Des Moines Going Out: Satay, Sushi, and Halloween

A good week for trying something new: the metro got its first Indonesian restaurant, the long-awaited sushi belts are finally turning, and Halloween lands on Saturday. Here's what's worth going out for around Des Moines.

Iowa's first Indonesian spot is open downtown

Bali Bulay is serving what its owners say is the first Indonesian food in Iowa, from a counter inside the Local Bites food hall at 700 Locust St downtown. The focus is satay: pick three skewers from chicken, pork belly, beef, or tofu, and don't miss the rendang, a slow-cooked beef braised in coconut milk and spices. A lunch combo runs around $15, and they're open weekdays roughly 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so it's an easy downtown lunch. Go while the novelty is fresh.

The sushi belts are finally rolling

We've been telling you it was coming, and now it's here: Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is open at Jordan Creek, Iowa's first true conveyor-belt sushi. Plates roll by on the belt, you order extras from a tablet, robots run your drinks, and finishing plates earns you a shot at a prize. Expect a wait while it's new. If you want the local sushi scene while the line dies down, our best sushi and Asian food guide has where to go, including a few spots now on the Standard List.

It's Halloween weekend

Halloween lands on Saturday, so the metro's haunts are open for their final weekend. Linn's Haunted House runs Friday through Sunday, 7 p.m. to midnight, through Oct 31. For the full lineup of haunts, pumpkin patches, and cool-weather outings, our fall things to do guide has you covered, and everything we're tracking is on the events calendar.

That's the week. Every week we round up where to eat, drink, and go out in Des Moines and send it in one email. Get it here, no noise.