Flavor Favorites

 

Above: European Taste’s Trompe L’oeil Pear

Writers: dsm staff
Photos: Duane Tinkey

When it comes to ethnic foods, everyone has their personal lists of go-tos and hidden gems. We put together our own list of local places to find authentic flavor. You might not get a passport stamp, but we can promise each place is worth the trip.

Cafe Con Leche
2905 Hubbell Ave.

This Mexican-inspired breakfast and brunch cafe on the corner of Euclid and Hubbell is the neighborhood’s best-kept secret. It’s family-owned, and everything here is made from scratch, so each visit feels like you’re being welcomed in for family brunch. The menu boasts a variety of traditional favorites like hearty breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros, and Mexican-style sandwiches like tortas and open-faced molletes that deliver serious flavor. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try the brunch menu’s crepes and pancakes finished with a drizzle of dulce de leche.

Try the chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast dish of fried corn tortilla chips served with rice, refried beans and queso fresco, topped with a fried egg and housemade salsa roja or verde.

European Taste
250 SE Destination Drive, Grimes

Alina Dvorschii makes magic at her bakery. Her desserts are both visually stunning and scrumptious.

“Customers have to love a dessert with their eyes first,” Dvorschii said. Inside the pastry case you’ll spot treats from all over Europe — Greek baklava, Italian tiramisu, French macarons — plus staples from Dvorschii’s native Ukraine, like honey cake from her own mother’s recipe. Dvorschii’s mother was a prolific baker who taught her daughter well. “Every single recipe, from the cakes to other desserts, is something she created first,” she said.

Try the trompe l’oeil fruits (pictured left), edible optical illusions of creamy mousse filled with fruity compotes that, somehow, taste even better than they look.

Habesha Ethio-Eritrean Restaurant
3500 Merle Hay Road

Opened in 2025 by Bashatu Gutama and her husband, Abdissa Tumie, this is the newest of just three Ethiopian places in town. Its name (pronounced HA-buh-shuh) is a general term some Ethiopians and Eritreans use to describe themselves, to transcend tribal distinctions and celebrate regional unity.

The menu is full of East African flavors and traditional dishes. In addition to cooking the meals, Gutama also performs traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies on Saturdays, when she roasts the coffee in house. Stay after coffee for Ethiopian and Eritrean favorites like hearty doro wat (chicken stew), ziggini (beef stew) and kitfo (like a spiced steak tartare).

“My goal is to serve the community,” Gutama said. “I love to cook. My dad and mom were pastors, and there were always a lot of guests. We were always cooking.”

Try the tibs, a style of sauteed meat, usually lamb or beef, flavored with African spices and a tangy awaze sauce. Habesha serves the entree with injera, a spongy flatbread used for scooping.

Istanbul Grill Cafe & Bakery
3281 100th St., Urbandale

When Istanbul Grill Cafe & Bakery opened in early 2025, it brought fresh flavors from Turkey and the Middle East to a spot many locals still remember as Stella’s Blue Sky Diner. The bakery case is a standout, stocked with flaky baklava, and a savory menu delivers classics like chicken and lamb shish kebabs, gyros and lahmacun, a crispy layered flatbread often described as Turkish pizza. The appetizers are especially good, including hummus, stuffed grape leaves, phyllo-wrapped feta and a bright red ezme, a dip made from tomatoes, red peppers, pomegranates and herbs.

Try the firin sutlac, a golden rice pudding with a creamy texture and caramelized top. It’s served chilled, almost like a crème brûlée, but chewier, gooier and delicious.

MinGaLaBar Burmese Kitchen’s zakaw htamin

MinGaLaBar Burmese Kitchen
8134 Douglas Ave., Urbandale

Eating at MinGaLaBar is truly a cultural experience. It’s one of the metro’s few spots to find Burmese cuisine, despite the relatively large community of Burmese refugees who call Central Iowa home. The country’s cuisine reflects influences from neighboring India, China and Thailand.

“I enjoy sharing traditional Burmese dishes because they tell a story of culture, history and family,” owner Lum Naw said. That story starts with the restaurant’s name, a traditional Burmese greeting.

“It’s not just about the food. It’s about sharing a part of my heritage, connecting people through flavors and keeping Burmese culinary traditions alive,” she said. She loves guiding new guests through unfamiliar dishes and seeing regulars come back for more.

Try the zakaw htamin (pictured), a sampler platter that includes Burmese staples like fried beef, pork belly, eggplant, tofu, dried shrimp, rice and a veggie salad.

Ocha Bubble Tea
221 Fourth St., Des Moines; 7216 University Ave., Windsor Heights; 802 SE Oralabor Road, Ankeny

After Nishapat “Aom” Meesangkaew earned her Ph.D. in hospitality from Iowa State University, she opened the first Ocha (pronounced O-cha) in Windsor Heights in 2020. At the time, it was one of just a few local spots for bubble tea and other Asian-inspired sweet drinks and desserts. The name means “tea” in Japanese and “delicious” in Thai, a nod to the fusion of flavors and cultures.

Since then, bubble tea shops have proliferated across the metro. As the Ocha brand grows into its own local chain, Meesangkaew hopes to franchise

it across the country. Separately, she also operates the West Des Moines restaurant Eat Thai, which features dishes from her native Thailand.

Try the Thai iced coffee, a sweet and creamy version of your typical morning brew made with a nutty dark roast coffee and topped with sweetened condensed milk, poured over ice.

Palms DSM
1905 Ingersoll Ave.

Fusing his West African and Caribbean roots, Amara Sama has grown the Palms legacy from a food truck and farmers market stall in 2018 to a full brick-and-mortar in 2025. The restaurant is known for specialties like Jamaican jerk chicken and jollof rice, and most menu items are based on family recipes Sama enjoyed as a child. He was raised on Liberian food cooked by his stepmom, plus Jamaican fare from his uncle’s kitchen.

The jerk chicken is popular for good reason — it’s marinated for 48 hours then smoked over an open flame — but other highlights like coconut curry wings and oxtail pizza bring a fresh take to Afro-Caribbean staples.

Try the coconut candied yams, listed as a side but also good for dessert. They’re baked in coconut milk and warm spices for at least 2 hours for the perfect caramelized bite.

Toyo Ramen & Japanese Street Foods
1615 SW Main St., Ankeny

New this year, Toyo Ramen opened at The District at Prairie Trail in January. Chef and owner Tashi Chompel is originally from Tibet and worked in restaurants in Minneapolis until moving to Ankeny to open a place of his own. He was inspired by a former coworker, a chef from Japan, who taught him about Hakata-style ramen and other popular street foods.

Try the Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen, a classic bowl of fresh noodles, chashu pork belly, a marinated egg and traditional toppings like scallions and bamboo shoots, all in a rich pork bone broth.

Tullpa Restaurant’s causa

Tullpa Restaurant
3708 Merle Hay Road

Rooted in Peru’s rich, multicultural food traditions, Tullpa offers a warm and welcoming dining experience shaped by heritage and togetherness. When Gloria Henriquez first opened Tullpa in late 2022, she said she “did it out of [her] love for food and desire to share that with the community.”

She shares her South American roots through “novo andina” fusion dishes inspired by Peru and its Andean neighbors, where locals enjoy ceviche, empanadas, lomo saltado and pupusas. The business occasionally pops up at the Downtown Farmers’ Market and local festivals, where it attracts a dedicated following.

Try the causa (pictured), a traditional Peruvian specialty that originated in native Quechua traditions. The cold dish, which takes its name from the Quechua word for “sustenance,” starts with a base of ground yellow potatoes and chilies, topped like a sandwich with layers of chicken, tuna or other proteins.