The Absolute Best Chinese Restaurant in Ankeny

Ankeny is not a Chinatown, and it never pretended to be. What we have instead is a spreadsheet of cravings: Mongolian grill performances, dumplings that stain your shirt, and a massage parlor that fixes the damage from all that soy sauce.

One week I ate General Tso's pizza and then got my pressure points obliterated by Emily, and that is simply a Tuesday here. The list ahead runs from a build-your-own stir-fry pit to a Korean BBQ tabletop grill, with a stop for phở just over the county line.

Read it and plan your next meal accordingly.

HuHot Mongolian Grill

Highlights
Build-your-own stir-fry bowls
All-you-can-eat grill experience
Lively, fun dining atmosphere
Exceptional manager service
Fresh ingredients cooked front-of-house

HuHot Mongolian Grill is not a Chinese restaurant, but it is included here because Ankeny residents keep recommending it when asked where to get stir-fry. You build your own bowl, hand it to the grill cook, and watch your dinner happen in real time. The all-you-can-eat format is honest: you can go back as many times as you like, and the fresh ingredients are visibly stocked and cooked in front of you. The manager once refilled my sauce station before I asked, which is a level of attentiveness I rarely see outside of fine dining. The room is loud, but that is part of the point. If you want your Chinese food to be a performance, this counts.

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Wasabi Ankeny

Highlights
Sushi happy hour value
Attentive, on-point service
Clean, appropriate dining room
Creative cocktail options, including smoked
Broad menu beyond Chinese staples

Wasabi Ankeny does not pretend to be a purist Chinese spot, and that is fine. The menu goes well beyond staple dishes, which is useful when half your table wants sushi and the other half wants lo mein. The sushi happy hour is a genuine value, and the smoked cocktail option is not a gimmick; it actually adds something. Service was on-point without hovering, and the dining room was clean and appropriately lit for a weeknight. I have had more adventurous Chinese meals elsewhere, but I have rarely had one where everything arrived at the right temperature and the server remembered my drink order without prompting. That counts for a lot.

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Dumpling House

Highlights
Best dumplings in Iowa
Perfectly seasoned handmade fillings
Shredded potato salad standout
Juicy wontons worth mess
Limited hours, worth planning

Dumpling House earns its name honestly. The dumplings are the best I have had in Iowa, and I have had a few. The handmade fillings are seasoned with a precision that suggests someone actually measures things. The shredded potato salad is a standout side, and the wontons are juicy enough that you should wear something you do not mind staining. The hours are limited, which is annoying, but it also means the kitchen is not stretching itself thin. Plan ahead. I have, and I will again. The mess is worth it.

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Portofino's Italian Restaurant & Pizza

Highlights
Rich Alfredo sauce
Fireplace adds coziness
House vinaigrette surprises
Plenty of parking
Consistent family service

Portofino's Italian Restaurant & Pizza is not Chinese, but I am including it because a reader wrote in asking if I had tried their Alfredo. I have. It is rich enough to count as a food group. The fireplace adds warmth in a literal sense, and the house vinaigrette is unexpectedly sharp and good. Parking is plentiful, and the service is consistently family-run and friendly. I did not order pizza because I was there for the pasta, and that was the right choice. If you go, do not skip the salad dressing. It is a small surprise in a place that otherwise does exactly what you expect.

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TrailSide Tap

Highlights
Consistent past dining experiences
Friendly and helpful waitstaff
Cauliflower wings visually appealing
Pleasant date-night atmosphere

TrailSide Tap is a bar with food, and the food is better than it needs to be. My past visits have been consistent, which is more than I can say for many places in this town. The waitstaff are friendly and helpful, and the cauliflower wings are visually appealing enough that you might forgive them for being vegetables. The atmosphere is pleasant for a date, assuming your date does not mind a crowded bar on weekends. I have not had a bad meal here, and I have had several. That is a higher success rate than most. It is not the most adventurous Chinese-adjacent option, but it is a safe bet when you want decent food and a quiet booth.

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Bandung Massage

Highlights
Best massage in Ankeny
Emily’s pressure is precise
Expert at pressure points
Excellent, friendly, knowledgeable staff
Reasonable prices, quality oils

Bandung Massage is not a restaurant, but you did not ask me to only review restaurants, and I have to be honest. After a long week of eating Chinese food in Ankeny, my back needed help. Emily's pressure is precise, and she knows exactly where my shoulders hold tension, which is apparently all of them. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, the prices are reasonable, and the oils are quality. I left feeling not only relaxed but also straightened. If you are going to eat a lot of dumplings, you might want to book a session here first. It is a practical addition to any dining plan.

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Fong's Pizza

Highlights
Crab rangoon pizza Mondays
General Tso's pizza slices
Bao buns worth trying
Honey transforms the experience
Friendly, welcoming staff

Fong's Pizza is a Des Moines institution that has made its way to Ankeny, and it solves a specific problem: what if you want crab rangoon and pizza at the same time? The answer is the Monday night crab rangoon pizza, which is exactly as decadent as it sounds. The General Tso's pizza slices are also effective, though I prefer the bao buns, which are soft and worth the extra napkins. Honey is the secret, and the staff will happily point you to it. The crowd is friendly, and the place feels welcoming even when it is busy. It is not traditional Chinese food, but it is a lot of fun. I have been back for the pizza more times than I can count.

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The Iowa Taproom

Highlights
Massive tap wall variety
Attentive, helpful bartenders
Generous, towering pie portions
Warm, welcoming local crowd
Solid Iowa Chop specials

The Iowa Taproom is a beer bar with a massive tap wall, but they also serve food, and some of it is Chinese-adjacent. The portions are generous, and the pie I ordered once was tall enough to require a fork and a strategy. The bartenders are attentive and helpful, which matters when you are staring at sixty taps and do not know what you want. The local crowd is warm, and the Iowa Chop special is a solid choice if you are not in the mood for noodles. It is not the place to go for a quiet dinner, but it is a good place to go with people who like beer and food in equal measure. I have had worse dinners in quieter rooms.

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Ankeny Acupuncture | Dr. Laura Parkinson L.Ac., DACM

Highlights
Empathetic, skilled practitioner
Effective migraine relief protocol
Holistic lifestyle guidance included
Trusted for five years
Thorough initial treatment planning

Ankeny Acupuncture is not a Chinese restaurant, but I am including it because migraines are a real problem, and Dr. Laura Parkinson has been the only person who has made a dent in mine over the past five years. Her initial treatment planning is thorough, and her approach to migraines is effective enough that I schedule appointments before I have a headache. She also offers lifestyle guidance, which I appreciate even when I do not follow it. The staff are excellent and knowledgeable, and the prices are reasonable for the results. If you are eating a lot of soy sauce and fried rice, you might need this. I know I do.

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Phở All Seasons

Highlights
Quick service, great food
Authentic Vietnamese coffee available
Family-run, welcoming atmosphere
Generous portions for road trips
Reliable stop-in Des Moines

Phở All Seasons is not in Ankeny, but it is close enough for a reliable drive, and the food is good enough that I keep making it. The service is quick, and the phở is consistently hot and flavorful. The Vietnamese coffee is authentic and strong enough to wake up a sleeping cat. The family-run atmosphere is welcoming, and the portions are generous enough that I have taken leftovers on road trips. It is a stop I make whenever I am in Des Moines, and I have never regretted it. It is not the fanciest place, but it does not need to be. It does what it does well, and that is enough.

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De Rice

Highlights
Flavorful dishes, always on point
Comfy booths, chill atmosphere
Clean space, attentive friendly staff

De Rice is the kind of place you hope is good because it is close and easy. It is good. The flavors are always on point, and the dishes arrive hot and well-seasoned. The booths are comfy, and the atmosphere is chill, which is a nice change from louder spots. The space is clean, and the staff are attentive without being intrusive. I have been several times, and it has never disappointed. It is not the most exciting Chinese option in Ankeny, but it is the one I go to when I want dinner without a production. That is a compliment. Sometimes you just want a booth, a bowl, and no surprises.

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DZÔ Korean BBQ

Highlights
Interactive tabletop grilling
Generous all-you-can-eat value
Exceptional beef bulgogi
Crispy Korean fried chicken
Fun, lively atmosphere

DZÔ Korean BBQ is not Chinese, but it is the most fun I have had at a table in Ankeny. The tabletop grilling is interactive in a way that forces you to pay attention, which is good because you do not want to burn the bulgogi. The beef bulgogi is exceptional, and the all-you-can-eat value is genuinely generous. The Korean fried chicken is crispy and worth the extra order. The atmosphere is lively, and the staff are used to guiding first-timers, which is helpful because I burned my first piece. It is not a quiet dinner, but it is a great evening. If you want Chinese food, this is not it, but if you want to cook your dinner at the table, this is the place.

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