A Dong

The best way to get inside this popular Vietnamese and Chinese restaurant is to park behind the building and enter via the back entrance. A Dong's periwinkle building and décor, including linoleum floors and vinyl upholstery, are unassuming, but the food is extraordinary. The cooking is authentic, and items such as the pho soup are accompanied with fresh accoutrements like bean sprouts and herbs that diners add on their own to further enhance the food's flavor. The restaurant is a favorite with the Des Moines Asian community.