Hawker Kitchen brings authentic Malaysian street food flavors right into the heart of Des Moines, and it's a spot that feels both comforting and exciting if you're craving Southeast Asian dishes. Char Kueh Teow This dish stood out immediately which has a smoky wok hei flavor (the "breath of the wok") coated the flat rice noodles, giving them that deep caramelized edge that's hard to find outside of Malaysia. The prawns were plump and juicy, and the mix of soy, garlic, and chili gave just the right balance of savory and spicy. Fresh cucumbers and pickled vegetables on the side added a refreshing crunch, making each bite balanced and addictive. Laksa Rich, creamy, and fragrant, the laksa broth was a highlight. The curry coconut base carried layers of spice without being overwhelming, and every sip warmed you from the inside out. The noodles were cooked just right, with toppings that tied it together from seafood to herbs. It's the kind of bowl that makes you pause between spoonfuls just to savor the aroma. Satay The chicken satay had a lovely turmeric and lemongrass marinade, grilled to a slight char that locked in the smoky flavor. Tender on the inside with crispy edges, it paired perfectly with the bold, nutty, and slightly spicy peanut dipping sauce. The cucumber slices on the side helped cut through the richness, just like you'd get back at a hawker stall in Malaysia. Overall Hawker Kitchen is a gem for anyone looking for authentic Malaysian comfort food in Des Moines. Portions are generous, flavors are bold and true to their roots, and the variety on the menu makes it worth repeat visits. If you're new to Malaysian cuisine, start with the satay and char kueh teow; if you're a fan already, the laksa will feel like home. read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Char Kuay Teo Shrimp - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Another one that's been on my list for a bit... I was out in the Northern part of Ankeny this morning and knew Hawker's Kitchen was just around the corner from where I was. And "around the corner" right now is kind of subjective with the construction on Ankeny Boulevard... If I recall correctly Hawker's Kitchen opened later in 2024. October maybe? The food spans comfort staples from Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, and Thailand among other regions of Southeast Asia. I'd browsed the online menu but still wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I walked in. It's located in a strip so there is plenty of parking. It's order and pay at the front counter. They have a digital menu board and a hard copy menu available if you want to use that. Take a seat and they bring your food to you when it's ready. Coke fountain drinks as well as the other available drinks on the menu. Seating is mostly low top tables and chairs with a few booth table chair combos along the wall. They bus your table when you're done eating. I noticed a couple outdoor tables too as I walked in... I arrived at about 1115 am today (Saturday) and the restaurant seemed immaculately clean. I ordered the following. I was told my wait would be around 10 min. I think it took a little less than that. One Curry Puff. Described on their menu as: "A crispy pastry filled with curried potatoes, onions, and seasoned meat. A popular snack in Southeast Asia known for its spicy-sweet flavor and golden-brown crust." Sausage with sticky rice. "Asian sausage with sticky rice. Common street food that one can find in Laos and Thailand." Roti John Sandwich. "A popular Malaysian and Singaporean street food sandwich that blends western and asian flavors. Filled with curried beef, eggs, mozzarella cheese, shredded cabbage & carrots with mayo and sweet chili sauce." I didn't need to order that much... Just the sandwich would have been fine for a lunch... But it was something new to try and one item wasn't going to be enough from a curiosity standpoint alone... This would be a great place to take a few friends and do a family style meal! Everything tasted wonderful! I loved the sauce that came with the sticky rice. The curried beef in the sandwich... Wow about says what I want to say about the beef. There is SO much more I want to try! The BBQ puffs, the shrimp pancakes, their beef bulgogi, mee siam, and char kuay teo beef... A nice selection of boba, teas, fizzes, and sweets. Thank God they have a rewards program and a discount when you sign up for it... Cause I'll be back! I'm not sure what is going on, but once again... The staff here was fantastic! Incredible service! I've had a really great run of eating out lately and being treated very well across the board. From everyone working the front to a gentleman who came out from the back, when he saw my Navy cap, to thank me for my service. I was greeted when I walked in. Any questions I had were answered patiently. I stopped by the front to say thank you when I left and everyone was so friendly... Then I headed on my way... A stellar visit with Hawker's Kitchen! https://hawkers-kitchen.com/ read more

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What an awesome new addition to Ankeny! Was back in town visiting and it's nice to have authentic Asian food in town. This is your Asian steet food style, think tapas so it is great way to try different dishes with the group. Food is delicious! Order at counter. read more

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Coming from a Singaporean, this place is almost like a taste from home . Although the char kuay teow does not have wok hei ( meaning life of wok, and is a Smokey transfer of fumes to food) it was still a good plate of food The curry puff, Nasi lemak and Portuguese tarts are seriously good Compliments to the chef . Job well executed and well done. read more

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I always wanted to go to Singapore and eat at the famous Hawker Food Courts...I guess if you wait long enough, it will come to you You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. Everything was amazing. We loved the crispy chicken/basil appetizer (fair warning, it is all dark meat with a bit of texture. So if you are looking for bland white meat nuggets...this is not for you). The house dipping sauce is a bit spicy and addictive. For entrées, we hadthe beef Bulgogi with rice and the shrimp noodle bowl. Both were excellent. The shrimp bowl was a little too shrimpy for my taste. They're also fish cakes that were very good in the bowl. I also had a tiger's milk... Which is basically brown sugar milk with Boba, it was cool and refreshing For dessert, we had the mango sticky rice. This was really good, not a real sweet dessert, but it was one of the better desserts I've had in the past year. Order with confidence, everything looks good on this menu. read more

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Heard about this place and loved that the menu had the story behind what a hawker is. It's street food, the kind we've seen on TV, so we were excited to try it. The place is new, so it's very clean and tasteful. Plenty of seating. You order at the front and they call you when it's ready. I love sticky rice. I knew it wasn't mango season, so not a 10/10, but if it was in season, it'd be a 10. The portion was huge too. I took half of it home. Other food was ok. My husband liked the sandwich. I liked the peanut sauce. Staff were very nice and friendly and gave suggestions. Definitely a place to try at least once. read more

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I was welcomed within 20 seconds of walking in the door and was handed a menu. I cheerfully thanked for my business on my way out the door. The staff here is very friendly; it was depressing to be in an empty restaurant around 5 PM and be the only dine-in customer there. I ordered a curry puff and the beef bulgogi. It was heartening to see they did a miniature version of banchan with this plate--oi muchim and do chua were present along with a healthy portion of beef bulgogi and rice. The food didn't taste poor, but all of the flavors seemed muted--no one flavor really stood out over another. The chili sauce had good flavor, but not much in the way of heat. Perhaps I'm getting a virus, which would explain things. Review is close to 3.75 stars. I'll be back to try other dishes--I find it very important to support local businesses and not chains. read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Curry puff - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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The staff was welcoming and friendly. The restaurant was very clean. The food was good. I had the Roti John sandwich and it was my first ever. It was a little messy but delicious. I would definitely return and try different things on the menu. There were a lot of choices. The Thai milk tea was excellent. read more

The staff here is exceptionally helpful and friendly. We had a food allergy issue and the cook came out to verify the process to follow to ensure a healthy experience.. a pure joy. Helpful, tasty, inviting atmosphere.Tasty treats! Highly recommended! read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Taro Bingsu. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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It has been months since my last visit there. I crave for Singapore dishes sporadically and they do have some but their char kuay teow, mee siam and prawn noodle lack bean sprouts. They didnt want to invest in bean sprouts as this rots quickly. I think it is a poor excuse as this is part of these dishes. My palate and memory cant make sense of its absence from these dishes. Everything tastes right. A little pricey. Their staff is quick and attentive. Clean and orderly tables n chairs settings. read more

Great place to try in Ankeny. It's a different type of Asian. It's like a fusion street food and the service is very nice to walk you through what you need to pick. read more

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The drive up here from Des Moines was so worth it and I'd do it again! Whole experience was amazing!! Kind people, chill atmosphere and the food was hands down some of the best I've had in the area. Get the laksa with an egg tart and it's basically guaranteed to be a great day. Flavors were going sicko mode and I loved every bit of it! Noodles had PEAK texture and the broth carried the flavor home. Friends got beef bulgogi and the chicken and everyone loved it and agreed the drive was well worth it! Please do yourself a favor and come here!! read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Laksa - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Delicious Asian fusion. They are always adding to the menu and keeping things fresh. The latest spicy pork appetizer and pork fried rice are awesome. I want to drink the ginger dipping sauce, lol. The nicest folks run it and food is delivered lighting fast. It is a consistent and good mainstay in Ankeny. read more

Good service, amazing flavors. Food was served at correct temperature, hot things, hot cold things cold! That said the flavors were amazing, the goyza or a spot on! The fried chicken and coconut rice was delicious. My partner loved it. My shrimp dish with vermicelli was full of flavor and again amazing If you enjoy Asian food, I would highly recommend this place. The atmosphere is clean. There are a lot of people coming and taking to go food Fairmount sitting here eating and everything we had was delicious and spot on give it a try. read more

Came in was greeted right away with menus, they are an order at the counter style more than a table side service restaurant. They serve SE Asian Street Food here. I was super excited to try this place when I heard about it opening. First the smaller items, we tried the curry bread and the egg tart. Both flaky and delicious. I love egg tarts so it's nice to now have a place in iowa that has them! Then we also got the basil chicken bites, they were crispy, seasoning is unique I enjoyed it but my companions weren't sure on it. For entrees we got the Roti John Sandwich and the Teriyaki chicken. The Sandwich was excellent melted cheese and egg, plenty of sauce. The teriyaki chicken was decent. I plan to come back to try their other items soon! George says chomp chomp cho (2.5) put of 3 chomps! read more

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This place has lots of potential and for being just opened, they are doing a lot of things right already. Everything appears made in the store -- from the pickled vegetables to their entrees to their delicious chili sauce. My wife and I don't eat rice or bread, so bear that in mind. We ordered it sans both (although the bread (buns) looked high quality and more hoagie like. It came with rice -- I get it, we're weird. It was in the center of the plate and easy to eat around. The Beef Bulgogi was very tasty, but perhaps a little light. I would have been still hungry if I had that entree. The BBQ Pork however was significant 6-8oz and was delicious and very moist. The star of the show were the chicken bites. I would have called them Chicken Karaage if I had named them. The only thing missing was a sauce, which they offered the homemade chili sauce. Excellent addition -- should be the default. Staff and Service were great. It was busy and everyone seemed to enjoy the specialty Boba or Korean Tea drinks. I really would give this place 4.5 stars for the slightly small Bulgogi order, but will return with my entire troop. read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Beef Bulgogi and BBQ Char Pork - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

Amazing service, fantastic food at very affordable prices. Wish we lived closer or we would become regulars read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Laksa - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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My new favorite food spot in all of Ankeny ... and way beyond. What a fantastic place! This is easily the most authentic Asian food I've had outside of Thailand. On a recommendation from the owner, Jennifer, I ordered the Laksa noodle dish, and it was unbelievably delicious! I could have finished every ounce of it at the restaurant, but I loved it so much I saved some just to have leftovers. The flavors were incredible. Definitely an A+. My girlfriend had a chicken teriyaki dish that was also amazingly flavorful. Jennifer also gave us a free egg tart to try for dessert, and that was a huge hit too. Soooo good. I took home a menu and already have my next five dishes picked out. Cannot wait to get back there! Support this local gem ... you won't be disappointed! read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Pretty fantastic. I didn't think that I'd randomly find such a good place in Ankeny. I ordered the Laksa, curry puffs, spring rolls, and an un-sweetened black tea on ice. The Laksa was great! I will absolutely get it again. The only reason why this review is not 5/5 is because the noodles were very mushy/soft (picking them up was tough) and my un-sweetened black tea tasted like cotton candy... I couldn't drink it, it was somehow so sweet. It seems like all of the drinks are sweet here, so when I come back I will just need to figure out what to do in that department... but it was great overall. Thank you!!! read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

I came here on the 18th and ordered a coffee boba and the shrimp pancake. Upon walking in, I was greeted and asked if I wanted to see a menu. The place is really clean and the decor is very nice. There is a lot of open seating. It took about 8 minutes to get my food and it was delicious! The shrimp pancakes came with this sauce that I think was fish sauce with soy, I'm not sure but it was very good and really complimented the pancakes. The coffee boba was great. 10/10 here, my only complaint is that I live so far away and can't come here more often! read more

Hawker's Kitchen - Coffee boba - Asian Fusion Near Me - Ankeny, Iowa

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Love love love! Went there with a few friends and we basically got half the menu. Everything was so good from the boba to the dishes. Everyone was so nice and asked if we got everything we needed. They even cleaned up after us. It was so good that I came back the next day with more people and they recognized me. I will always come back here to grab an Asian bite. read more

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The food was very tasty. I ordered the Char Kuay Teo of which I had never had before. It was very tasty but wasn't sure how to eat the cucumbers and cucumber salad that came with it. I would have liked a different carry out container. It seemed that the stuff on the side was too highlighted. Also order the curry puff. This was truly amazing! Absolutely delicious! My only complaint is that it was much smaller than I expected. I really thought it would be twice that size or gave 2 served per serving. read more

Great service. Pleasant atmosphere. Good food. Great parking. Wish is was in Des Moines

Stumbled upon this place while in town from Texas. I'm so glad I found it. Had the vermicelli bowl with lemongrass chicken and it was phenomenal. Also treated myself to a Matcha Boba tea.! read more

Delicious food and very helpful, friendly staff. Service was quick and we really enjoyed our meals. We will definitely be back to try more of the menu! read more

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Very authentic food. It is hard to find something so delicious, with amazing service in this location. This food was so good it reminded me of what my grandma used to make me growing up. The people working there were very kind and I liked the trays you get to carry your food. Would come again and highly recommend for authentic and genuine food! read more

We've been twice now and have had wonderful experiences each time. The food is excellent and the staff/owners are friendly and caring. Hawker's has quickly become a go to spot for us. read more

5 star service and presentation. The only issue was the food was bland for my taste everything seem like it was water down. Boba was still dehydrated and stuck together. read more

Food as always is perfect and delicious! Place is clean and all the staff are friendly and kind. I wish I took photos of my foods but every time I'm just so excited I dig in without remembering! Chicken dishes, the chicken are always perfectly cooked and the beef dishes the meat is always tender. I'm so excited there is a place in Ankeny that has all the dishes from my childhood! My husband and I always try to eat here as often as possible. read more

The food was SO GOOD!! Literally everything! We got the Beef Bulgogi with Rice, Curry Puff, Egg Tarts, and the Shrimp Pancakes. We were floored! The puff pastry in the puff and the tarts was delicious (not to mention the fillings in both were amazing!!). Will definitely be ordering again. read more

The staff is so sweet. They are incredibly friendly and the food comes out very hot and delicious. The owners are so kind. They personally came out and told us all about the dishes we ordered. I highly recommend!!!! read more

Very nice street food. Tried the Beef Bulgogi with rice: good mix of spicy, salty and sweet. Solid taste. Nice modern interior. Clean place. Excellent food presentation on unique wood trays with large bowel. Service was extremely friendly. read more

One of the most unique food experiences in Iowa. Food is always amazing with great portions and amazing flavors. High quality flavors with exceptional preparation and care. If you are tired of basic food and flavors give this place a shot. read more

the food was mediocre at best. Egg should have been runny, not cold and rubbery. service was so quick that I wondered how they fried that egg so quick but came to find out they were cooked ahead of time .. not good. I won't return but I'm a food snob and expected much better. read more