This place is such a vibe. Friendly customer service. Great menu options. Reasonably priced. I…read moredon't have a pic of the pho but it's sooo good. Perfect for a cold winter day. The thin sliced beef & & juicy shrimp & delicious broth have us coming back for more! The egg rolls... some of my favorite in Des Moines. Super authentic! Tried the sizzling beef plate & everything was SO tasty. Steak, potatoes, pork meatball, sausage, & Swiss cheese with a fried egg, the flavors of everything were on point & the steak was cooked perfectly. Oh & the drinks... can't forget the drinks! The taro smoothie & milk tea are BOMB! The sticky rice match was also great. Definitely check this place out if you're looking for something new & absolutely delicious.

Had a reservation but was not busy on a weekday evening. Made it in during happy hour and got crab…read morerangoon. Forgot to take a photo but it was chewy and had very little filling. The bun bowl had a good portion size, but pork had a lot of gristle and was pretty overcooked. Flavors were good though. Nice space and service was good. I'd try again but not rushing back.

We came here on Friday night at 6pm. Party of three, ordered drinks from our friendly server…read more Appetizers of Shrimp Wraps, Calamari and Tempura Vegetables. Dinner was Dragon Roll, Pho (Rare Steak and Meatball), Chicken Pad Thai and Ramen Noodles with Chicken. The food itself was delicious and prepared perfectly. Only downside was we ordered hot tea (Jasmine tea) which they apparently ran out of and it didn't arrive until we were well onto our main courses. The friendly seemingly inexperienced staff seemed overwhelmed by the full house (had to ask for plates for appetizers, long wait tor check and to cash out) but we went with the flow and enjoyed opportunity to hang out and spend time chatting. Will be back.

Food was only so-so and EXPENSIVE! We should have known something was up when the place was nearly…read moreempty on a Friday night.

Vietopia is a real gem. Do not miss it! The food is beautifully prepared and presented by a…read morecheerful server with good humor. We enjoyed the Vietopia Fried Rice, the Pho, the Wings and Dumplings - each a real treat worth repeating although there is much more to explore on our next visit. And the atmosphere is pleasant and welcoming.

Tried Vietopia (carryout), and overall...we left a little confused…read more The wings were honestly the highlight--really, really good. Didn't get much "lemon pepper," but still super flavorful. Potstickers were just okay. The dipping sauce didn't do them any favors--this felt like an easy upgrade they're missing. Imperial Egg Rolls were the biggest letdown. At $17 for three, I expected something memorable...they just weren't. Pad Thai landed squarely in "average." Grilled Honey Roast Chicken Egg Noodles was a mixed bag. The chicken itself was delicious, but the noodles were pretty bland--and oddly, they didn't really work together. Royal Fried Rice was a win. The combo of BBQ pork, sweet sausage, and shrimp came together really well. Seafood Noodle dish was unfortunately pretty bland. All in all, a few bright spots, but not a place we're rushing back to--though I'd reorder those wings without hesitation.

Me and some of my coworkers went here last night. We didn't have to wait long to be seated,…read moreeveryone didn't have to wait at all. Everyone got different variables of dishes and drinks. They had 13 levels of spiciness, and I went with level 7. The restaurant was very clean, the restroom was clean, and the service was excellent. The food was great too. I would give this place 10/10.

the food was exactly what i wanted and we had great service!…read more We got seated in the middle of a bunch of other tables but it ended up not taking away from the experience at all! Cant wait to go back !

Stopped by for quick banh mi to go. Bread was soft and crunchy and the meat was flavorful. They…read moreportioned the pickled vegetables well too. They were a tad small but I think they matched the price well.

Would highly recommend for a Vietnamese resturant. Doesn't look like much but it'll certainly take…read moreyour breath away with the flavor they offer. The food is great, you would be hesitant to try it based on the strip mall look from the outside. The Service is fast and the politeness of the staff make it enjoyable to come here. Come give it a try if you're in the area

Fantastic! My wife and I were passing through town, on our way to Wisconsin. We read the great…read moreyelp reviews and gave Shanghai a try. We were welcomed to a nice atmosphere, great service and nice people. The food was very good and offered in large portions. If we lived in the area, Shanghai would be one of our regular stops.

Shanghai has been a favorite of mine for years. They went through an ownership change here a while…read moreback... It's had an impact but it's still at the top of my list when I'm craving Chinese food. This weekend was my 54th birthday. My daughter is at camp, but I wanted to do something with my son. The place I wanted to try was China Chef however I didn't realize they had closed their dining room area. After driving from Clive to the South side we changed plans in the China Cheft parking lot and headed to Waukee. We were greeted and seated right away as we walked on and were seated at a booth. The place is starting to show it's age. The carpet...it needs replaced. But overall it's clean and if nothing else it's familiar. We were presented with menus and glasses of water. Staff checked on us regularly throughou the meal Since it was between 1100 AM and 200 PM we were eligible for the lunch special options. It's a smaller menu, but comes with an egg roll, crab rangoon, your choice of soup (egg drop or hot and sour), and the entree. My son ordered the orange chicken with egg drop soup with a soda. I ordered the Yu Shiang shrimp with hot and sour soup and stuck with only water. I LOVE Shanghai's crab rangoons. They're definitely more on the sweet side. I ordered another order of those. Love them! The house hot mustard. Be careful! It's easy to overdo and it will clear your sinuses like tear gas. But it's SO good...! The orange chicken was excellent as usual. The Yu Shiang shrimp... It's the first time I've ordered it there. The deep red of the sauce was a little off putting. I'm used to a spicy brown sauce. The sauce on the Yu Shiang shrimp... This is just a visual thing though. The sauce is spicy and it tastes good. But like they say...first you eat with your eyes and then with your mouth. I'd love to see this changed to a more traditional look. It just looks "off" as is. Great service and good food. And enjoyable birthday lunch...and we got to sit eating down in the restaurant. Lol Always a great option in my regular rotation! https://shanghaiwk.com/

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.

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.

The food is EXCELLENT here; dirty wings are nice and crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the…read moreinside. The Pho is a heavenly light broth with mild or spicy flavor as one chooses, while filled with noodles and generous helpings of meat or vegetables of your choice. Other choices of dishes from Thai or Chinese regions are well made with a wonderful scent, zing to the sauces and visual appeal that makes everyone at the table envious or hoping for a sample that might be shared. Service and price are exquisite, too! A great spot to get the right food when you want something a little different, this is my new go-to spot.

Food came out quickly! They have a wide variety of different dishes on their menu. Service was…read moregood, and the food came out fresh and hot. I ordered the Pho Special (comes with brisket, beef tendon, eye of round, and meatballs). My dad got the Vietnamese ramen (egg noodles with meat & shrimp), my mom got the sizzling clay rice pot, and my brother got the stir fry beef egg noodles. Not the best pho I've had, but I still enjoyed it a lot. Broth had great flavor, however I wish I could have had raw steak as I prefer that in my pho but that wasn't an option- I usually like getting raw steak to put into the hot soup and let it cook a bit through as you put it in. I would eat here again though. The restaurant was clean and service was prompt. Nicely decorated, and prices were fair!

I went on a Friday for a late lunch. I had no idea if I like vetnames food or not. but there was a…read morebuffet, so I opted for that. it was so good. service was good. I was in a hurry, which is probably good, because I could eat and eat that stuff. I will definitely try the buffet out again. it sounds like I was very lucky because the buffet is the last Friday of the month, and there i was.

I remember when they 1st opened, I used to take my daughter in all the time. I recently stopped by…read moreagain, and it's still as wonderful as it was then. If you are in the mall, please stop by and try this gem! The Pho just can't be beat!!

Still looking for something new in terms of a catfish sandwich staying in keeping with the Lenten…read moreseason, but the Vietnamese Sandwich caught my eye. My usual wait- staffer was on vacation, but another wait staff was pleasant, cheerful and expeditiously took my order. The best part of the Vietnamese Sandwich was the toasted, fresh and well seasoned bun served with fresh veggies and roasted pot belly. The pot belly's outside skin was too chewy for my taste, but good. The overall atmosphere was calm allowing me to take in the scrumptious seasoning of my sandwich.

My cousin and I was in the mood for soup and recommended this restaurant nearby. I checked out the…read moremenu and noticed they have the hot stone bowl. Restaurant is located in a strip mall, there's a ton of free parking to choose. Restaurant is good size and clean. The server greeted us when we entered and told us to sit anywhere. They had a lunch rush but we didn't mind. My pho came out piping hot and the meats on the side. Surprised there's an egg, I don't add eggs to my pho. Broth was delicious, we enjoyed our meal.