Worlds collide to redefine Iowa fine dining
When the James Beard Foundation named Nick Hanke and Phil Shires semifinalists for Best Chef: Midwest, it confirmed what Des Moines diners already knew: Masao isn’t just a great Iowa restaurant, it’s a great restaurant — full stop.
World Class Dining in Des Moines
Those unfamiliar with Iowa might make assumptions about its culinary (and especially its sushi) scene – but Des Moines has embraced Masao with open arms and adventurous palates.
“When everyone says Des Moines isn’t ready for this or that, well we’re doing it, and it appears that Des Moines is ready,” Phil said.
Sushi and French classics sharing equal space on a menu isn’t exactly something you stumble upon in the state — or any state, really — very often. But this rare and unexpected marriage has led to a whole lot of love from critics, the local Iowa food community, and the national food world.
Depending on the night, the “this or that” which Phil speaks of might be fresh-from-Japan live crabs, sea urchin from Maine or chilled periwinkle snails ready to be picked and slurped out of their shells.
“The sushi bar, every fish is done differently,” Nick added. “You can be like ‘I know what salmon is,’ but no, we do ours differently. We put a little different twist and extra attention to detail put on everything, and it’s not what you get at the other sushi bars.”
Alongside the ambitious offerings, there are also plenty of more conventional and recognizable options both on the sushi menu, including their twist on the classic California roll using real Maine Jonah crab instead of the imitation stuff, as well as the French-leaning kitchen that Phil mans.
“[Come in] open minded and don’t be afraid to shy away from an ingredient you don’t see often or haven’t had or you’re leery about trying something new for the first time, because we’re not going to steer you in the wrong direction,” Phil said.
And speaking of not steering you wrong, the famed lavender eggs are a must-order, quickly becoming one of the restaurant’s most popular and talked-about dishes coming out of Phil’s kitchen.
“I wanted to do that dish for 20 years,” Phil said while laughing. “When I said I’m on board, I go: ‘This is kind of non-negotiable.’ Nick said, ‘OK,’ we put it on [the menu] from day one, and people freaked out about it. Nobody’s done that and it’s just eggs. People don’t know what to expect. It’s like eating at a garden in the south of France.”
Aligning the Universe
While Masao is technically a new restaurant, having opened its doors in May of 2025, its Iowa origins run deep. The space now occupied by Masao was formerly Miyabi 9 – a Japanese seafood and sushi restaurant owned by the renowned Chef Mike ‘Masao’ Miyabi, who mentored Hanke and taught him the art of painstakingly sourcing the freshest seafood and rare ingredients – think fresh wasabi arriving at nearly $300 per pound. Out of deep reverence for his mentor, Nick named the restaurant after Miyabi’s nickname.
But he needed a partner, and Phil, a major player in Iowa’s culinary scene who had cooked on the East Coast and worked at Café di Scala before semi-retiring, stepped up to the plate. Nick brought the sushi pedigree; Phil brought French technique paired with a desire to tweak the classics and inject a little Iowa whimsy into every dish.
“The universe aligned, that’s for sure,” Phil said.
A New Iowa Story
Masao represents something bigger than one restaurant. It’s proof that when world-class culinary ambition meets authentic Iowan hospitality, you have a recipe for success. There’s no rules and no pretension you might expect from high-end restaurants or sushi snobs Customers walking away happy, no matter what they eat (or don’t eat), is the priority there.
“I feel like when you actually genuinely care about people coming in, and you hit them with that realness, I feel like that’s another reason that makes places like ours special.”
Masao isn’t just changing what people eat in Des Moines. It’s changing what people believe about the Iowa food scene can be.
