The presence of a reliable sushi restaurant is crucial to any decent city. In Des Moines, where I do most of my sushi consumption, there’s a few trusty spots I know will be high quality, filling, and great service. One of those spots is Wasabi Tao in Downtown Des Moines.
Wasabi Tao is one sister restaurant to Wasabi Chi in Des Moines and Wasabi in Waukee. While I haven’t been to the Waukee location, the downtown branch is far superior in atmosphere, service, and quality to Wasabi Chi. While it is definitely the more expensive the rolls are incredibly tasty and creative, the menu is more expansive, and the ambiance is more more upscale.
Zach and I came here on a weeknight and were able to get seated very quickly in a spot with good lighting! We wanted to try some sake but knew we preferred something dry as opposed to sweet. The waiter was very kind and talked us through all the options and suggested one we might like. Sake definitely isn’t my drink of choice, it’s too boozy, bit this was definitely enjoyable and a good counterpart to the soft and fleshy fish dishes.
Onto the more important part: food! As all sushi dinners should start, first we had miso soup. I really need to learn how to make this, it’s so warming and refreshing I could eat/drink this every day! We also had edamame, which was pretty standard, a great snack while you’re hankering for the main courses to come out.
We usually just order from the Maki Rolls section, so this time we decided to try a few from their “Cold Starters” section, shared appetizers with various seafood combinations. The waiter recommended the Tuna Dumplings and the Yellowtail Jalapeño for us to try.
The first dish was completely not what we expected. When I think dumplings, I think some sort of bready-carb pocket with filling. Instead, this was essentially a tuna sashimi “shell” stuffed with crabmeat, avocado, and Wasabi, topped with aioli. These were adorable and really tasty! The combination of the smooth tuna and the creamy stuffing was yummy, though it could have used something crunchy (and more than three teeny dumplings!)
Next was the Yellowtail Jalapeño, thinly sliced Yellowtail sashimi topped with jalapeño slices, scallion, and tobiko (fish roe) and yuzu sauce. I would definitely order this again, it was very well crafted. The citrusy sauce combined with the kick of heat from the pepper and the soft fish was a fantastic combination!
Finally, we had our two rolls. I can only say with 95% certainty what exactly the names of the rolls are, they have over fifteen options (clearly I waited too long to write this) that are incredibly complex, but I believe we ordered the Foxy Lady and the Irish Temple.
The foxy lady contained Yellowtail, salmon, spicy Kani (crab), avocado, and Jalapeño, and was topped with spicy tuna, chili peppered white tuna, spicy unagi sauce, spicy nuta sauce, and crunchy topping. The Irish Temple was packed worth tuna, salmon, white tuna, snow crab, and asparagus, with avocado, Jalapeño, scallion, crunchy topping, and sweet spicy sauce. Phew that was a lot of ingredients!
Long story short, both of these rolls are incredibly tasty. Each piece has a lot of flavors and textures, no one overpowering the other, while still maintaining the taste of fish. While the rolls are certainly pricey (14-15$ each) each piece is so well thought out, it’s worth the price.
Wasabi Tao is not a spot for cheap college student all you can eat food. It leans towards a New York fancy bar, and can get expensive, especially for sushi lovers who want to try a lot of things. I would suggest coming beer when select special rolls are 10$ and classic rolls are 4.50$. If I were you, reader, I would bookmark this spot for a date or a dinner with family. Nonetheless, the quality of the food is fantastic and you won’t be disappointed!
The Bottom Line
Best sushi in Des Moines!
Cone Rating: 4 Cones 
Price: $$$($) (Can be 25-40$ per person depends on alcohol and appetite)
Location: Des Moines, IA
aditi eats 