Malo- Des Moines
Malo
We decided to go check out Malo in downtown Des Moines for my birthday. It is located in the historic fire station no 1 building.The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. The outside seating area has string lights and lots of tables. When you walk in there are beautiful chandeliers and a lot of glittery art work that decorate the walls. Inside there is a large display with a variety of succulents and cacti which is a nice statement piece .
The waiters were very personable and helpful. We got queso fundido as an appetizer. It is a delectable melted cheese dish with roasted poblano peppers and caramelized onions. The cheese is stretchy and tastes like the inside of a mozzarella cheese stick. This comes with tortillas. There was a lime wedge on the side that you could squeeze on the cheese which I did to enhance the flavor .The tortillas were different and almost tasted like chapathis, they were very tasty! I think this was a better choice than the usual liquid queso that I usually get.
Then they served their chips and salsa . The chips were fresh and warm and were seasoned with salt, lime. it was crunchy and one of the best chips I’ve tasted thus far.
Then we got our entrees. Rich got the vegan burrito but we got regular cheese and creams since we love our cheese and dairy ! The burrito was huge and could be eaten as 3 servings ! It had crispy tots, black bean salsa, shredded lettuce, chipotle crema, pico de gallo and guacamole. Rich added vegan chorizo to it but for a lifelong vegetarian like me the vegan chorizo was not appetizing. He loved his burrito! It came with a side and he got the Malo fries. It was a giant bowl of crispy fries, roasted jalapeño aioli, onion and cilantro. It was a huge serving and the fries were nice and crispy , the jalapeño aioli had a ice kick to it but not too spicy. Overall a very satisfying side.
I got an enchilada with cheese and chose to get all the sauces instead of choosing just one. I got red, green and cheese sauce and it looked like the Mexican flag ! The enchilada were just okay , just cheese rolled up in a tortilla….nothing to write home about. The enchilada came with blistered shishito peppers, fresh lime and romana salad. The side salad had greens, cucumber, cheese and radish and it was also mediocre. Overall not a dish I would get again. I got a side of crispy yuca which was very good . Yuca is the starchy tuberous root of a shrub grown in South America. It is also called cassava. This was served coated with mojo de ajo ( ‘ garlic gravy‘ made with garlic , olive oil, lemon juice) . I loved these more than the regular fries. ( interesting fact – improper preparation of yuca can lead to cyanide poisoning!)
I got a side of the corn and queso fresco soup. It was okay but not the best corn soup I’ve had thus far. It needed more seasoning and perhaps some roasted poblanos.
Finally they gave me a free dessert for my birthday !! It was mango ice cream treat. There were layers of vanilla ice cream, cashew brittle , caramel, mango puree and this was topped with a marshmallow fluff topping . It had the right balance of sweet, crunchy, and tart ingredients and the marshmallow topping was very good.
Overall this was a good restaurant and I would definitely go back in the future if not for anything just to eat a lot more of their awesome chips and salsa ! Although I would like try the other vegetarian items on the menu ( of which there are many choices ! )
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