Yes, lovers of odd restaurant ideas. You can have your Singapore Sling and Mongolian Beef pizza too--welcome to Fong's Pizza on 4th Street in Des Moines.Fong's is the brainchild of the the folks that brought you such delightful bars and restaurants as the High Life Lounge, El Bait Shop, and the Hessen House. (People love theme bars).
Fong's took over the space once inhabited by King Ying Lo--which was the oldest restaurant in Des Moines before it folded last year. King Ying Low was both charming and shabby. It felt like the kind of old school Chinese joint one might find in the unsung downtown areas of Chicago or New York. It was a one woman operation with fairly standard options.
Fong's, delightfully, has kept the style of the King, if not the clutter. The rooms are spacious and lined with old Chinese cigarette advertisements. In the front is a spacious bar, which offers a host of fruity, kick-back cocktails in a south Pacific style. I enjoyed an Unlucky Tourist, served in the foreboding shrunken head cup seen pictured above--it was fruity and sticky sweet, but one was plenty. Fong's also offers massive fish bowl drinks for parties and a healthly selection of Asian and imported beer.
The menu is also a kick in the pants. It's a pizza joint, as the name suggests, but it is an Asian pizza restaurant, so items like Moo Shoo Pork and Thai Chicken pizza are on the menu along with the standard sausage, veggies, and cheese. Try the peanut sauce on a pizza--it's spicy and rich. Rumor has it the bacon popper pizza is as decadent as it sounds, and the crab rangoon are delightful: crab flavored cream cheese in an egg roll wrapper.
Fong's is open late and serves slices for those who can't make it all the way to Big Tomato on Ingersoll, and it gets quite busy in the evening as bar goers pour out of the Liars' Club and Saints and Sinners, but it's a charming spot for an afternoon cocktail that will transport you to the islands. Just don't let the natives near your head.
