dsmWeekly: August 3, 2022

Korean fried chicken wings at Jenny Lee’s Korean American Kitchen come with your choice of sauce (Gochu Glaze, Honey Garlic, Green Dragon, Buffalo or OG Sauce). Photo courtesy of Jenny Lee’s Korean American Kitchen.

FOOD AND DINING
3 New and Coming-Soon Global Restaurants to Try

Writer: Karla Walsh

Even if you didn’t book a trans-Atlantic vacation this summer, you still have a lot to explore close to home. Take, for instance, the three taste bud-tempting spots highlighted during our Discover Diverse Des Moines event in May. (Summer is the perfect excuse to visit—or revisit—Monarca Gourmet Paletas, by the way.)

This month ushers in even more options, delivering flavors from Burma and Korea. Below is a guide to three more new or coming-soon restaurants to add to your dining list.

MinGaLaBar Burmese Kitchen: Open since early July and with their official ribbon-cutting on July 28, this family-owned restaurant offers a taste of the owners’ favorite recipes from their home country of Burma (known as Myanmar). The country borders India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand, so you might notice some familiar formats and flavors from those cuisines (fried rice, veggie fritters, samosas, fish sauce, turmeric), but the signature Burmese dishes on MinGaLaBar’s menu deliver something totally unique. Rainbow Salad ($11.99), with noodles, green papaya, crispy onions and tamarind sauce, is the ideal summer dish. It’s also one of the most popular street foods in Myanmar. Bonus: Through Aug. 4, you can get a 20% discount on all food purchases in honor of their grand opening. (8134 Douglas Ave., Urbandale; mingalabarkitchen.com)

Jenny Lee’s Korean American Kitchen: This spot was formerly located inside the kitchen at Boomer's Bicycle Lounge in West Des Moines, but owner Jenny Lee Symonds now has her own brick and mortar to call home. Find it in the space that’s previously housed Unrvld and King Smoke Texas Barbecue. Grab a seat in the dining room or on the patio and be sure to bring your appetite. The fast-casual restaurant’s large menu gives a nod to Korean street food, American food trends, Symonds' favorite cuisine from her childhood in Southern California, and other Asian-inspired dishes. Case in point: the KBBQ Bowl ($14) served with rice, veggies, kimchi, scallions, sesame and your choice of protein (try the “fire chicken”). Wine slushies, beer, spiked seltzers and sodas are also available. (3701 E.P. True Parkway, West Des Moines; jenny lee kitchen.com)

DZÔ Korean BBQ: Watch DZÔ Korean BBQ’s Facebook page for your next culinary adventure. At this Korean barbecue restaurant, diners will be able to order off a menu, or if you’re inspired to DIY, grab a grill-topped table and choose your meat (say, marinated bulgogi, rib-eye or brisket) to cook yourself and enjoy alongside banchan, a spread of classic Korean sides. (2611 Ingersoll Ave.; facebook.com/dzokoreanbbq)

Shereen Ahmed, center, stars as Eliza Doolittle in the touring production of "My Fair Lady," the first actress of Arab Muslim descent to do so in a major American production. Photo: Joan Marcus.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

‘My Fair Lady’ Performances All Weekend

A revival of “My Fair Lady” from director Bartlett Sher is currently on a tour stop in Des Moines. Eliza Doolittle is a Cockney flower-seller in Edwardian London, and professor Henry Higgins is determined to teach her how to speak “proper” English. As he educates her on how to pass as a true society lady, Henry finds himself falling in love with her.

The original “My Fair Lady” musical premiered in 1956 as an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion.” Following the success of the musical, a film version starring Audrey Hepburn was released in 1964 and won eight Academy Awards. Sher’s revival of the iconic production, which made headlines during its 2018 premiere, brings the classic story to modern audiences.

If you missed opening night on Tuesday, don’t worry. The show will continue with performances tonight, tomorrow and all weekend at the Des Moines Civic Center. Check the Des Moines Performing Arts website for tickets and times.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

Mainframe’s First Friday (Friday, 5-8 p.m.): This month’s First Friday event will be Mainframe Studio’s third annual gaming festival, “60 FPS.” The night will feature video games and illustrations by local game developers, animators and comic artists, plus VR demonstrations (and board games for those who like it old-school). See the lineup of other games, live music and food being offered here.

iLUV SlamFest (Saturday, 6:00 p.m.): Iowa Leaders Uplifting Voices (iLUV) is a three-day festival that brings together poets from across the state for competitions. Saturday night’s competition is open to the public and free to attend at Temple Theater. Audiences can expect rhymes and good times. Find more information here.

Pop-up magic shows (all weekend, times vary): Noah Sonie, a Minneapolis-based magician, will appear and disappear all weekend for performances of magic, mind reading and hypnosis. The shows will be free to attend, no magic word required. Check his schedule here.

New exhibit “Hold Me Closer” (all weekend, all day): The Des Moines Art Center will open its newest exhibit, “Hold Me Closer,” on Friday. Stop in during open hours all weekend to view the collection of prints and photographs chronicling intimacy in all its forms since the mid-19th century. The exhibit will run through Dec. 11.

Multifaceted artist Andre Davis uses poetry and music to speak out on social justice issues. “The beautiful thing about art is it can get people to stop and to look at what’s happening around them,” he says. Photo: Janae Gray.

FROM dsm JULY/AUGUST

Art as Activism: Andre Davis Challenges Status Quo

Writer: Christine Riccelli

As a 16-year-old high school freshman in St. Louis, Andre Davis was roller skating with an uncle and a few friends in a neighborhood parking lot when the police showed up and told them to leave.

They started walking back home, “but the police just kept harassing us all [along the way]. They threw us on the concrete and said, ‘You got guns in your skates. You got drugs in your skates.’ We said, ‘No, we just came from the very place you told us to leave.’

“Seeing my uncle afraid made me afraid, and not knowing how to respond to it in the moment frustrated me. It didn’t sit well. … I thought, ‘Who are the folks who would fight for people like us?’ ”

Davis, now 27, came to understand that he could be the answer to that question, a realization that has spurred his creativity and driven him as a hip-hop artist and poet. “The beautiful thing about art is it can get people to stop and to look at what’s happening around them,” says Davis, also a 2021 Drake University Law School graduate.

Over the past few years, Davis has gained increasing recognition as a multifaceted performer and artist. He performed last year at the Riverview Music Festival and at Iowa Public Radio’s 2021 Juneteenth concert at xBk. In 2018, his first album was produced through Station 1 Records, a local nonprofit recording label.

Read the rest of Davis’ journey on our dsm website.