Volcano and soft shell crab were the best rolls I have had here. Once again, not the best sushi but…read morewe are in a Small town in Iowa.

The steak was cooked perfectly medium and the flavor was fantastic. Definitely a high…read morerecommendation to get this again. Make sure to come early as this place often gets busy and is hard to get a table. It took quite a while for my food to come out to the point that I was loosing my appetite that's the only reason it gets 3 stars. Should be 3.5

OMG. The sushi and nigiri are out of this world and more aligned to something I would expect in…read moreChicago or New York City. I had the futomaki and bluefin akami (deep, cranberry red) to start, followed by the bluefin toro, the J. Pablo, and finished with the tuna lemon. All were excellent in their own distinct ways. This restaurant is super cute on the inside, and they fly in their seafood from all over, but it is very fresh and made at the bar in plain sight. Caitlin took excellent care of me, and Pedro made all of the sushi by hand, and he did a phenomenal job of educating me on what he was making, and what everything was. My dinner there was the highlight of my visit to DSM, and locals and visitors alike need to check this restaurant out!

I'm gonna likely get hate for this and maybe I'm jaded because based on the reviews I had higher…read moreexpectations of this place but it was a bit underwhelming. I generally like a place that has a different menu on the daily based on what they have sourced seasonally etc however this days menu wasn't that exciting. The quality of the fish was good. I had the yellowfin nigiri but $12 for one piece was steep. I also had the prosciutto wrapped mushroom stuffed squash blossoms but the prosciutto was too heavy for how delicate the blossoms are and it caused it to be overly salty. I had walked in planning to order additional dishes but my disappointment told me to be done. The service was average. One sushi chef was nice. The other I could overhear speaking to guests which looked like they were getting omakase and it was possible he knew them because I could hear him speaking of his personal life and casually using curse words. The restaurant itself was clean, had nice decor but rather loud. Maybe I'll try again next time I'm in town for work.

Food tasted good. I would recommend this place and come here again. Service was a bit slow but…read moremaybe that's just how long it takes to make sushi. Ambiance was appropriate.

Salmon Lover roll is great! Also liked the ginger dressing. Fast service. Thank you!!'read more

If you're looking for authentic, flavorful ramen, Hokkaido is absolutely worth the visit. This was…read moreonly our second ramen spot, but it has officially become the standard we'll compare every other ramen restaurant against. We started with the dumplings, and they were outstanding--crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with flavor. They were the perfect way to start the meal. I ordered the Spicy Beef Ramen, and all I can say is... wow. The broth was rich, bold, and full of depth without overpowering the dish. The beef was incredibly tender, practically falling apart with every bite, and every ingredient came together perfectly. My wife ordered the Miso Ramen and couldn't stop talking about how flavorful and comforting it was. Every spoonful tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. The atmosphere was another highlight. The restaurant has a beautiful, open layout with warm lighting, Japanese-inspired décor, and a welcoming vibe that makes you want to stay and enjoy your meal. It feels modern while still being cozy. To top it all off, the service was phenomenal. Our server was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling intrusive. Hokkaido delivered on every level--food, atmosphere, and service. We'll definitely be back, and if you're in the Ankeny area and craving ramen, this is a place you need to experience. Highly recommended.

Rich ramen flavor. It was fine in its own way…read more Ordered the tonkatsu and the tom yum ramen. Our friends ordered the same thing. We have similar foodie tastes and we all agreed it was ok. No true wow factor but also wasn't terrible. I guess it was satisfying in its unique right. $15-$17 a bowl. Add $4 for gluten free. Ramen noodles are made of egg so I opted for the gluten free glass noodles in my tom yum. My bowl came to $21.50. I did not really enjoy my ramen. It was not the flavors I wanted. The texture of the noodles didn't belong in a tom yum soup. I had a taste of Mr W's tonkatsu and I felt it was overpowered with a bamboo and charred pork flavor. Extremely salty as well. He enjoyed it ok but also agreed it was very rich. We all shared spicy edemame and crab rangoons. I did not like the edemame it was seasoned with a sweet and sour finishing glaze with red pepper flakes. Not the right flavor for me. Service was ok. Food arrived quickly and great presentation. Restaurant was busy for a Thursday night. Restaurant was decorated beautifully in Japanese theme decor. Quaint and fun. All in all...it was ok but not my favorite. It was nice to try a different ramen place in the Des Moines area with our ramen crazy friends.

Had a great later evening dinner with a friend here at Tokyo Steakhouse last week…read more.. I'd never been, but my friend had eaten here a few times before with her sons... From what I can tell it's similar to Ohana's, but more like Taki... Tokyo Steakhouse offers a tableside menu without having to sit around the grill. Definitely the way to go for more of a quiet dinner. We were greeted and seated right away when we walked in. The booth was comfortable. Our server Danish stopped by within a minute or two and introduced himself. He took our drink order and gave us a few minutes to look over the menu. My companion ordered the steak and shrimp hibachi dinner that came with soup and a salad. I ordered the firecracker roll and shrimp tempura roll off the sushi menu. I really enjoyed both rolls and was able to try a little of the steak and shrimp hibachi plate. It was really good too. Make sure you order a side of the yum yum sauce for the fried rice! Danish did a great job throughout our visit. He was polite and personable and our drinks never hit empty. The food was all on point! A great first experience at Tokyo Steakhouse!

My first time here. I called ahead earlier in the week and put in a reservation for 4 for the…read morehibachi. We arrived on time and waited a little bit for the rest of our party. I got a little nervous as they had us wait for the rest of our party and group after group came in and went back to hibachi tables. The restaurant dining wasn't packed for this time of the day and week. My friend is the one who said they had been here before and never had a problem and enjoyed it. When they arrived, the host took us right back and seated us, no problem. The hibachi part in the back was bigger than it appears. There are three big cooking areas and get ready for a show! H - Hot grills at right at your table. Food show and flipped into your mouth! I - I got to take a shot of sake from a squeeze bottle. B - Bet you don't leave hungry -the serving sizes are huge. A - Affordable for the entire family. C - Children welcome and entertained at the grill. Lots of laughter. H - Had the scallops and chicken but I could have eaten a tons of the scallops. I - I will be back, this is a fun date night spot.

It isn't often that our days off lineup for a regular date night together, so we always look for…read moresomething special. With time running out on a Sunday evening, we knew we wanted sushi and Akebono was still open so we decided might as well give it a shot. This was quite possibly the best dining experience I've ever had the opportunity to enjoy. Our server Nick picked up on the date night vibes immediately and knew exactly what to do. Curating the entire meal for us, every single bite he brought to our table was everything we wanted and more, from the tempura shiso leaf hamachi serrano to the torched tuna nigiri as the final bite. One of a kind conversation and etiquette through the entire service, exceptional food produces by the chefs, and the corner table on the patio made for a date night we won't soon forget. Get yourself into Akebono if you need yourself a roll or a bowl that will stick with you for a lifetime.

Sushi was amazing! They had super friendly and attentive service. 5/5 will come back!read more

12/13/25 9:00 p.m…read more Dine-in Food: 10/10!!! Everything we ordered was phenomenal! All of the fish was fresh and delicious. The sushi rice was perfectly cooked as well. We tried a couple of appetizers and they were really good! The Komodo Sticks are a newfound favorite lol. Also, we decided to give some sake a try; two different flavors. The Hana Fuji Apple is definitely preferred over the Moonstone Plum. The Hana Fuji Apple sake tastes similar to an Apple Jolly Rancher, but the Moonstone Plum sake tastes almost as if you're drinking a perfume; not in a bad way, just unexpected. A Teppanyaki Steak Hibachi Bento Box was also ordered to share, and it was great! The steak was savory and delicate without being overcooked. Service: Our waitress was awesome! She greeted us with a smile as well as a great, upbeat attitude. All of our questions were answered with knowledge instead of guesses and she even made great recommendations. She was quick and non-intrusive. All of the kitchen staff were fantastic as well; working quickly and efficiently. Ambiance: Inside is small, quaint, almost intimate, and pretty quiet. You're able to see the chefs work as they prepare the food, without being overwhelmed by kitchen noises or smells. Speaking of, it smelled great in there! It hit us before we even entered the restaurant and it smelled like perfection!

We stopped by rather late one evening during the week. My daughter, an ISU student and…read moreself-proclaimed sushi connoisseur, brought us there. Not surprisingly, it was pretty quiet but we were glad to find a decent place to eat at that hour. We ordered 4 rolls that were recommended by the server. Portions and prices were reasonable. I can't say it was the best sushi I've ever had, but I was impressed. Maybe I had low expectations for sushi in a college town in the middle (literally) of farm country, but I thought our food was really good. I liked the Asian bar vibe. Save for a few ISU pennants and other memorabilia, it was pretty easy to imagine we were in a small sushi bar in rural Japan. Having never been to Japan, I am probably way off on that, but the atmosphere was way better than most of the strip mall sushi places we usually go to. All in all, pretty good! I'd definitely go again.

Food was excellent as well as the service I will be going back. upscale environment, but not…read morepretentious, comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

Yum. Love the food here. Have gotten takeout and eaten in the restaurant. Both times very…read moreconsistent so far. The sushi is tender and tasty. The ramen I ordered before was also good . The only issue I have with the order out is that they put the hot miso soup with the sushi in the same bag. I prefer my sushi cold and my soup hot. Not mixed in the same bag. The ramen pork is not the normal thin sliced pork that I and used to getting. Instead it is a thicker grilled piece which also tastes very good. Just different texture and taste. Overall very good and the best sushi I've had in Iowa so far.

I have been to Blue several times…read more The lion king is one of the best sushi offerings at Blue. We usually order the tuna tower, and since it was a slow afternoon it's understandable that the rice may be older or not as fresh, but it's still a great dish to order. We also ordered the ceviche (not pictured) but recommend it too! The service is always friendly and attentive and the ambiance is always nice.

Happy Hour Paradise Usually dead in the place…read moreBring them to MN This is a chain that I would definitely like to see in the Twin Cities. It is pretty much Happy Hour most of the time. All day Sunday. Generally make it here every time that I get to town. If you had told me how much time I would have spent in Des Moines twenty years ago, I would have said you are nuts. Rolls range from $6.50 to $10.75 on HH. Had the Cali Roll and Crunchy L.A. tonight. Both great. No cucumber on either. Nothing ruins a good piece of sushi like Cucumber. Glass of Chard for $6.50. Leaving pleasantly full and looking forward to my next visit.

Amazing food! Service was awesome! The hibachi and sushi were my favorite. Cocktail drinks were…read moregreat and reasonable.

great service and friendly staff. the ambiance was fun and the energy was good. They went out of…read moretheir way to get seating for me. The sushi selection was good.