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    Rolling Wok

    4.3 (107 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese, Vietnamese, Thai
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Rolling Wok Photos

    Business Info

    ROLLING WOK ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Rolling Wok

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    Where I pick up the delicious awesomeness that is Rolling Wok
    Alabaster C.

    I have heard good things however this was my first trip to Rolling Wok and I will admit I'm pleasantly surprised. When I entered I was a little turned away by the plastic coverings on the table. It's a small spot, I enjoy finding small spots no one has heard of. Nice atmosphere with some cool decor. Of course nowadays Buda has a mask on lol. Nice people, good food and look atmosphere however they did forget my sweet and sour as well as my soy sauce, oh well I suppose no one is perfect and I will most definitely be coming back to try more of this deliciousness! ~Alabaster

    Papaya salad combo with chicken wings
    Anh N.

    Moved from Iowa but came back to visit and Rolling Wok was a must do on our list! Best Thai /Vietnamese hands down. Can't find any papaya salad that compares in Texas or any other places. Service is great and food will not disappoint! Lunch gets busy and parking can fill up quick! Thai iced coffee - do it Papaya salad combo - absolutely do it Pho - fantastic and flavorful Noodle dishes (pad se ew etc...) -yum Tom yum - good mixture is spicy sweet and sour Chicken wings - fresh crispy and juicy Green curry - lots of veggies, fresh tasting Spice levels- do anything between 3-5 and your sinuses will clear out! *no this was not all for me but I helped myself to others dishes

    Deliciously seasoned fried chicken wings with a spicy & Smokey-flavored dipping sauce! I recommend dipping with sticky rice as well!
    Lotus S.

    Looking for authentic Lao Food? Rolling Wok is definitely one of Des Moines' gems for amazing food and service! Located in a Mexican plaza on Grand, the place does stand out! I've tried some Thai dishes, but I tend to lean towards the Lao selection. Drunken Noodle here has a deliciously Smokey flavor and they generously serve it with veggies and meats! It's actually not an overload of noodles! The papaya salad and sticky rice combos with deliciously seasoned fried chicken wings are on point. The Heavenly beef is also a delicious option for those who are beef jerky lovers. Let's just say, if you love beef jerky, Rolling Wok's beef jerky is definitely in competition for the best options you can possibly find served in a restaurant. I've tried the Kapoon and have been extremely satisfied and delighted to find the dish as it's not always easy to find. Some restaurants may have it on hand if you ask, but it's not on the menu like it is here. This place is that cross btwn a hole in the wall, and moderate dining. I would say it's comfortable for family dinners as long as you don't mind not having a booth and your primary focus is to eat GOOD FOOD! The plaza it's located in is a fun cultural venture as well!

    Wonton soup with yellow egg noodles
    Amy C.

    We went on a Sunday and they were pretty busy. The staff were friendly and accommodating. It's a small place. The Pho soup was delicious, only 1 size to choose from but it was a huge bowl. The egg rolls were so good, great sauce with them. They had a tv above the bar which was great so we watched march madness. We will be going back.

    Shrimp in a blanket! I do not come here without ordering this!
    Bill L.

    This was the first Asian restaurant I have eaten at in Des Moines when I first moved here a few years back. This restaurant is tucked in the plaza surrounded by Mexican restaurants and businesses. Parking can be difficult at times since it is a small lot shared by multiple businesses. The food here us great! I have eaten here countless times and have not had an unpleasant experience. They have southeast Asian dishes that other Asian restaurants do not have. Usually the same staff is working and they are very friendly. Their bubble tea drinks here are well made. It is never crowded here which makes for a good, calm eating environment. I will continue to eat here often. You must try their shrimp in a blanket appetizer here!

    Lots of vegetarian options
    Angie M.

    Tried the Pho today it was flavorful and in a huge dish! Sticky rice is served in a steamer and perfect!

    Drinks menu
    Vishal K.

    Ordered Hunan and Schezwan chicken.. It was awesome.. This is a hidden gem in middle of nowhwhere. Will visit again. Looking forward to visit with more friends. While i was there, i found more repeat customers as these folks knew most of them. Food is amazing. Authentic chinese and Vietnamese..

    Sarai G.

    They're super friendly here. They asked if it was out first time and we said yes, they offered to help us pick what to eat and were really helpful. They have Tofu, a great bonus for me. They also have bubble tea. The place is really clean. Would love to come back, they gave great service over all, glad we decided to try it out i

    Khang pad

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Best egg rolls! Their lo mein combo and chicken pho are really good too along with the coconut boba tea!

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    8 years ago

    The Thai food was very poor completely lacking in Thai flavors. Service was slow for only two tables in the restaurant. Just was not happy.

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    10 years ago

    Great little place. Inexpensive. Good food. Quality locally owned place. Support small business.

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    10 years ago

    Great Pad thai, good soda, and servers. Nice bar and tv to watch games but most importantly good food.

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    11 years ago

    Best Chinese food in Des Moines. Wide menu, friendly staff.

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - Rolling Wok

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    Thai Flavors - Garlic & Pepper steak

    Thai Flavors

    4.1(205 reviews)
    0.7 mi
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    Stopped in during their lunch service and it was a good time! Our server was super friendly and the…read morefood came out super fast. We came in around the end of their lunch special so it was a little busy. Goes to show they're pretty popular and get a lot of regulars! The ambiance is pretty open and had a lot more room than I expected! I ordered the pad Thai with beef, which is one of their lunch specials. I asked for level 2 spice but I didn't notice anything when I ate it. I did hear it kinda varies depending on the staff so maybe I need to order a higher level. Otherwise the food was pretty good and a great spot for lunch!

    Des Moines has just expanded it's offerings of food so much in the last 30 years…read more I think Liam Anivat is still the major owner of.this restaurant and I remember his food at Thai flavors on East 14th Street long ago... I used to go to that restaurant once a week. That restaurant is the mother ship.. I would rotate between Cafe Fusion and Thai Flavors. Liam has become quite a entrepreneur of Thai restaurants he is the major owner of Cool Basil Banana leaf, and Thai Flavors on Ingersoll. He is really worked hard to have very large restaurants that serve delicious Thai food. It's conveniently located along East 14th in a strip mall with limited parking It can be a busy place so depending on the time of day lunch or dinner you may have to walk a little from your parking spot to the restaurant. The restaurant is clean and.older but the food is still great It is similar menu items to his other restaurants. On this particular day I had red curry chicken, I.have had it at all his restaurants and it's consistently good. I always like to support a locally owned business. Liam has developed quite a system and serving large amount of people at all his restaurants although the East 14th restaurants still has that old mom and pop kind of feel. When he first opened this first restaurant there were not that many Thai restaurants around town. Now he's open many himself and there are other many quality Thai food restaurants around town I think all of his restaurants have some healthier menu including fresh vegetable dishes. I believe they all have vegan dishes as well. Of course the restaurant has pot stickers basil stir fry, pad thai, and other traditional Thai restaurant dishes. There is lots of variety in the menu. 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. The food was served quick and hot. I would definitely check this place out. If you're in the area it's well worth a visit It was fun to visit an old neighborhood friend

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    4 of the 6 wings.

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    Thai Flavors Ingersoll - beef Bento box

    Thai Flavors Ingersoll

    4.0(62 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    We were just looking for basic Thai food, and were pleasantly surprised to find this gem of a…read moreplace! The atmosphere was a cut above most midwestern Asian restaurants we have visited. The food was fresh and made to order. We started with Chicken Satay, then shared the Pineapple Delight and General Tao Chicken. All of the food was excellent. But, if you are waffling on an appetizer - get the Satay! And, with your last bites, roll up the chicken, sauce and salad into the lettuce - to die for! Seemed like too much sauce when they brought it, but we scraped the bowl clean. The main dishes were more than plenty of food, plus they were flavorful and fresh. Since we shared and have different spice preferences, they brought us a small bit of pepper to up the spice to our liking. I wish that were in a shaker, but that's literally the only thing I would change. Staff was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. To top it off - mints on the way out the door (I don't know why that always makes me happy, but it does.) If we lived in Des Moines, we would frequent them enough that they would know our names.

    Did not think we would find an excellent Thai place in Iowa but lo and behold here comes Thai…read moreflavors. This was such a great place. We came here twice on our trip. It was so delicious. The food was amazing having just traveled to Thailand. I am always a bit skeptical but the flavors were absolutely rich and deep. Everyone that worked there was so nice. The ambiance was phenomenal and I would highly recommend that you grab a bite here if you're in the area.

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    Nut POB Restaurant - Crab Rangoon

    Nut POB Restaurant

    3.8(91 reviews)
    2.8 mi
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    I think remembering smelling incense or a lot of buddha statues. The waiting time was slightly long…read morefor food. The food was really good nonetheless. It was not as luxurious especially with the seating. It resonated an open space where everyone can hear everyones conversation openly. If you don't bring someone who talks, expect to easedrop unnaturally into someones else. I remember everyones there had their phones so it was unusually quiet. But thankful for the food. The music was loud from time to time on one section. Careful sititng near the windows full of sunlight.

    Nut Pob Restaurant Inc will forever have a special place in my heart. The ONE restaurant from DSM…read morethat I craved for when I was pregnant living in Hawaii and Vegas. The ONE restaurant that even though it doesn't have the best service sometimes, we would ALWAYS come back. Time after time, all because the food is that darn good. The service is great now but they may not always pick up the phone line. ‍ we put up with it They serve Lao/Thai food and it's always on point. I always, always get the: Angry Fried Catfish- 10/10. They are the ones who originated this "angry" style dish here and I don't care what anyone says, no one makes it better. They can make it good, just not better. Angry Beef/Chicken/Pork Stir-Fry- 10/10. This dish has the same name as the fish, but a totally different sauce. I recommend getting both the Catfish and a meat stir-fry dish. Sometimes it may be more pissed off and sometimes it may be just sort of angry at you. Chicken wings- 10/10. Lightly marinated with a delicious flavor and deep-fried. Simple yet good Crab Rangoons- 10/10. Sweet style and I love it. Combo Fried Rice- 10/10. Great flavors Combo Pad Se Ew- 20/10. Legit my fave Pad Se Ew in the metro. (It's not pictured here because I got a different noodle dish for my son) These are the other dishes I will sometimes get but are always good too: Beef Laap- One of the national dishes of Laos. Beef Salad Papaya Salad- Lao-style here Nuur Nam Tok- Marinated Steak with a great dipping sauce Panang Beef- one of my fave Panang in the metro, next to Lucky Lotus Oyster Beef- delicious and perfect for the littles when they come to eat with us Combo Lad Na- delicious noodle dish with gravy over (this is the noodle dish pictured that our son ordered today) Seriously, everything is great here. Hope you get to try it out next time you're on the Southside of DSM.

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