Went here the other day for lunch after looking up sushi/asian in West Des Moines, and honestly I was a bit underwhelmed. The good: - Service was good. Very friendly. - Seaweed salad was pretty good too. The not great: - Outside of the seaweed salad, the food was not great. - The edamame was overcooked and shriveled up. - The rainbow roll came without shrimp or salmon (kind of a bummer since i was sharing with my daughter and those are the two types of fish I know she eats). - California roll was on par with what I would expect to buy at the grocery store. Overall a "meh" experience, not one I'll be repeating anytime soon. read more

Finally checked out Banana Leaf! A friend of mine had gotten them catered a few times and said it was good so we decided to show up & check it out in person. Very cozy and welcoming atmosphere. Lovely hostess doing a fantastic job. Tried a tuna poke bowl and it's my new favorite. My friend had the spring rolls & a sushi roll which were very fresh & good as well. The prices were also reasonable for a location in West Glen and I definitely appreciate it. Will definitely be back again! Did not check out the restrooms, sorry. read more

Banana Leaf - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

I ordered pick up to go and when I got there on a Wednesday night - they were busy! Lots of takeout orders but diners as well so that made me excited that it was most likely going to be delicious! I ordered a small Shrimp Wonton soup. It was super flavorful and I ate the whole thing. I love mushrooms (which I know not everyone does) so I loved the flavor it added. I got vegetable pad see lew. It's was a big portion with good chunks of veggies in it. I've had this dish in so many places and each restaurant either uses wide rice noodles or narrow thicker ones. This one used the narrow ones which isn't my first choice but the flavors were still there. I'll definitely be back to try other things! read more

Banana Leaf - Shrimp Wonton Soup (small) - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

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Order the cashew chicken. 16.95 Very little chicken in it. Mainly all vegetables. They put very little protein in. Very disappointed. I think they are starting to try and get away with this now. read more

Banana Leaf has a little bit of everything you're Asian palate is craving. Casual, easy dining with fast, comforting plates -- and perfectly located when you need a quick sit‑down meal between shops. Reliable, unfussy, and exactly what you want when you're out and about. read more

Banana Leaf - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

A great spot if you are a fan of Asian food. Food is great and the selection is broad. Service is spot on and the staff is very helpful in dining selection. Ambiance is welcoming and provides a great spot for friends to get together. If your appetite is Sushi, Thai or a vegan, Banana Leaf is a spot to put on your list. read more

Had an AWESOME quick lunch at Banana Leaf Asian Bistro in West Glen. Food arrived fast and fresh, and very tasty. I wish it had been spicier, we ordered some spice, but a little side of Thai chili added did the trick. Beef Drunken Noodle: perfectly cooked, not soggy at all. Beef was very VERY tender, which I don't find as often in Thai restaurants. Flavor was spot on, serving plentiful. Pork Fried Rice: again, super flavorful, and pork was tender. Shrimp Thai Noodle Soup: with rice noodles and shrimp was awesome. Great flavors and perfect size for lunch. We were in and out within 30 minutes. Service was attentive and kind. I tend to forget about this place but need to keep it on my radar! read more

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My husband and I went for lunch. I had the Pad Thai. It was as the best Pad Thai I've ever had. It has an oil on it which is a little sweet. It was perfect. They let you mix in the topping you prefer. They serve it with shredded cabbage, chopped peanuts and lime wedge on the side. The crab Rangoon were delicious too! I will be back!! read more

Had lunch there. The sushi was good, and they do nice lunch specials. Cool place. It's small, but there wasn't much of a wait during lunch. Dinner could get busy since it is small. read more

Not that good. Not fresh or authentic and both of had sour stomachs that night. Asked for Kendall Jackson white wine, they gave me some cheap white wine. read more

I enjoyed a nice lunch at Banana Leaf the other day. It seems to be frequented by business people enjoying a quick lunch and folk getting together to discuss what's happening. Everyone was happy and seemed to be enjoying their meals. I felt like it was a great neighborhood restaurant. I ordered the Drunken Noodles. They arrived in an incredibly short period of time. Did they know I was coming? The food was piping hot. The noodles were really delightful, sticky and full of flavor. The vegetables were really good. The chicken was a little overdone, but it was still fine. My only complaint was I was expecting more heat from a Thai restaurant. I ordered medium to play it safe. It was pretty mild, but I also admit I am beginning to transition to the Midwest and meals in NM tend to be spicy. I may have to adjust accordingly! read more

Time of day: 2:30pm, Sunday Service: kind and prompt Food: green curry with chicken (yum!), veggie spring rolls (okay), drunken noodles (good) Will definitely return when on that side of town looking for Thai! read more

More space inside than it looks from the outside. Menu is very extensive with a wide variety. Excellent sushi options. Went with server recommendation for the Basil Fried Rice with Chicken. Delicious. Looks like fair-priced lunch menu specials, so will need to come back. Friendly staff and great service. read more

Banana Leaf - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Banana Leaf has been the place we go for Thai food since it opened. We've almost always been happy with our experience. We've been doing only carry out orders since 2020. We had just returned from a vacation and wanted some yummy Thai. We of course chose Banana Leaf. We placed the order online. I noticed a few things weren't on the menu and some descriptions had changed. I have always enjoyed their Avocado Green Curry but it was one of the items not online. I decided to select the Green Curry Fried Rice although I was confused that it said it had fried rice. I selected mild for spice. My husband ordered the Tom Ka soup at medium spice level and the Pad See Ew at a hot spice level. We also ordered two kids dishes, the Kids Noodles and Kids Orange Chicken. Pickup went fine and they had the bag of food ready. Once home, we got a little confused. The curry used to come in two containers. One with the curry/veggie/meat mixture and then white rice and you'd mix it together on your own. Now it's a thick glob of everything together in the dish. It tasted fine and spice level was good but I like my curries a little more moist. My husband's soup and noodles had almost zero spice. Recall he ordered one at medium and one at hot spice levels. The kids liked the Kids Noodles but did not care for the Orange Chicken. The orange chicken also didn't come with a side of white rice as the menu stated. I understand menu items change from time to time and maybe the preparation of items does as well. I really miss how things were prior. If this was the first time some mistakes had been made, no big deal. However, my husband has had lower than ordered spice levels at least three times now. I sadly think we may need to find a new Thai restaurant. read more

Nice atmosphere and very good food. Gluten free options are available. Definitely will go back.

Such a delicious place to have a yummy meal with lovely atmosphere. Kind and quick service every time.

Stopped in for lunch. Had fried spring rolls to start. They were crispy & fresh. Soup & a little wonton came with our meal--didn't know we were getting that. Soup was light & warm. The wonton had great flavor but was cold. It probably sat on plate to be ready for a diner. My Sesame chicken was good. I asked for medium heat & it was just right. Hubby's Mongolian beef was tasty. He ordered medium & would have liked more heat. Waitress was very friendly & polite. Meal was reasonably priced. There was an up charge for fried rice. We'll be back!! read more

Banana Leaf - Mongolian beef - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

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Went here looking for vegetarian fare. We ordered the stir fried vegetables with fried tofu. My wife had the spring roles. The dishes were brought out immediately, the stir fry was delicious and the tofu added a nice textural difference. The sauce was light but tasty. The spring role is probably one of the healthiest we have experienced of its kind. Everything fresh and nothing fried. They are served with three dipping sauces. The food was solid, service was good, and the ambience was pleasing. Worth a visit. read more

Banana Leaf - Spring roles - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

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The food itself was really good . The basil thai style was amazing (would recommend with chicken over the beef). But the calamari was like $10 for NOTHING. Other than that pretty good !! read more

Banana Leaf - Pineapple Fried Rice, basil thai style - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

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I don't know who's fault it is. Doordash or the Banana leaf. But this is the second time our order was messed up. The restaurant won't stand behind it and DoorDash is impossible to get answers from without paying more. Both have lost our business. read more

This was really good. Even though the wontons were premade, everything was delicious. The broth had a nice, rich chicken stock flavor. The shrimp udon also had a good flavor as well. read more

Banana Leaf - Shrimp Wonton Soup and shrimp Udon Stir Fried - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

This is my go-to for sushi, they have large rolls that are worth your money! I will always choose Banana Leaf over any asian fusion restaurant in the Des Moines area read more

Nice atmosphere, quick and friendly service. My orange chicken was very good. I got level 2 spice. The GF fried rice was ok...and the sushi was ok. Maybe they needed more spice but overall mixed reviews from the party I was with. I'll be back for the orange chicken though! read more

Came here a few weeks ago during my lunch break from school. I ordered the chicken pad Thai. It was very fresh and the hostess was very sweet/friendly. I was surprised it was very fast. They were kind of busy inside but it took just ten minutes to make my meal. Definitely recommend to all and will definitely be back for more. read more

If you're a fan of Asian food and sushi, I would highly recommend Banana Leaf. The four of us went there for a birthday dinner. We all ordered something different. Everyone was very pleased with their meal and appetizers. The sushi was amazing and delicious. The wait staff were very friendly and helpful. The restaurant was clean and has a very relaxed atmosphere. One of the best parts is the prices are very reasonable. So if you are looking for a great Asian food restaurant, look no farther than Banana Leaf in West Des Moines. read more

OUTSTANDING -in ALL WAYS! My server was Very Friendly and Efficient. The food was served (amazingly) quick and ingredients were fresh. The atmosphere is welcoming and beautiful (a wall of 'greenery'). The Only disappointment was they were out of eggplant; and I went there Specifically for that. It's definitely worth returning to! read more

Back together again! I looooove Banana Leaf and visit whenever I'm in West Des Moines!! This Thai restaurant knows what they are doing and they do it well. They have a nice menu so everyone can find something to eat. The service is awesome and the food is fresh and phenomenal. The crab Rangoon was extra good this evening and so were the crispy spring rolls. They were a great way to kick off the meal. My husband has the sesame chicken. No complaints there and I had the fried rice extra spicy with shrimp. The shrimp were huge and the rice was good and spicy filled with healthy veggies. We phoned in for carry out. They were prompt and our food was still nice and hot when we got it back to our hotel. Banana Leaf we are looking forward to our next visit!!! read more

Banana Leaf - One lonely Crab Rangoon left - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

A little Asian mix place in a strip mall. The only problem is there are problems. My noodles were very salty. I ordered medium spicyness and there was no spice heat at all. Tempura shrimp was not coated in panko, just some batter. Cucumber salad was way too sweet. So essentially it's your typical Asian place that has a book for a menu that does everything poorly. I saw them put my food up under the warming lights. Then it just sat there, and sat there, and sat there. Finally they brought it out. Then my appetizer came out after the entree. It wasn't busy in there, unless busy means waitstaff on their phones. So If I go back again at least the bar has been set low. Real low. read more

Banana Leaf - Curry noodles - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

The sushi is always fresh and tasty. I feel like they should hire more servers to accommodate the demand, but overall they are really nice. I would recommend this place. read more

Banana Leaf - Pop Popcorn Shrimp Roll, Green Dragon, First Love, Crazy Salmon Roll - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

After a day at the Operating Room, we searched for a calm place to have some snacks and refuel. Banana Leaf was a stone throws away, so we decided to venture there. We were satisfied and impressed with this Asian Fusion restaurant. The inside reminds me of a bamboo hut. Clean cut. Home and Gardens like decor. Chill atmosphere. Menu was around five pages, nice variety. Friendly service. The four of us shared the Love Boat ($50, 20 pc sashimi, 4 pc nigiri, two signature rolls, spicy tuna roll, and a seaweed calamari salad)! There was a ton of food. Perfect portion for four people looking for a snack. Menu suggests two people, but even three hungry people would end up full from this entree. It was a nice variety of chef's choice sashimi and nigiri. Taste was fresh with high quality ingredients. I loved the signature rolls, especially the deep fried one! I was pleasantly surprised by the seaweed calamari salad. I normally stay away from it because the texture tastes slimy to me. Not the case here! The seafood was lightly seasoned and had a good consistency. The calamari was tender and tasty! I will keep this hidden gem in mind when traveling to Des Moines! Yum! read more

Banana Leaf - Love Boat! - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

Good food, nice people- but they don't make modifications if you ask for them. We called in for take out and I had asked for no bean sprouts on my order and there were a ton in my food. Not sure I'll return or not. Which is a bummer since we live close. read more

Great atmosphere. Great service. Good house tea. Great food always and every time. Recommend.

Ordered the Cashew Chicken Fried and was very disappointed. It was mainly breading and very little chicken. They charged a extra 3.50 to fry the chicken even though the menu says 15.95 for either Fried or unfried. In the past they have not up charged but decided to yesterday to charge extra. Big thing while there were a lot of vegetables, the chicken portion was small and again mainly breading. I opened up 3/4 of the pieces and there was NO chicken inside. The wait staff seemed to not care. We have preferred going here over Cool Basil since it is close to Glen Oaks, but will most likely not be going back again. This had been our go to place, but something seems to have changed the last few times we have gone. Twenty dollars for mainly breading, is a disappointment. They seem to be indifferent now, and that seems to be the case at a number of restaurants now. read more

Another great round of Banana Leaf goodness! The staff is seriously the ultimate sweetest and the ambiance is warm and inviting. Literally LOVE the crab rangoons - easily one of the top 2 in Des Moines. Went with the Almond Chicken with added water chestnuts and MMMMMMmmmmm. Mouth watering indeed. My company got the Orange Peel Chicken which has a deliciously golden crunch to it. Both. So. Good. Happy to report this place lives up to the hype time and time again. read more

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The more Thai food I try in Des Moines, the more I realize this city has particularly good Thai food, and this place is another reason for it. I got it delivered so I can't review the establishment or employees but the food (the important part) is great. The papaya salad is more watery than in other places I've had here (or at least mine was) but otherwise it was perfect. I'm a fan. read more

There are few foods that make me happier than well-executed Thai food. My favorite dining companion and I ventured out to Banana Leaf for some Thai food, along with her father. We started off with several appetizers. We went with squid salad, veggie fresh spring rolls, shrimp salad rolls, and the yellowtail jalapeno appetizer. We may have slightly overdone it, but the appetizers arrived quickly and they were all delicious. The yellowtail jalapeno was my favorite. It's simple and fantastic. For entrees, I went with my typical favorite: Angry Chicken. I ordered it hot, of course. My dining companion ordered the Medium Sashimi, but with no red tuna. She hates red tuna. Her father ordered green chicken curry. Our entrees arrived before we had finished our appetizers. We didn't mind. We finished them off quickly and handed off the plates to make some room. The sashimi was great. Beautiful cuts of very fresh fish, and a pleasant presentation as well. My angry chicken was excellent. The combination of vegetables was perfect, and the amount of heat was just right. The chicken was extremely tender and flavorful. The veggies were crisp and just cooked enough. I love having some crispness still in my cooked veggies. Overall, Banana Leaf was excellent. Fantastic service, our food came out correct, quickly, and piping hot. I really can't find a negative to mention. If you're out in the West Glen area and you're in the mood for Thai food (or sushi), stop by Banana Leaf. You won't be disappointed! read more

Banana Leaf - Angry Chicken. Delicious! - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

We love this place! I was just thinking last night that we need to go back. The yellow curry with cucumber salad is amazing as is the Panang Curry! read more

Pretty darn good....on this trip I only got takeout, but the interior was pleasant and welcoming. There was a stack of takeout orders on the counter, and the dining area was about half full on a Saturday night. I placed my order and was told it would be about 10 minutes - and the order was ready when I walked in 8 minutes after ordering. I got Mongolian Beef - my go to - and the beef was reasonably tender, with large slices of beef, big pepper chunks, and a nice smattering of onions. I ordered it 3-spicy, and while it was adequately spicy for my taste, it was not 'Thai hot', so I wouldn't be afraid to order one level spicier if you're on the fence on which heat level to select. I'll plan to return and perhaps dine-in to get that experience, but the food was nicely prepared, tasty, a full serving with a bit left over for tomorrow, and service was quick. As an added bonus, it's a short walk from my house! read more

Banana Leaf - Mongolian Beef takeout (box-o-rice not shown!) - Asian Fusion Near Me - West Des Moines, Iowa

We had a craving for Thai food but it was Sunday and all of our favorite spots were closed so we decided to give Banana Leaf a try. I'd eaten here for lunch one other time and I thought the Red Curry was quite good so I was eager to try some other things here. Sadly, it's all down hill from the curry. We order crab rangoons, larb with chicken level 3 spice, Tom Ka soup level 2, Spicy noodles with pork level 4, and red curry with chicken level 3. None of the dishes were spicy at all. Here's the breakdown: Rangoons 2/5: very basic and the wonton was kind of tough. Dipping sauce is runny and nothing special. Larb 0/5: this was one of the worst things I've eaten. It is just swimming in fish sauce. Don't get me wrong, we make Larb all the time and fish sauce is an important ingredient but no one would want to eat this much fish sauce. Totally disgusting. Tom Ka: 2/5. Very bland. It was missing acid and flavor in general. Just tasted like coconut milk. Spicy Noodles 2/5: not spicy and actually kind of sweet. The sauce is super thin and doesn't stick to the noodles at all. Red Curry 5/5: this is and continues to be an excellent dish. It was not nearly spicy enough but the flavors are excellent and the chicken was tender. Summary: there are far better Thai restaurants in this town but if you have to eat here, get the red curry. read more

If you like Cool Basil this is a related location. Also they are tailored more towards gluten free. However you still want to make sure that the waitress knows that is what you want to make sure you are getting all gluten free items. The interior is calming and small eatery style. We stopped in for a late lunch. (2ish) They have lunch deals and with you lunch you get soup and dumpling.- neither which are gluten free. The waitress also forgot that tempura is not gluten free til she brought out one of the rolls that we ordered. The soup was room temp, the dumpling tasted as it was made for the lunch rush and had been sitting under a heat lamp. The sushi rolls were good and the helping on pineapple fried rice was huge! So am on the fence if I need to make the trip back out there when there is more options and more at Cool Basil if I want this type of food. The waitress was very kind and did ask if we wanted a new roll when she knew that we were eating gluten free. However I never saw her after we got our food and the place was not that busy. Not ready to love this location just yet. read more

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