I’ve been in search of good sushi in New York that’s not a $1,000 omakase. Not that I’m opposed to a mind-blowing meal, but we all need that everyday sushi fix. My latest obsession is temaki, ever since Nami Nori opened. Temaki, if you’ve never had it, is the Japanese version of tacos. Your seaweed is served open-faced like a taco, and filled with rice and fish. It’s not like I think that Nami Nori is a classic version of sushi or that it’s the best fish in the city. For everyday though it’s my go-to. However, I am always open to options. I’ve seen reviews that Domodomo has the best hand rolls in the city, and I finally checked it out.

Atmosphere

The setting of Domodomo itself is conducive to attracting the crowd. It’s elevated above the basic sushi joint. Mood lighting is dim and tables are Japanese minimalist and comfortable for long meals. There’s just enough element of design to the dining room to make it more special than a generic sushi bar.

I made a reservation on a Saturday evening at 9:30 pm, thinking we could squeeze into a walk-in table earlier. We were politely informed that we were dreaming, as Domodomo was packed. The vibe was good; lots of people on date night and a few groups of friends catching up. The crowd overall was nice looking, normal people enjoying a local and easy-going sushi spot.

Food + Beverage

I wasn’t blown away by anything I ate, but yet I wasn’t massively offended by it either. This is one of the rare cases where I ordered half the menu, as I arrived starving. The first course for us was sushi. We had branzino with shiso pesto and scallops with sweet onion. I didn’t feel that the fish was super fresh or that these toppings had any flavor to enhance the pieces either. Same with the king salmon and truffle salt and yellowtail with yuzu. Everything sounded better than it tasted.

We then added a warm course of the shrimp dumplings and their signature fried chicken. The dumplings were good enough but the fried chicken was the one standout of the meal. They know their way around a deep fryer at Domodomo. Keep that in mind for later as I go into the hand rolls.

The Hand Rolls

The nutshell is this: the fish lacked flavor like our sushi course, even with all the pretty-sounding toppings. The one exception was the shrimp tempura with mango salsa and cilantro. As I said before, they know their way around a deep fryer and this roll confirmed I had not lost my taste buds. Normally blue crab is my favorite but the Domodomo version was just flavorless crab on rice. Ditto with the lobster and truffle pate. Even the potato chips couldn’t save the spicy salmon for me either.

In general, there was also too much rice in the Domodomo hand rolls. I know I could have requested light rice but it was good to see how the kitchen normally serves the dishes. To also clarify my food review of the experience, it’s not like I  things immensely disliked what I ate. The sushi at Domodomo just didn’t do anything for me. If I had a good friend who loved the place, of course, I would go back and eat tempura and drink. I had a nice refreshing cucumber cocktail. I would find a way to make the experience work to enjoy the company. However, I haven’t found another go-to temaki spot in Domodomo.

Service

Service is sincere and you can tell that this isn’t a large chain but rather a successful small business. There’s an element of personalization and lack of corporate polish that you want from your local sushi joint. The servers are helpful and actually knowledgeable about the food. They know how to make recommendations for both food and cocktails. You don’t always get that with a local sushi joint.

Overall: 6.9/10

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FAQs

Q: Where is Domodomo located?

A: Domodomo is located at 140 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012 in Soho.

Q: What are the hours of operation of Domodomo?

A: The hours of operation of Domodomo are as follows:

Q: Is Domodomo an omakase restaurant?

A: Domodomo has an omakase menu, but you can also order à la carte.