Fong's Pizzeria

If you've been to Des Moines, you've probably heard of Fong's Pizzeria.  It's an Asian restaurant turned pizza joint.  Well, I guess I can't really say "turned" since the menu, including the pizza, is mostly Asian inspired as is the decor of the restaurant still.

With pizzas like Thai Chicken, Fongolian, Beef, Happy Family and even Crab Rangoon (which is wildly popular), you'll think you are ordering off a Chinese food menu, but what you get is truly unique. You can also get most pizza's gluten-free by the way!

On my latest visit, I tried the Kung Pao Chicken.  It was really very tasty.  Not overly spicy, but it definitely had a kick.  Picture a plate of Kung Pao Chicken in a zippy sauce with veggies, but on a pizza crust instead of served over rice.  My dining partner had the veggie taco pizza and was also pleased.

Even though it was 11am, it's hard to resist Fong's tiki drinks, so we didn't!  My friend ordered her go-to drink, the Mai Tai and I chose the Bahama Mama.  Really, I ordered it just because of the cup it is served it in.  ---->

The menu has an array of salads, sandwiches, appetizers, pizzas and even desserts.  The bar is well stocked and the atmosphere is fun.  They are also one of the only places to get some late night slices in the Court Ave area downtown.  They are open til 2am most days!

They offer lunch and happy hour specials as well and you get a good bang for your buck here.  The restaurant is quite family friendly for lunch and dinner and turns more into a bar in the late hours.  They of course have more traditional pizza and sandwiches if you aren't feeling so daring, but check it out and try something new!  You might be pleasantly surprised at how good crab rangoon on your pizza is!

TNT...it's dynamite

I drove by TNT Restaurant on MLK Parkway many times and said to myself that I should stop in and check it out.  I'd heard some great things about it and love Vietnamese food so I was glad that we finally got a chance to stop in.

The restaurant is a good size and there was no problem getting a table on a Friday evening.  Our waiter was very nice and attentive.

As with a lot of Vietnamese Restaurants the menu is very expansive and can be overwhelming, but don't be afraid to ask them to explain the dishes to you.  For the most part, most dishes are variations of rice dishes, Pho (rice noodle soup), and other noodle dishes.  Each one is available with different proteins such as meatballs, chicken, shrimp, pork, etc. so Each is listed with the protein option under it's Vietnamese name, while there are hundreds of menu items, a lot are the same dishes with different meats.

Anyway,  we started out with summer rolls and and a Cafe Sau Da (Thai Iced Coffee) which is my hubby's favorite.  He said it was really good and I really enjoyed the rolls.  Very fresh.

We ordered the combo fried rice and a large Pho to share.  It was HUGE.  We could have ordered the small to share and it would have been plenty.

We enjoyed everything and would definitely return.  I'm not sure that I loved it more than A Dong, but we also ordered different dishes than we usually do there, so it's hard to compare.  I liked the summer rolls a bit better, but Josh enjoyed A Dong's Pho a bit more. I also really enjoyed my meal at Vietnam Cafe so we'll just be lucky to have so many great options for Vietnamese food in Des Moines.  For now I'll just add TNT to my list of good restaurants in Des Moines and be back soon!