What Dak Korean Fried Chicken — Restaurant in West Des Moines

I'm writing to express my appreciation for this restaurant. I would rate my experience a 4.5/5.

It's a cool, fast casual vibe. It's family friendly and provides a more casual date spot. You can order your meal through a kiosk or at the front counter. It's not a large restaurant, but provides plenty of seating for their customers. It's a great option as an eat-in or carry-out restaurant.

Over time, I've enjoyed many items on the menu and have found the food to be great. Here are some of my favorites: The fried rice stands out with its traditional style, reminiscent of Korean flavors with a hint of sesame oil. My kids think it’s the best in Des Moines. The pot stickers are wonderfully fried. They have a traditional filling (I think pork), and have an extremely crispy exterior that I adore. The wings are fantastic, boasting the crispiest double-fried exterior among the local K Wings in Des Moines. The glaze on the chicken contributes to its exceptional crispiness. I appreciate the American-style coleslaw side, especially since I love mayonnaise.

While I love the food, I do still have some criticism: I would love to see a broader range of wing sauce options. The current soy garlic and spicy flavors are good, but they lack variety and are quite mild. As a gochujang fanatic, I find the spicy flavor subtle and would enjoy a bolder flavor. The American coleslaw doesn't complement the sliders, buns, and tacos. An Asian cabbage slaw with soy and ginger might be a better fit, as the current flavors don't work for me. The American coleslaw is a bit confusing in an Asian dish, and it becomes too overpowering and drowns out the sweet and savory bulgogi.

My family and I really enjoy the restaurant. We've found our 'go to' items and will continue frequenting...

My boyfriend and I love restaurants that are good and quick but aren’t fast food chains. This was a great find! We were greeted right when we walked in, the staff explained the menu for our first visit and made recommendations.

My boyfriend got the bulgogi with a side of rice and I got the small strips that came with coleslaw. We were able to eat in and felt the space was very clean and our food was brought to us quick!

A few thoughts: we felt the sides were lacking - we wished we had more balance in the meal other than just the meat. I got half a container or colesalw and I ate it in 3 bites and wished I had more. Had I known portions I would have 100% ordered a side of rice so I didn’t need to eat from my boyfriends. 🫠

I would love to see maybe 4-6 chicken strips as an option, 8 was way too much for me but my boyfriend ate 3.

He would have loved to see more rice as well. He felt like he had plenty of the main but more rice would have been a great combination!

Food allergies: I’m trying out a gluten free diet but sometimes with fried chicken I’m ok. But regardless I would love to see a gluten free option because the FLAVOR WAS SO GOOD! Like even grilled chicken tenders with a sauce over white rice - even just as a “lighter option”.

We will be back as it was a...

My husband and daughter tried it for lunch and loved the chicken (non-spicy) and Bulgogi. My husband took co-workers back because he loved it so much and said everything was amazing. I went with him for the first time last night. The staff are great, the restaurant was clean, prices reasonable. We met friends and once we ordered food was delivered quickly. I tried the Bulgogi and felt like there wasn't much flavor (it says marinated beef, but it didn't seem marinated, it was missing a depth or something) but it was still good and I loved the scallions, peppers, etc. They even brought us extra rice. My husband had the spicy chicken and I tried a bite - It was a little too sticky-sweet for me, but it did have good flavor underneath with a nice heat. One of our friends tried the Korean Tacos and said they were really good, the other tried the House Fried Rice with Bulgogi and felt like it needed more so added some soy and said it was better. I would go back, but like I said, hubs and daughter love it so I think it will be "their" spot, and he can't stop telling others about it. It is nice to have a variety of food coming to Waukee other than just fast food places. Worth...