Wasabi Tao
| Address: | 400 Walnut St, Des Moines, IA 50309, USA |
| Phone: | +1 515-777-3636 |
| Site: | wasabitao.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 12–11PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
SA
Sarah Stallman
Having just returned from a year abroad in Asia, I was very keen to try some Asian cuisine back home here and see how it compared. This was my first time dining at Wasabi Tao and I was beyond impressed with my experience. The decor and vibe are very stylish and modern, which definitely adds an aire of sophistication but isnt "trying too hard." My friend and I went during happy hour from 4-6pm and got some amazing deals! Their cocktails were $5 (normally $8) and they had many different unique ones, not just run-of-the-mill standards (e.g. drinks with lychee puree, elderflower liqueur, etc.). They also had $5 sushi rolls, which were smaller standard rolls but still good. I ordered the "V.I.P. Roll," a specialty roll, as well. It was GREAT! It was a large salmon/avocado/asparagus roll with torched yellowtail on top - perfectly seasoned and the texture was spot on. Came with a spicy lychee sauce on drizzled over top and honey wasabi (which I didnt try but my friend enjoyed it). There were so many appetizing drinks, sushi rolls, etc. that we had a hard time deciding what to try! I also ordered the baked miso-soy eggplant...delicious. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, particularly sushi lovers. Wait staff was very friendly, kept our waters filled, and were quick to help when we asked. Definitely one of the best restaurant experiences Ive had in Des Moines.
TA
Tacylin Shinkle
Honestly we were just looking for a sushi place that was open late in the Des Moines area, and read some great reviews so we decided to try it out. Wasabi Tao was open until 11pm and definitely turned out to be a good choice. The restaurant has a great ambiance, and while small enough to feel intimate we still had plenty of room to ourselves and had no trouble hearing each other over the several other people in the room. Our waitress was friendly, attentive and very knowledgeable about the food. We tried a few of their specialty sushi rolls which were made quickly and tasted delicious (my favorite was the "Crazy Friday Roll"). They had Kirin on tap (my friends favorite drink to accompany sushi) and I tried the Pear Sake which was pretty good taste wise, but the coolest thing about it was the neat way they served it. The price was similar to most sushi places. I would recommend Wasabi Tao for anyone who is a fan of good sushi, great atmosphere and excellent service.
PA
Patrick Rhea
WE WERE VISITORS FROM KANSAS CITY SOUTH FLORIDA: Absolutely exquisite experience. FROM there moment we walked in, we were greeted like human beings and not judged based on our looks (mine at least were very raggity , my female companion looked beautiful as usual however). Sammy was our waitress and had a great personality and very informative about Des Moines. She didnt change her demeanor after we ordered waters and very little food (as a former server, this is very difficult to do when youre pay is based on a percentage of what the customer orders). AND THE SUSHI! :-) best sushi Ive had in the midwest. Beats everywhere in Kansas City hands down. Even the $75 a person downtown place. Great selection. And of course, the check was very well priced if not too well priced for the quality you receive IMO! RECOMMEND TO ANYONE VISITING FROM THE COASTS AND TO ALL RESIDENTS WHO HAVENT BEEN HERE. -Patrick & Jennifer
JE
Jesse Benson
I often order ahead and pick up here, but dining in is a good experience as well. First off, I must tout their excellent seafood rangoons — theyre filled with lil baby shrimp! Yum! And their fried rice is fantastic: plenty of tasty greens (including small slivers of asparagus), perfectly cooked rice (not hard and not mushy), delicious seasoning. But one warning: their soup (this miso and the clear) is not flavorful at all. Youve been warned. When dining in, the atmosphere is great for a romantic evening or a chill hangout with friends. The waitstaff are attentive. And you have to get one of their specialty sushi rolls. My favorite is a toss up between their Kirkwood roll (named after the historic downtown building its in) and the Out-of-Control roll. All in all, good grub!
LI
Lisa Irey
Very, very good. Spicy garlic edamame (free if you check in on yelp!) was outstanding - the best flavor and perfect mixture! Crispy Seafood Rangoon is the best Rangoon weve found in the metro - just the right filling amount, cream cheese to scallion ratio and the Orange finger sauce complimented it for a flavor explosion! The wife ordered a chicken teryaki bento box with spicy egg drop soup - yum! - and it was the best/biggest box for a really great lunch deal. I ordered 3 lunch roll for $13.50 - spicy crunchy tuna, shrimp tempura, and sweet potato tempura. They were so delicious and filling-its safe to say this is our new favorite sushi place and future go-to spot for brining out- of-town family and friends. Highly, highly recommend!
TI
tim huckaby
My wife and I sat at the bar. John the bartender took our drink orders right away. The Mrs. requested a Stella and I ordered a Templeton Old Fashioned. John did not disappoint muddling a proper drink and the Stella was available on tap. We went a w/ Spider Roll ($10) for the ap, Yaki Udon w/ beef ($13) and Shrimp Fried Rice ($12) for the main. Top notch across the board, not a big sushi guy but that Spider Roll (crispy soft shell crab, lettuce, cucumber, avocado & Tobiko [Japanese for flying fish]) was something special. The Yaki Udon (steak and noodles) and Shrimp fried rice were also fantastic. Reasonably priced, excellent food and atmosphere, will definitely frequent the place moving forward.
EL
Elizabeth Warthan
Last weekend, I went out for sushi for my birthday with a couple friends to start the night out right. I decided to try the place out since it looked great and mostly good reviews. I also love trying new sushi resturants so I figured if it was downtown, it must be good. It was a Friday night and we didnt even have to wait that long to get a table. We had the miso soup which was very good. I ordered the shrimp tempura roll and the salmon avocado roll. Sad to say right after I ate, I started feeling weird. All I had to drink was water so it wasnt from drinking. I ended up getting sick and puking. I have never had a sushi restaurant get me sick until now. Just be careful.
SO
Sophia Dalke
I was prepared to be underwhelmed (its Des Moines after all), and quite the opposite I was absolutely floored. First off they had my favorite umeshu: Kinsen/Takara. Secondly they had a salmon toro tartar topped with roe that was amazingly blended with one of the tastiest yuzu sauces Ive ever had. And their sushi and sashimi are just as good, with some of the best tamago Ive had in years, and good white tuna and inari. Id kill to have this place back in northern VA.
TU
Tu
I ordered sushi here and got food poisoning. Owner did not believe me and waiter blame me for eating with hands. I always wash my hand carefully before and after eating with sushi. Never had issues eating sushi bare hands for 10 years anywhere in the country. However, the manager did offer a gift card but Im too scared of the pain of food poisoning to ever come back. The food tasted great before the poisoning, though. Take your chance if you are brave.
AA
Aaron Duncan
Based on the reviews I was very excited for this restaurant as it appeared to be one of the better sushi places in Iowa but I was disappointed in the food and service. The food was fine, but Ive definitely had better sushi in the area. The service was inconsistent. We were well taken care of at first, but after we ordered a couple of drinks, an appetizer and a couple of rolls and that was the last we saw of the server until it was time for the check.
