Tex-Mex Asian fusion restaurant TaKo opens in West Des Moines

TaKo (pronounced "Taco") is a Tex-Mex and Korean barbecue restaurant that just opened on the patio at Boomer’s Bicycle Lounge. (They are sharing spaces but are separately owned.)

Details: Its menu describes the food as "Tex-Mex meets Far East with a little fusion mixed in."

• There are more than a dozen handmade sauces, many with ginger and garlic.
• The food is inspired by owner Jenny Symonds' Korean heritage and her childhood roots in southern California, where she learned to cook Mexican eats, she told Axios.

I ate there last Friday, the first day that its full menu was offered, and tried:

• Candied bacon burrito: Garlic fried rice, scrambled eggs, candied bacon, seasoned spinach, mozzarella and "dynamite sauce." ($12)
• Japjae Mandu: Fried Korean dumplings filled with glass noodles and veggies. ($7)
• Tilted Handlebar: Casamigos Blanco Tequila, lime and agave juice, fresh blackberries, basil and chopped serrano peppers. ($8 on the Boomer's menu)

The verdict: This spot is for you if you like full flavor and some heat. (I'm going back for the Korean fried chicken, which is hand breaded and twice fried.)

Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11am-2pm and 4pm-8 pm; Friday: 11am-2pm and 4pm-9pm; Saturday: 11am-9pm; Sunday 11am-7pm.

• 265 50th St., West Des Moines. www.TaKoLyfe.com, 1-888-840-8256.