Fun fact: My favorite food is sushi. So, when I found out a Domo Cafe was opening in Pearl Kai Shopping Center, you could imagine my excitement.
While Domo Cafe also boasts locations in Kahala and in Chinatown, I’d never gotten the chance to experience its delectable sushi. So, when my daughter and I were looking for somewhere to eat recently, we thought the Pearl Kai location would be the perfect place.
The biz, located in the former KuruKuru Sushi location, boasted a casual, homey atmosphere with the friendliest customer service. Its tables were filled with friends and family happily enjoying their meals.
I always make sure to take a gander at what everyone else has ordered to help give me an idea of what the restaurant’s most popular items are.
The menu was stacked with sushi sets, sushi rolls, fresh salads, special bentos and premium poke bowls.
The biz also carried sushi platters featuring a selection perfect for any occasion.
While Domo Cafe does have an a la carte sushi menu, its sushi sets are perfect for those that who to try different items.
I ordered the B4 sushi set ($13.95), which came with four pieces of a California roll, two spicy ahi bombs and two pieces of garlic salmon.
The latter was my favorite, as it featured melt-in-your-mouth salmon that was seared to perfection.
The spicy ahi bombs, which were rice wrapped with inari and topped with spicy ahi, tasted so fresh and weren’t too spicy.
The California roll was jam-packed with imitation crab, rice and cucumbers and topped with roe. When I have this at other sushi joints, I can eat a piece in one bite. Not at Domo. Its pieces were so big it took me two bites to finish each one.
The sushi rolls were what really caught my eye, though, and while it was definitely a hard decision, I finally chose the crispy tempura roll ($12.95) and Volcano roll ($15.95). Each came with eight pieces.
The crispy tempura roll featured shrimp tempura, topped with crispy onions and drizzled with Kabayaki sauce. It had the perfect crunch that was elevated by the crispy onions, which also added a crunchy texture to the dish.
The shrimp was flavorful but it was really the Kabayaki sauce that took the roll to the next level. Kabayaki sauce is also known as eel or unagi sauce and is a popular Japanese condiment that boasts a sweet and savory flavor.
Meanwhile, the Volcano roll showcased a California roll topped off with fresh spicy ahi. This roll lived true to its name, and definitely had a kick to it.
I couldn’t finish all of this and when had some leftovers the next day, the ahi still tasted just as fresh.
My daughter, an avid sushi lover herself, got the ahi nigiri ($4.75, two pieces) and clearly loved it as she ordered another from the waitress before finishing what was on her plate.
She also ordered the plain udon ($9.95), which came with green onions, seaweed, kamaboko (fish cake) and deep-fried tofu.
She said she liked the flavors because “it has a nice, warm taste,” also noting that it had long udon noodles that were perfect for slurping.
Lastly, she commented on how the broth had a nice, salty taste to it, with a hint of sweetness. (Do we have a little keiki foodie reviewer on our hands? I think so!)
While this may have been both our first time dining at Domo Cafe, it certainly won’t be our last.
