Return to Domo – Sushi, That Is

 

For Fathers Day this year my youngest daughter and I went to Domo Sushi for dinner.  I had been promising to take her there for several months, so this was a perfect time.  I wrote about Domo’s take out about a year ago, and had promised myself that I would come back to have the full experience – and it is a great experience.

Your experience begins as soon as you sit down.  We decided to sit at the sushi bar so we could watch the itamae make his magic. Our server brought us each a lovely little plate with a selection of thinly sliced ginger, lightly pickled cucumber slices, and a dollop of wasabi.  There was also a small bowl for soy sauce that my daughter liked so much she wanted to know where they got them (we forgot to ask once the food arrived).

The most difficult part of eating at Domo Sushi is deciding just what to try.  We finally decided to share a Sushi Sampler (with albacore, kani kama, mackerel, salmon, tamago, white fish, 4 pieces of California roll, and 4 pieces of spicy tuna roll) and a two-piece order of unagi.  It was great fun eating sushi with my daughter, because even at 11 years old she has become fairly well versed in many areas of world cuisine, including sushi.  (I can either thank or blame Food Network for this.)  She was able to explain several elements of our meal, and I noticed the itamae smiling in approval.

First of all, if you have never tried unagi, do yourself a favor and have some next time you get the chance.  What is unagi, you ask?  It is freshwater eel that is traditionally grilled and eaten during the summer to provide extra stamina.  The unagi at Domo Sushi is served over rice with a delicious, slightly sweet sauce and tied on with seaweed.  The rolls were very good – the spicy tuna rolls had a nice kick to them and the California rolls were way above the usual.  We split the rest of the sushi so I didn’t get to taste all of them, but we both enjoyed them.  My favorite of the ones I tried was the salmon.

At the end of our meal the itamae presented us with a beautiful fruit plate that consisted of two slices of peach, two cherries, and an orange cut into a beach scene with a wave and umbrella.  It was a tasty and refreshing end to a great meal.

Domo Sushi is located at 9625 Mission Gorge Rd., Suite D – right next to the Vons.  They are open for lunch and dinner, with a short closed time in between.  If you like sushi, do yourself a favor and stop in – frequently.

On Food Patrol – Domo Sushi Bar & Grill

Domo Shushi’s takeout version of its Domo Sampler

“If you knew Sushi, like I know Sushi, oh, oh, oh what a dish…”

Okay, now that I have that out of my system, on to the story.  A few weeks ago I was at the Vons on Mission Gorge Road, and I realized that I hadn’t had lunch yet.  So, instead of buying something at the grocery store, I decided to check out Domo Sushi, which opened up right next door a few weeks before.  If you’re not sure about the location, it was the Papa Murphy’s Take and Bake pizza place for a while.  Now, I’m not a sushi connoisseur, but I do like sushi and I’m always willing to try new places.  Now, I know some people might not put “sushi” and “Santee” together, but I think this place is on to something.  It was late lunch time, but the place was packed.  Fortunately for me they do take-out, so that’s what I elected to do.

I ordered their Domo Sampler, a combination of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, surf clam, shrimp, and shrimp tempura roll.  As i waited for my order I checked out the goings on in the restaurant.  I was very impressed by the itamae (the sushi chef) and his assistant.  It was clear they not only knew what they were doing but enjoyed the process.  And every plate they sent out was a work of art in presentation.  I never really paid much attention to how food was “plated” until my daughter got me started watching Iron Chef on the Food Network.  Then when my food arrived, I found it just as artfully presented as the in-house servings (as you can see above).

I’m looking forward to going back to eat at the restaurant so I can enjoy the full experience.  If you’ve never eaten at a real sushi bar/restaurant, I came across an interesting and helpful site: Sushi Eating HOWTO.  By the way, “domo” in Japanese means “thank you,” and “arigato” is “very much.”  So I want to say “Domo Arigato” to the owners for opening this wonderful restaurant in Santee.