Her parents’ kung pao chicken had Des Moines obsessed. With her own restaurant, Nhina Chau brought back the recipe — and added foods Vietnamese Iowans have craved for decades

Nhina Chau, owner of Heavenly Asian Cuisine, will never put freezer-burned veggies in her egg drop soup. She crinkles her nose at the thought of it.

“I personally hate the smell of frozen peas and carrots,” Chau said, squirming in her chair.

Egg drop soup is a Chinese restaurant classic. The people of West Des Moines are used to having it with the frozen veggies, Chau explained. But her family has always made it with tofu…

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