You definitely feel that there is intention behind each dish and in creating a beautiful and welcoming space! Our server was well-informed about the menu and went out of her way to help with questions related to food sensitivities. The dishes were beautiful and so flavorful. We had an amazing dinner experience. Highly recommend supporting this local restaurant and its people!

Reservations are a must! This is quite the cute cozy dinner spot. The food was outstanding and the drinks were very good. Right off the bat our server recommended 2-4 dishes per person. Serving sizes are small and everything is shareable if you wish. We tried the sweet potato and the mushroom dish which were great. The steam buns melted in your mouth! The pork was so juicy and tender and the fried chicken was delicious. It is on the pricier side but worth it and the experience. We had amazing, friendly and quick service.

A few weeks ago we got Basic Bird. That's apparently their Sunday night schtick. And what a schtick! Legit. Don't sleep on it. 11/10 will get it again. The bao buns were really good. Do the double dipped. Get extra for leftovers because in topical fashion with intensely flavored food it was even better the next day. If you like kimchi order extra because it hits. The bacon fried rice was a delight. The spring rolls sprung. The jalapeño corn didn't taste like vomit, which should make sense to anyone whose had a bad batch somewhere. Finally, the chicken is just excellent.

Oh my goodness! Easily my favorite meal in Des Moines. We went for happy hour and I couldn't be happier. The service was great, every one was so nice! I thought portion sizes were great for the price. Food quality was amazing. If you go and don't get the steamed buns you're doing it wrong! Overall I would highly recommend going here especially for happy hour! I can't wait to go back.

Innovative, with complex flavors and complimentary textures. Service was perfectly timed and sweet as brown sugar! The atmosphere is unique, making me feel like I’m surrounded by forestry. Thank you staff for a wonderful dinner date! This is our new favorite restaurant!

We shared a bunch of dishes so we didn't have to make any decisions! It was a bit loud, especially since a big table had 2 small children, but food and server were totally worth it.

A gem in Des Moines. Finally find something that is on par with big cities like SF or NY. The chicken was tasty and tender. The duck egg, which usually not known for its taste was prepared wonderfully with fish sauce. The yuzu custard was a great way to wrap up the meal. The food was excellent of course, but the services were also the highlights. The waiter seemed to be genuinely passionate about introducing their good food to his customers. The waitress seems to be really happy to see us. I watched the waiter cleaning up a table after the customers left with immaculate attention to detail. Amazing staff!

For Des Moines Restaurant Week, my wife and I decided to try Harbinger for the first time. We also brought a friend who’s birthday was recent and we wished to celebrate her birthday as well. When we first arrived we had some issues with the reservation. These were handled swiftly by a very friendly manager and we were sat within 5 mins of arriving even though the issues were created by us, not them. Because of restaurant week, Harbinger was offering a four course tasting menu. My wife also ordered the wine pairing while I had the sweet corn infused old fashioned and our friend had the highball. The wines were perfectly paired for each meal. I even ordered a second old fashioned. I am not sure our friend liked the highball or not as she only finished half, but she said she did. Not on the menu, but received first, was the amuse-bouche of a sweet corn purée and crab. Delicious! And my drink paired well. For the first course we were served a heirloom tomato dish which was described as kind of “zombie” tomato because it was dehydrated then rehydrated. I thought it was good, but some parts, eaten separately, didn’t seem to…fit. But all together in one bite was pretty delicious. Our second course was a squash and mushroom dish. It was good, but I could not shake the feeling it smelled and tasted like biscuits and gravy. That’s not a bad thing! Just my wife and our friend didn’t get that impression and that’s all I tasted. So there’s that. Our third course we were allowed to choose our dish. I chose the pork and the ladies ordered the salmon. The pork was cooked in a tamarind paste and placed on a corn purée. As I loved the corn in the first dish and my drink, I was easily amazed and devoured it. The pork could be cut with a fork and the tamarind paste contrasted so well with the corn. I wanted to lick the plate clean. Both of the ladies liked the salmon. My wife did mention the texture of the salmon was odd, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the dish. We were also allowed to select the dessert. I chose a purple sticky rice dish that was funky, but I thought it was damn good. The ladies did not share my opinion and that’s ok. I was able to enjoy it by myself. My wife had a blueberry …damn. There was a great name for the dish and I spaced it. She did like it, but there was one flavor in the dish she couldn’t put her finger on and she didn’t care for. Both of the ladies thought the chocolate cake was the best part of the entire meal and my wife wished she had ordered it as well. I cannot argue. That cake was damn good. As an aside, Harbinger gets their dining ware from what I believe were two hand made potteries. The bowl for the squash dish and the plate for the pork dish were expertly made and chosen well for each dish. I’ve not come across a meal in which I want to buy a plate and bowl that were used, but last night I wanted both in my kitchen. From the moment we walked in the door of Harbinger, every single person made us feel welcome. Yes, waitresses and waiters are supposed to be nice. However, everyone at Harbinger truly appeared like they wanted to be there and wanted you there, too. Sadly, I suck at names. However, I would like to call out our waitress as freaking awesome! I just cannot tell you her name and that is my fault, not hers. Sorry! My compliments to the chefs at Harbinger for our first experience was exceptional. Thank you to Harbinger for a wonderful dining experience!

An all around wonderful mealtime experience. Lovely ambience in the dining area, with knowledgeable and attentive servers. Each dish is clearly made with care and displays unique and fresh ingredients across a variety of flavor profiles and complexities. You are absolutely going to receive what you pay for - that is, an elevated and multisensory culinary experience.

Neighborhood gem. Small rustic dining room and bar featuring small plates menu of Asian inspired foods. Beautifully plated and delicious. We chose 4 dishes, but were comped a 5th because of a menu mix up. No complaints there. Plus we had dessert. We chose a beets dish, a squash dish, stuffed banana peppers, chicken for free, and the duck breast. Dessert was a crepe cake with butter cream and blueberry compote.

Harbinger has a great atmosphere, amazing food, and I will definitely return. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about all the dishes components. The menu has a great selection of seasonal ingredients. It was difficult to choose so the small plates are perfect for sharing and trying a variety of items. I would recommend the watermelon and tuna appetizer, heirloom beets and Spanish octopus grilled over charcoal if they’re available. The summer peach poached in sweet tea for dessert was my favorite.

Had the 7-course Valentine's Day menu tonight. Took nearly 2 hours to finish everything, but definitely an experience to remember. A cavalcade of delicacies. From caviar, to lobster, truffles, & even Wagyu beef.. what more could you ask for? Stellar service is the cherry on top.

Some of the best service we have ever received in the Des Moines area. I would definitely recommend coming with a group of 4 people like we did so that you can share multiple dishes! Hands down our biggest recommendations are the carrot dumplings, the steamed buns and the Ox tail. All of the dishes we ordered were so creative and unique in flavor. Worth every penny and again our server was amazing! Will be back for sure!

Incredible food, fantastic presentation, small plates, great staff, friendly bartender, multi-course meals! It was restaurant week and we didn't have a reservation, so we sat at the bar and had an entirely delightful dinner!

This was an amazing experience. We did the chefs caring tried some wines that I would’ve never experienced and the food was just beautifully delicious! Highly recommend this for a date night!

We chose Harbinger for date night because of the ambience and how we thought the food would be and it didn't disappoint. This place is amazing, the entire staff was so pleasant and the chef and team know what they are doing in the kitchen. We will be back and recommend you go there for any occasion!

We celebrated my birthday here. A little pricey for Iowa but totally worth it! We tried the chef's tasting menu, baby leeks and carrots. Experienced some flavors you don't normally get from Iowa. Healthy and delicious. Our waitress Tagan (I think, sorry I'm not good at remembering names 😔) is super knowledgeable and friendly. Top notch food. Highly recommended.

Every part of this experience was just perfect. The staff were so friendly, on top of it and collaborative - helping out with all patrons tables which I think is fabulous. The food is an amazing experience in itself. My husband and I shared the chef tasting menu and picked out a few more plates. Everything was so wonderful - each dish was unique and exciting. I just can't say enough good things. We will be going back!

Mindful eating place with a focus on ingredients. Love their ambiance and service. Great for a date night! Ps. No happy hour on Fridays

This is consistently serving the best dinner in Des Moines. Each dish is thoughtfully prepared and delectable. Each bite invites consideration and pondering as I try to connect the varied but well married flavors. Questions like, "what memory does this flavor bring forth" and "what is that I'm tasting, it's delicious but I can't name it" or "how did they do that?!". I'm always impressed by the quality of the food and the high level of knowledge and service from the staff. Never disappoints.

The food here was amazing! Such a pleasant surprise. Went in with zero expectations. And wow. Just wow. The yuzu custard was so well balanced. The ribs were delicious and the buns were on the right side of okay. Highly recommend. And you need reservations. We walked in and while not a super long wait (30mins) it wasn’t guaranteed. We got the green beans, the buns, the ribs and the duck egg. The only one that I would skip on is the duck egg. The bread was soggy, the tomatoes + sauce were super brunchy , a bit salty and a bit spicy. I wasn’t feeling their vibe. I also didn’t like that they have an odd number of seats at the bar when they have enough space for one more chair. Super weird. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is a fun place to go in Des Moines if you miss the restaurant scene from living in larger cities. I’ve only been a few times but the menu changes to meet the seasons and the chefs highlight local ingredients such as Prairie Breeze cheeses. While it costs a bit to fill you up, it’s worth it every so often; you can only visit so many sports bars in a row before you go insane.