stage IV terminal cancer. . Even fighting THAT, I can't be that intolerably rude. We do pray she finds a peace that allows her to answer a Mis-heard order with a "Sorry about that! I'll be right back with your _______ ." Or something friendly like that! We will adjust our statement made while suggesting Hu Hot to my family and friends in the future to saying "The food is always good and the service is ALMOST always fast and friendly". Thanks assistant mgr and Hu Hot staff that worked through this SHOULD HAVE BEEN "non-issue". We will be back! Just really careful on server selection! God Bless! I do hope the server finds a silver lining in this situation.

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    HuHot Mongolian Grill
    HuHot Mongolian Grill
    HuHot Mongolian Grill

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    Hawker's Kitchen

    Hawker's Kitchen

    4.7(34 reviews)
    20.7 mi

    Coming from a Singaporean, this place is almost like a taste from home . Although the char kuay…read moreteow does not have wok hei ( meaning life of wok, and is a Smokey transfer of fumes to food) it was still a good plate of food The curry puff, Nasi lemak and Portuguese tarts are seriously good Compliments to the chef . Job well executed and well done.

    Hawker Kitchen brings authentic Malaysian street food flavors right into the heart of Des Moines,…read moreand it's a spot that feels both comforting and exciting if you're craving Southeast Asian dishes. Char Kueh Teow This dish stood out immediately which has a smoky wok hei flavor (the "breath of the wok") coated the flat rice noodles, giving them that deep caramelized edge that's hard to find outside of Malaysia. The prawns were plump and juicy, and the mix of soy, garlic, and chili gave just the right balance of savory and spicy. Fresh cucumbers and pickled vegetables on the side added a refreshing crunch, making each bite balanced and addictive. Laksa Rich, creamy, and fragrant, the laksa broth was a highlight. The curry coconut base carried layers of spice without being overwhelming, and every sip warmed you from the inside out. The noodles were cooked just right, with toppings that tied it together from seafood to herbs. It's the kind of bowl that makes you pause between spoonfuls just to savor the aroma. Satay The chicken satay had a lovely turmeric and lemongrass marinade, grilled to a slight char that locked in the smoky flavor. Tender on the inside with crispy edges, it paired perfectly with the bold, nutty, and slightly spicy peanut dipping sauce. The cucumber slices on the side helped cut through the richness, just like you'd get back at a hawker stall in Malaysia. Overall Hawker Kitchen is a gem for anyone looking for authentic Malaysian comfort food in Des Moines. Portions are generous, flavors are bold and true to their roots, and the variety on the menu makes it worth repeat visits. If you're new to Malaysian cuisine, start with the satay and char kueh teow; if you're a fan already, the laksa will feel like home.

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    Hawker's Kitchen - Interior and seating.

    Interior and seating.

    Hawker's Kitchen
    Hawker's Kitchen

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    Tea Time - Chocolate Banana shake, no banana, add frozen strawberries

    Tea Time

    4.7(27 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    1/19/26 5:00 p.m…read more Walk-in Food: The selection available here is outstanding! Between the drink options and the general store merchandise, there is so much to look at; so many new things to try. My go-to was an iced Thai milk tea with boba, but I recently tried the taro milk tea and now I'm hooked lol. This last visit, I had my daughter with me and she asked if they had a regular chocolate shake (they don't), but the employee that was taking our order was incredibly sweet and helped us pick out something that would work. She made a chocolate banana shake and just omitted the banana, as well as added frozen strawberries on top for my daughter; it was delicious. One of my favorite things to get as well is the matcha mochi; I'm so glad they carry them! Service: Every time we've been in, the employees are wonderful. We're greeted with a smile and positive attitude as well as patience. They are quick and efficient when preparing your order. This last visit, one incredibly sweet employee even came out to give my daughter quarters (from her own wallet) for the claw machine. She most definitely went above and beyond :) Ambiance: It's quaint and cozy inside. It's pretty well organized and kept very clean. There aren't too many tables to sit at, so it can get crowded if it's busy, but it never really seems to be an issue. The variety of items available is awesome as well as the large selection of freshly made-to-order drinks. They have frozen items that you're able to warm up and eat there as well. This is a great little spot for people that want to get some work done also; it's like a little coffee café, just better. The overall noise level can get a bit elevated, but headphones can easily cancel it out if you're sitting down inside.

    Food is always excellent. Served with style and courtesy…read more Great place to go with adult friends and husband.. possibly a business lunch place though. I think they do have private rooms for private launches.

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    Tea Time - Taro Iced Milk Tea with boba

    Taro Iced Milk Tea with boba

    Tea Time - Inside, some variety

    Inside, some variety

    Tea Time - Matcha Mochi

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    Matcha Mochi

    Pho & Tea - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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