Good news for A Dong lovers

The owners of a favorite Vietnamese restaurant downtown plan to give Des Moines something extra to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

A Dong should reopen in late November if renovations and cleanup from an Aug. 16 fire progress smoothly, said Neal Ngu, who owns A Dong with his wife, Ailien Nguyen.

Ngu said damage estimates came in around $500,000 inside his restaurant at 1511 High St., which thankfully was covered by insurance.

Smoke and water damage from a fire that started in the kitchen spread through the entire building.

Crews spent the past month ripping out all interior walls and the ceiling. The kitchen rebuild started Wednesday.

“It’s just the structure right now with everything stripped to the bones,” Ngu said.

The owners have received uplifting emails, postcards and phone calls from regulars since the fire.

Ngu said little will change with the restaurant (including the menu), though nearly everything will be new with the rebuild. Except for the iconic painting of the women in red hats.

The art piece escaped the flames unscathed and will remain in the business: “But maybe we shift it to the other side of the room,” Ngu said.