Macey Shofroth, Journalist

A mural of angels from heaven as depicted in Chinese culture adorns the brick wall of Heavenly Asian Cuisine and Lounge. The mural was already there when Chef Nhina Chau took ownership of the popular Valley Junction restaurant in 2023.

“I wanted to keep that as kind of a statement point when you walk into the restaurant,” Nhina said.

Food is History

From its decorative ambiance to its Chinese and Vietnamese fusion menu, Heavenly is a space that is steeped in culture. Nhina’s family heritage and their love for sharing food with each other becomes apparent with every meal they serve.

“Introducing food and the history of food tells a lot about people’s history and culture,” Nhina said. “If you look at a country and where the food came from or why that food was popular, there’s always a history behind it. It shows human nature and people and how they evolve, what came about and where they came from. Food, the recipe, where it came from, it’s intertwined with culture and people.”

Nhina comes from a Chinese Vietnamese family. She was born in Vietnam and moved to Iowa with her family when she was 5.

She recalls her mom always being in the kitchen.

“We never ate processed food. She always had something fresh made for us in the kitchen. My passion for food is from our family, and in remembrance of my mother, I wanted to share her recipes again,” she said.

Some of Heavenly’s staples include soup dumplings (xiao long bao), bubble sliders, and dim sum dishes. They’re especially known for the specialty noodle dishes, such as their white rice noodle, Singapore noodle, and crispy egg noodle.

Enjoy a Unique Blend

Nhina incorporates elements from both her cultures to create Heavenly’s unique menu.

“It’s not really available here in Des Moines,” she said. “A lot of Vietnamese restaurants will sprinkle in a few Chinese dishes, or Chinese restaurants that sprinkle in Vietnamese dishes. But we have the whole gamut of both.”

Nhina’s menu will be on display Friday, Jan. 30 when Heavenly Asian Cuisine and Lounge hosts CultureALL’s first Dine & Dance of the year. The event will feature a curated dining experience alongside music from local talent. This event is supported in part by the Iowa Arts Council which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Nhina said the menu served in the first hour will highlight the traditional Asian style of wrapping food.

“In Asian cultures, there’s an eating style that is wrapped. We love to wrap things in everything, like egg rolls and the rice paper,” she said. “I mixed a little bit of new and old and street food as well. The first course will be my version of a cheeseburger wrap and then the main course is going to be a rice paper wrap.”

The finishing course will be banh xeo, a crispy crepe with a filling of bean sprouts, pork belly, and shrimp. (Vegetarian options are also available.) Nhina said it’s a very popular street food in Vietnam.

Satisfy Cravings

“The experience will be a fun, vibrant, intimate group of people to come together and enjoy meeting new people and cultures,” Nhina said.

Nhina looks forward to sharing the fellowship with the folks who attend the Dine & Dance event. Spending time gathered, talking, and wrapping mixtures of vegetables and meats is exactly what her family and culture crave.

She believes these types of opportunities are priceless experiences that open us to learning more about the world.

It's a Wrap!

CultureALL’s Dine & Dance at Heavenly is Friday, January 30, beginning at 6 pm.

‍Purchase your tickets here.

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