We went to Hokkaido Ramen House Friday night thinking we were just grabbing a bowl of noodles. What…read morewe found was a really nice surprise -- and then we apparently forgot how to stop ordering food. The restaurant is very cool inside, spotless, and has a great atmosphere. They were moderately busy, but service was still very fast. Our server was sweet, funny, witty, kind and attentive. She really added to the experience. We started with the gyoza, which were fresh, hot and delicious. I ordered the Tom Yum Ramen, loaded with seafood and a ton of flavor. Kim had the Spicy Beef Ramen with the giant bone-in beef rib. That thing is a monster of a bowl and was packed with flavor. Kim tried the apple sake and liked it so much that we stopped afterward and bought a bottle. I had a Tsingtao beer and then decided I apparently hadn't ordered enough food, so I added the tuna sashimi. It was incredibly fresh and delicious, especially with the fresh ginger and greens. We definitely spent more than we intended, but mostly because we kept wanting to try more things. Hokkaido is only about half a mile from our house, which may turn out to be dangerous. Great food, fast service, fun atmosphere and one of those places that surprised us in the best way. We'll definitely be back.

If you're looking for authentic, flavorful ramen, Hokkaido is absolutely worth the visit. This was…read moreonly our second ramen spot, but it has officially become the standard we'll compare every other ramen restaurant against. We started with the dumplings, and they were outstanding--crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with flavor. They were the perfect way to start the meal. I ordered the Spicy Beef Ramen, and all I can say is... wow. The broth was rich, bold, and full of depth without overpowering the dish. The beef was incredibly tender, practically falling apart with every bite, and every ingredient came together perfectly. My wife ordered the Miso Ramen and couldn't stop talking about how flavorful and comforting it was. Every spoonful tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. The atmosphere was another highlight. The restaurant has a beautiful, open layout with warm lighting, Japanese-inspired décor, and a welcoming vibe that makes you want to stay and enjoy your meal. It feels modern while still being cozy. To top it all off, the service was phenomenal. Our server was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling intrusive. Hokkaido delivered on every level--food, atmosphere, and service. We'll definitely be back, and if you're in the Ankeny area and craving ramen, this is a place you need to experience. Highly recommended.

This is a pop-up, not a restaurant. They operate out of the Mickle Center in Sherman Hills. In…read moreorder to know when they are operating, you have to follow them on social media. I heard about them through a Facebook Foodie page for Des Moines. I was lucky to get my order in because they sell out super fast! I ordered and paid via their website: https://oishiirameniowa.com. They don't have a lot of options and I would have liked them to share the English equivalent or a description of some of the ingredients but they have photos so that helped. I had read a stellar review of the Oishii Tonkotsu ($11.99) that consists of pork broth, 2 slices of pork, a hard boiled egg, mushrooms, some veggies I don't know the names of and nori. It also had scallions and onions but I requested mine without those and I added a side of black garlic oil, as recommended in the review. My bf likes spice so I got him the spicy miso and added an egg. A dew days before pick-up I got a text asking if I was allergic to onions because they use an onion oil in the broth and would make mine sans that oil if I was allergic since they noticed I had asked for no onions of any kind in my order. I really like that attention to detail and care for their patrons. On the day of pick-up I got a reminder text of my pick-up time a few hours before and then again about 30 minutes before. I pulled up to the front of the Mickle Center and it was dark and looked closed. I texted that I was there and asked if I was in the right spot since it looked so abandoned. They called and led me to their pick-up spot in the parking lot behind the center. Once there, I waited a few minutes and then they came out to my car with my order. It smelled amazing as I drove home, my excitement growing as I drove home. Got home and reheated the broth before pouring it over the veggies and noodles and then drizzled the garlic oil over it. It was so flavorful! The noodles weren't overcooked like a lot of places in Des Moines and some of the veggies still had a little crunch. The pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The nori melted beautifully and the egg was the perfect soft boiled consistency. Finally, a real ramen experience in Des Moines! I really wish they had a restaurant because I saw their next pop-up date 2 days after they announced it and they were already sold out so I don't know when I'll get to have more of this deliciousness but if it were up to me, I'd add it to my regular rotation and have it once a week!

Yum!! We got lucky on this pop up night and there was a time available for us. I'm new to the ramen…read morescene but this was really good. I would like a little more spice, but I'm still learning. We will keep a look out for another pop up!

We were looking for a ramen place and this place popped up while we were running errands in the…read morearea on Saturday night. It was hoppin! We waited less than 10 mins. Everyone was hustling! The restaurant was decorated beautifully with a cherry blossom tree, a gigantic tv with underwater reef video. They had a large bar that you could sit and eat at. All the other tables were weather tables and chairs or bench seating. They have a huge menu full of sushi, sashimi, noodles, rice, and of course ramen! We ordered pineapple fried rice that was served in a plate that looked like pineapple, seafood ramen, the LA roll and a whole bunch of sashimi that was served in a sea turtle bowl on crushed ice. We will definitely be going again!

Image a crunchy decorative tower in a tasty scaffolding of shrimp, sweet potatoes, broccoli and an…read moreonion ring all golden brown served as Shrimp Tempura -- adding a steaming bowl of Chicken Katsu Ramen all from Hana on Mills Civic in WDm -- simply delicious. Lyla -- my wait staffer -- was very polite, attentive and monitored my table to insure everything was to my satisfaction. The soft background music, minimalist mod decor and soft lighting added a zen vibe to a relaxing food explosion of flavors.

Tried out Kaiju Ramen tonight, as my husband and I have been desperate for great ramen in the metro…read more(we've tried almost all of them, and they've all been okay). Overall, we are pretty happy and will order from them again! It's the best ramen we have had so far in Des Moines (we are still needing to try Oishii), albeit it's got some uniqueness to it. Brussel sprouts are an interesting ingredient, and the pork belly is strands and not strips like we expected, but it was still very tasty. I'm also not a huge fan of hard-boiled eggs in my ramen (soft yolk fan club). We also tried the boba milkshakes and they were DELICIOUS. My only issue was the paper straws. There's too much friction to allow the boba to come up through the straw, which results in the straw weirdly collapsing in on itself and rendering itself useless. We settled for just drinking it without the straw. If you like ramen, definitely give them a try.

Kaiju is BACK! My first experience with this limited-time "ghost kitchen" was back in 2020 and I…read moreloved everything about it! I was thrilled to see the concept come back with some fresh ideas as well as a whole themed overlay inside the Zombie Burger East Village location that really set the mood! Our server, Noah, was well informed about the menu items and made some suggestions he thought we might like (The Brussels sprouts were fantastic!!!) We unfortunately missed the serving window for ramen (Currently Tuesdays through Saturdays 12-8pm) but everything we did have was absolutely fantastic and we can't wait to return!!! A note that while the carry-out portion of the location is themed with the Kaiju Ramen decor, the full menu can be ordered either for carry-out or in the main dining aread of Zombie Burger which we thought was great! Definitely recommend checking this place out, as I'm not sure how long they will keep the concept going!

I've written a review for this place in the past but after visiting this past weekend, I had to…read moremake an update since it's been a few years. The first time I came here I absolutely loved it and I can say again that I STILL love it! We ordered the large sashimi platter, green mussles app, and one roll plus some drinks. I do have to say this, the large sashimi is one the best deals I've ever seen in my entire life! platter was about $30 and you 5 pieces of 4 different kinds of fish. What a deal! The green mussels appitizer was also super unique and absolutely delicious! a must try in my opinion! The service was fantastic too! was able to do a walk-in on a Saturday night, no stress, and great waiter! If you are staying at the Fort Des Moines, this is a great place to get a dinner as it's literally across the street.

Great service and nice ambiance. If you are in the area I would give a try. Good for group or…read moredate setting with full bar and plenty of seating.

This was our second time at Ninja and we have continuously enjoyed the food. We ordered the chicken…read morekatsu which was absolutely delicious, and not dry at all. The dynamite volcano sushi was great, and very filling. Ninja has one of the freshest sushi in the whole metro. The tonkatsu ramen was also good, but lacked a little in flavor, but still enjoyed. We also had miso soup- a classic, edamame- a nice addition to any meal, and the steamed bao buns, which was probably our least favorite. The dish was just a bit bland. The ambiance of the restaurant is super spacious and great service with not much wait time. The owners are really nice. The servers are fine, but overall, a highly recommended restaurant in the metro.

Really enjoy the staff for both dine in and Togo. The food is always consistent and hospitable…read moreservice. I eat here 2x a week I like the tonkotsu ramen but I missed the picture pork bun is great as well! Ambiance is classy and affordable I recommend when in the area

I saw that the brick and mortar location hours lessened but that doesn't stop the dedicated fans…read more I finally got a chance to try them. It was almost closing time on a Friday evening We were cutting it close to closing so we rushed over. Just a cute little place on the strip mall under the giant flag on 6th. There was not waiting in this cute little place. Its bright with a very kind and friendly young man at the counter. He was super sweet It smells great in here as we strolled up to the counter. I was craving a Spring Roll. I also ordered a small sampler which included 2 egg rolls and 2 Rangoon. My girlfriend and I ordered the last of the fried rice for the day. We got our order to go and took it back home. The spring roll was divine! The crab Rangoon and rolls were also good! The rice, was "end of day rice" . I would 100% go back and get more earlier in the evening. I highly recommend and will be back for more delicious spring rolls and try other thing. I hope to catch the truck out one of these days and dine that way as well.

My first trip to the Ankeny Farmer's Market involved stopping at The Eggroll Ladies' truck, and I'm…read moreglad I did! It was a delicious pork egg roll served hot after being cooked. They give you a pager to indicate when the food is done. I liked the pricing, and the staffer was a nice person who explained the process to this first-timer. You cannot beat the setting at the Farmer's Market, as there were many tables and areas to sit and enjoy the eggroll!

Food tasted good. I would recommend this place and come here again. Service was a bit slow but…read moremaybe that's just how long it takes to make sushi. Ambiance was appropriate.

W-Tao is a great place to eat before an event at the Des Moines Civic Center! Only a city block…read moreaway! The miso soup was nice and hot (but only had two pieces of tofu lol). The spicy edamame had a little kick but nothing too crazy. The sushi was very fresh and everything we ordered was really good. The waiter seemed to be new bc he seemed nervous but the overall service was pleasant. The vibe was chill, the temperature was perfect on a sub-zero freezing day, and the lights were the right 'dim' amount. I recommend this restaurant and I definitely will be eating there again.

It was really weird going in here as I was a big fan of the original Irina's that used to occupy…read morethis space... And a big fan of Wasabi Chi...which Wasabi Urbandale effectively replaced. Staff was friendly as is usual with most of the Wasabi locations. I feel like a recognized a couple people from Wasabi Chi. We were greeted right away as we walked in. I went with a friend and my daughter, We ordered a few rolls, drinks, and dumplings. Everything was good as far as the food and the service, but I felt out of place as I found myself reminiscing about the businesses Wasabi Urbandale has taken the place of... The many meals I'd had at the horseshoe bar in Irina's...which is now gone. The special moments shared with friends at Wasabi Chi in my past. I got the feeling of being in any other Wasabi here. It's almost a cookie cutter of Ankeny, Johnston, Waukee... Not that there is anything wrong with that. Wasabi offers consistently good food and service at all it's locations. I just found myself missing an emotional connection that I wanted to feel this time.

I give 5-sushi rolls to Wasabi-Chi (you like what I did there?!) I order from this restaurant at…read moreleast once a week, and it is consistently delicious every time. I also dine-in occasionally and I love their cocktails and neon lights... especially during happy hour! Although the restaurant is never busy, this is not an indicator of the quality of food or drinks served. I think it's just in a bad location. More people should try this hidden gem of a place. The sushi is top-grade and it's a perfect place for a date night! (... with the most beautiful sunsets.)