Wasabi Tao

One of my favorite sushi places in town. Never disappointed. Nothing is speculator, but everything is very good. Pretty straight forward sushi place. Wasabi Tao over Akebono any day.

Best edamame ever! The rest of the food was good too. Waitress was sweet and very helpful.

Sushi is my food of choice. Wasabi Tao has some of the best spicy edamame! The sushi rolls are excellent. Our waitress was professional, funny, and personable. Highly recommend wasabi Tao.

Consistently great food. Seating can be a little slow if you get there early for lunch. Reasonably priced.

Another work trip to Des Moines and needed to visit Wasabi Tao again. This time I was able to make it in for their happy hour specials. The spicy edamame (free with Unilocal check-​in) continues to be the best I’ve ever tried. Great to get decent sushi despite the closest ocean is over 1,000 miles away.

Have to have the spicy edamame. Sushi roll selection was unique but not too over the top. Sushi was very fresh and some of the best I’ve had in the Midwest. Service was efficient especially when eating at the bar. Will definitely be back next time I’m in town.

Attentive service– an empty dish was never left for more than a minute or two before someone cleared it
Specialty Rolls were flavorful and balanced — never heavy or too spicy
Spicy Egg Drop soup had a smokey depth of flavor — would order a full bowl
Atmosphere was clean and somewhat modern
Price was right– no surprises.

Suprisingly Des Moines has a few great sushi places… this is one of them. Its ambience raises it above the others. They jave both traditional (clean taste with simplistic elegance) and more robust specialty rolls.
Hot tea is the only area they could improve. They bring out the tea in pots that look great but that cant keep the tea hot. Everytime I go I am hopeful that this time the tea will actually be hot, but it comes luke warm. The pot itself wicks away the heat and lowers the temp of the tea.
Other than this minor inconvenience this place is a must try!

I have been to their other sushi restaurant Wasabi Chi and I love both of these places. This location I have only been to once with my coworker for lunch, and two days later we were craving to come here again.
I did not order sushi this last time. I got a red curry dish that was served with rice and soup or salad and we got edunami peas for an appetizer. Spicy edunami peas that were 10 stars good. They were mouth watering. They were covered in garlic, ginger, perhaps sesame oil, and I don’t know what else but it was super. The egdrop soup was good and spicy which is not normal for this type of soon but was much appreciated since I love spicy food. Main dish rocked also. All the vegetables were bright and crisp. Curry was packed with flavor and was not lacking in juicyness.
Long story short, this place is classy but not pricy. Best combo. Come here and be happy.

Spicy Edamame — Yum!
Cherry Blossom Roll — Yum!
First time to Des Moines and a great first impression. Atmosphere was delightful and the service was professional and friendly.

Amazing sushi. Like damn.!! Happy hour was so affordable and the place is adorable. I posted pictures. Definitely a must go place! Check in and get free edamame too
The staff was very friendly and attentive.

This place definitely satisfies our sushi needs. Coming from the east coast, our sushi standards are pretty high and this place exceeds them. Really the cold starters are what makes this place so great. We have tried the bonsai tree, tuna dumplings (our favorite), snow beauty (second favorite), and the seared tuna slices. None of them will disappoint, but we usually go for the tuna dumplings.
Added to the list of greatness: foxy lady, temptation, hotel kirkwood, and out of control rolls. They also have very good nigiri and usually have special fish.
If you don’t like sushi– get veggie spring rolls, pork gyoza, and the chicken fried rice. I don’t know what they do to the fried rice, but it’s the best fried rice i’ve ever had.

Recommendation: Definitely my favorite sushi place in Des Moines. The spicy edamame appetizer (through free promotion or not) is delectable. Pretty cheap for the amount of good sushi you receive!
Atmosphere: Wasabi Tao generally feels like a fairly upscale place to dine, or at least after you get inside. If you enter the restaurant from the east side, you have to walk through a strange empty atrium for an old hotel, complete with small phone booths. Only when you walk around the corner do you see the small sign and entrance for Wasabi Tao. Once inside, darkness welcomes you. The whole restaurant is extremely dimly lit, which can make looking around an appreciating the Eastern décor a little difficult in the first 5 minutes of sitting down in a fancy circular booth or regular tables. Once your eyes do adjust, there are a number of decorations to appreciate, including a giant glowing Buddha statue. The single bathroom is also nicely decorated, with a rectangular toilet and a beautiful vessel sink and faucet.
Service: The service was also excellent every time I’ve visited. Our water glasses were constantly waited on by a chatty gentleman and our food orders were taken care of by an attentive waiter. When the sushi was brought out, he identified each roll on our plate for us and then left us to our meal. However, within a few minutes we had forgotten so he was gracious enough to remind us of everything. All in all, I was quite impressed with the level of care we received while at the restaurant. Even when I’ve been there with just one other in my party, the waitress would constantly check in on us to make sure everything was good. In addition, all the food came out quickly! Appetizers and soups were almost instantaneous and we’ve been told the sushi was usually ready soon after, but the waiter would leave it in the kitchen to give us a chance to finish the appetizer. If you’re in a rush, this is a good place to go!
Food: The food at Wasabi Tao has been consistently good. Definitely the best sushi we’ve experienced thus far in Iowa. The appetizers have been pretty awesome, with little to complain about. Miso soup is delicious, and most recently I tried the spicy egg drop soup, which was a great sweet and spicy flavor I wasn’t expecting. As I said earlier, the spicy edamame is a must-​have, and for $ 5 (or free using the Unilocal checkin coupon) it’s an absolute steal. The gyoza dumplings and shrimp shumai are also delicious. However, I would have to say that the $ 8 Crispy Soft Shell Crab wasn’t up to par with the level of tastiness I’ve come to expect from Wasabi Tao.
Then our sushi came out! A wonderfully prepared platter of 6 rolls. Surprisingly, my favorite was probably the $ 6.50 Spricy Crunchy Salmon Roll. Everything was perfect in it; a great blend of textures, a clear hint of salmon, and just the right touch of wasabi and crunch. Nice! My next favorite of the night was the Out of Control Roll. It’s a warm, non-​raw $ 13 roll that was extremely rich and creamy. The last notable roll of the night was the $ 10 Spider Roll (I think), which had amazingly delicate avocado and soft shell crab. The other rolls we got were the Foxy Lady Roll (not bad, but not a ton of flavor), the Miracle Roll (big! But it wasn’t a miracle), and the yellowtail scallion roll, which wasn’t bad but wasn’t as good as the salmon. Other times I’ve been though, every roll we got was terrific! I suppose it’s helpful to try a wide variety of items on the menu to find what you like.
Summary: If in Des Moines and want sushi, definitely stop by Wasabi Tao. The restaurant looks pretty upscale but services everyone, the staff is friendly, attentive, and helpful, and the food is really good considering the location in Iowa. I’ll definitely be going back, and I’ll do what I can to bring friends along too!

By far my favorite sushi restaurant in town! The quality of the fish is amazing and the slices of fish are thick. Nice, low key ambiance. Open late and located within walking distance of the bars in court ave. Love the staff! I’m definitely a regular and that won’t be changing.

Dragonberry mojitos + sashimi = love
The wait staff is amazing at this location. The atmosphere is so relaxing and enjoyable. I am trying to find something (anything) to critique, and I can’t!
I really like the sushi B deal and the crab rangoons are a nice appetizer. I also really enjoy their salty miso soup. Highly recommend!

This is definitely my new favorite sushi place in Des Moines! Service is always excellent here & the food is delicious and fresh. I’ve been here twice. The first time I went here was a Saturday around 4 PM & it wasn’t really busy at all. I went here again tonight around 6 PM. It was busy but we were seated promptly and our server was very nice as well. We were really actually surprised how fast our food came out but the quality of the food was still great. I have tried the shrimp tom yum soup, oysters, seared tuna salad, sashimi dinner, spicy tuna roll, celebration roll & miracle roll. The side spicy egg drop soup is good as well. Everything was great but I definitely think the celebration roll is my favorite!

Took the whole family and everyone loved their meal. Service was spot on. This place just became my new favorite for sushi after one visit. Never knew much about Edamame, I love theirs tho, more fun and tastier then roasted peanuts. I’m not sweet a eater, but the red bean and green tea desserts, Mochi I think, were worth going back for all on their own. I’ll be hitting that place frequently. I wouldghave have them 5 stars, but it was my first visit. Did I forget to mention they’re mojito… Wow… had to have three!!!

Take out x2 while on our last trip to Des Moines. Even as takeout, and leftovers the next day… the sashimi was amazing and fabulous!
I can’t imagine what dining in would be like.

This is one of the places I would go to if I’m in downtown. The have different style of sushi that is into rice wrap. Their sushi looks like an artwork, and it tasted good. Tried their oyster, and it has great flavor. My favorite dish is the shrimp curry that is in the pot. It’s devine! Their servers is friendly and professional. They never disappoint me. The service is not very fast when they get busy. I’m not sure if they har enough servers, but not something to worry about cause their servers are amazing. :)
Keep it up.
I enjoy every visit

Great spot for some sushi and Japanese cuisine in downtown Des Moines. Plus there’s a giant Buddha statue right in the middle of the restaurant. Nice touch.
I ordered one of the house rolls and it was plenty enough food for for one person. Add in a shared spicy edamame app (free with Unilocal check-​in!) and I was out of there for under $ 20, including tip. They also have an extensive cocktail menu and a swanky bar to enjoy them at. I’ll plan on knocking a couple of those back next time in in DSM!