I’ve been shopping around for a better Vietnamese restaurant here in Des Moines and I finally found one. Pho All Seasons is a five-month-old restaurant on Des Moines’ east side  (Euclid near SW 14th north of Grandview College) and the food was as good as I’d heard. I had my usually dish Bun – charbroiled pork, grilled shrimp atop a bed of vermicelli, with lots of fresh greens, bean sprouts, mint leaves – and it was delicious. The meat wasn’t gnarly or icky (as it can be elsewhere) and well-seasoned. The shrimp was grilled and again lots of flavor. There were a few chunks of ham as well – which I’ve never seen in bun – and it was good ham. All right, all right, all right!

My friend had a bahn mi sandwich – well stuff with pork in an airy white bun – and a papaya salad that didn’t look like a papaya salad (the papaya was thin white strips) and there were slices of pork. She liked. We didn’t try the signature dish – the Pho or another soup Mi Hoanh Thanh (Wonton Egg Noodle Soup) BBQ pork wrapped in wontons with egg noodles in a clear broth. Available with either steamed or fried wontons , shrimp is extra by request .(see photo ) but maybe next time. Also intrigued by the eggroll within a springroll concoction.

The ambiance was also pleasant and the service prompt and cheerful. I’ll be back! (Check out the restaurant’s facebook page for some more surprisingly alluring food photos!)