Thai food is so delicious and luckily there are some really tasty spots in Des Moines. Thai Flavors, Pad Thai Garden, De Rice are just a few that come to mind and there are loads of others I haven't mentioned or tried yet. I judge most Thai places by their Pad Thai and one of my favorites is Blu Thai Food and Sushi.
Picture: Shrimp Pad Thai with Cabbage, Carrot, Cilantro, Lime and Chopped Peanuts
My husband and I loved living in downtown Des Moines. Why? Because so many delicious restaurants were in walking distance. When we moved to the East Village in 2020, Blu quickly became a favorite as it was across the street. Unfortunately, later that year they closed down because their building was being torn down. We were patiently waiting their return as they promised to find a new location. Well, in 2022 they returned! They moved downtown off of 13th street- same delicious flavor in an updated and convenient building.
The Food
Pictures: Miso Soup, Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce, Pineapple Fried Rice
For me, Blu has one of my favorite Pad Thai meals in town. When they shut down for a year, I was forced to try and find a comparable Pad Thai. There were some worthy adversaries, but none gave me the same level of happy tummy that Blu did. When they returned, we knew we had to try them out. I'm happy to say their sauce is still the perfect balance of flavor, they cook their meats well. Shrimp is my favorite and preferred meat for Pad Thai. They don't overwhelm it with too many extra vegetables, but have just the right amount of cabbage and carrot as well as cilantro and squirt of lime. I like to add extra peanuts as I love the crunch and flavor it adds. The have the pretty standard spice scale of 1-5. One is virtually no spice, so two is what I normally order.
They have lots of other great food options to choose from and have sushi on their menu, which we haven't tried. I like to start my meal out with Miso Soup. They don't skimp on the seaweed or tofu. We also like their fresh spring rolls (pictured above, center) with peanut sauce that adds a little bit of crunch and tang. My husband really enjoys their Pineapple Fried Rice (pictured above, far right). It's a good balance of sweet and savory. On their 1-5 scale, he usually gets a 3 which is fairly spicy for most. Most of the servings are enough for us to save some for lunch the next day, especially if we get an appetizer to start.
Their new location downtown is an upgrade from their East Village location. Their old building was dark, a little outdated, and parking was tough to find (which isn't a problem when you live across the street). Their new location is bright and airy with tall ceilings and a full wall of windows. Located off of 13th St across from Western Gateway Park, it's walkable from lots of the downtown happenings, and I'm sure easy for those working downtown. There is also street parking all around.
Next time you're downtown, I would recommend checking them out! What's your favorite Thai place in town? Where should I be checking out? Comment below, let me know what you love. And of course, don't forget to subscribe!
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