Masao

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512 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309

Masao opens in Des Moines with French and Japanese cuisine

One of the most anticipated restaurants of the year opened Memorial Day weekend with a contemporary mix of Japanese and French cuisines. Nick Hanke of Waterfront Seafood fame took over the former Miyabi 9 space in the East Village and added his own flair to the menu with Masao.

Phil Shires, a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef Midwest in 2014 works on the French side of the menu. Hanke, who trained under Mike Miyabi, works behind the sushi counter.

The pair brings something completely original to Des Moines.

While the menu can be confusing for diners expecting a sushi restaurant in the space, the best advice is to order several dishes from both sides of the menu (small plates) to get the full experience. No one dish feels like a complete meal alone. Some of the French dishes dip into Japanese ingredients and preparations (think daikon, okonomiyaki, yuzu, and yakitori).

There is no bar at the restaurant, but the menu includes a small list of wines, classic cocktails — including a gin gimlet, lemon drop martini, French 75, espresso martini, and Old Fashioned — and virgin versions of the gimlet, Old Fashioned, and lemon drop martini.

This restaurant opened May 27th, and with good reviews so far. Let's try it!