Domo Cafe

Came to this cozy sushi restaurant in Chinatown. Domo Cafe is a pretty small restaurant but it doesn't seem to get crowded at least. In fact we were the only ones eating in here while a few others got takeout. A lot of the favorites on the menu. There's also a few unique sushi items and specialties. A sushi restaurant that opens pretty early. It's possible to get sushi at breakfast if you want to have it. The main thing here is of course sushi. All kinds. It's about $12 for a meal. The C2 is okay for vegetarians. It comes with inari and vegetarian maki. The inari is tofu shells stuffed with rice, and the maki roll is made with avocado, cucumber, and daikon among other things. A lot for not a whole lot. The menu said this one doesn't come with wasabi, but it still came with it though. Basic looking family owned sushi restaurant in an area full of such restaurants and businesses. It's closed Sundays. There's mostly fishy items but there's a few things okay for vegetarians.

DOMO DOMO DOMO. I can never say enough delicious things about this place. Living just a couple blocks from this spot, is so tempting to not eat here everyday because the quality of fish is excellent.If you want a quick bite to take away, visit the location in Chinatown. However, if you're looking for a spot with free parking and a bigger place to take your time, visit the location in Kahala.This spot its the original place where Domo started, so it has it's personal charm and custom layout in the space. Can't wait to come back again since the service is so warm and friendly!

I've passed by domo cafe many times over the years of going to Chinatown but today was the first time I ate there. Their yuzu shoyu ahi poke bowl was delicious, the fish was fresh and the yuzu gave a delightful citrus spin to the traditional local favorite poke bowl. The brightness of the citrus complemented the shoyu nicely. My friends got the seared salmon and the yuzu salmon bowl both of which are on my wishlist for my return visit!

After a Yelp event, I bought some take out dishes to bring to my daughter and son-in-law to have lunch together. Their fish is definitely very fresh, and they use high sushi-grade fish, even for their poke bowls. I ordered a Salmon and Ikura bowl, a Domo premium poke bowl (which was upgraded with ikura), and the Kahala aburi (seared) sushi set. This set includes four pieces each of shrimp, Hamachi, ahi, and salmon, half are regular, and half have been seared. The fish was cut and prepared perfectly, and the aburi sushi had a great smokey flavor from the searing. Each slice is placed on a nice sized mound of rice that has a good "chew " to it. My only wish is that the rice had more flavor, as it tasted more like "plain" rice rather than "sushi" rice.Since they make each item "to-order," I would suggest calling ahead or ordering online to avoid waiting a while, depending on how busy it is (they do get fairly busy depending on the time of day).The prices are reasonable, especially when you consider the grade and quality of the fish. There are a huge variety of combos, bowls, platters, and side dishes available. You should also check the daily specials board and the cold case display for specialty items. Even though I live in Kailua, my daughter now lives in Manoa, so I will have lots of opportunities to visit here in the future.

Sushi for beginners or people who don't like sushi!Case in point, take overcooked shrimp, OK quality salmon, ahi and questionably fresh hamachi, cover them up with garlic butter, torch them all, add garlic aioli and drizzle with kabayaki sauce. What do you get? Seafood garlic rice. Everything taste the same with a huge garlic flavor that goes on and on. But if it's your thing, go for it!Spicy ahi inari bombs, flavorful but also covered in kabayaki sauce. Imitation crab cali rolls with lots of kewpie mayo.You get the picture.The freshness of the fish is sus. Just because it is purchased at the fish auction does not mean it hasn't been portioned, improperly wrapped and sat in a fridge for days until sold. The hamachi used in the aburi nigiri had a pasty texture and off taste. Ikura were "dented", not spherical. No one got sick so I at least there's that.The social media hype from youtubers, IG influencers and even a Yelp event are obviously orchestrated to drive positive hype. It has its place. To their credit, it will give a new group of young foodies an introduction to the world of sushi.

Solid! We ordered and picked up from Postmates. Food available nearly immediately and store was empty when I walked inside (around noon on a weekday). Sushi was fresh and the beef bowl was delicious. Prices were pretty inline with what you would expect.

Finally had a chance to check out Domo Cafe on Maunakea St in Chinatown. I would rate it 3.5 stars but rounded down. Unfortunately metered parking was all taken so I paid 5$ for 1 hour at the municipal open parking lot across the street.They have a few tables inside and it's AC so we decided to eat in. Everything is made when you order so expect to wait a few minutes. The spicy tempura bowl (17.95$) came with 2 pieces of shrimp, poke, ocean salad and crab salad. It was pretty good and filling. The spicy tempura roll ($12.95) was tasty as well. Overall a pretty solid poke/sushi place in the heart of Chinatown. It was good just not amazing in my opinion. The nice thing is that if you do pay the 5$ for 1 hour of parking it's convenient location allows You to wander around and check out the bakeries and shops in Chinatown.

My go to sushi spot if I'm in the Kahala area. They use high grade fish in their dishes. Salmon and unagi bowls are winners.

It's been several years now since I don't work in the heart of Chinatown anymore. However, I still visit the area weekly and keep up with the businesses. Recently, I needed to pick up some food to bring over to my sister's place as her niece and family were coming to town from SoCal for a short visit. I wanted to get something local and to suit their palate so when advised they like sushi, I had my work cut out - - I'll get a sushi platter. I wanted something different from what I often see at get togethers, as well as supporting small businesses. I then recall Domo Café (DC) in Chinatown and glanced at their menu online. Party Tray #5 (Nigiri and Sashimi Trio) got my attention, and the decision was made. On one of my nights off, I trekked to Chinatown after work and scored street parking on Maunakea. DC is not what I remembered it to be - the doors were open and there were dining tables on both sides filled with customers eating. But then again, this was pre-COVID. This time, I noticed a neon "OPEN" sign with their doors closed and an unused sushi chef's counter on the right just as you enter. I had already decided what to order and it was good to see Queenie again. She recognized me and I advised her I needed a party tray for a potluck attended by 6 adults and 2 children. I placed my order for Party Tray #5 and received my receipt/confirmation via text.On the date of the event, I once again scored street parking on Maunakea and as I entered DC, I saw my party tray on the counter ready to go. They also provided a bag of pickled ginger and soy sauce packets. When I arrived at my sister's house, I opened the tray and it was colorful and nicely arranged. At first, I mistook the lemon slices as egg (tamago nigiri) and it brought a nice color contrast to the arrangement.Family members were all waiting for the sushi as after we took turns taking photos, they dug in and the nigiri and sashimi disappeared at a fast rate. Of what I sampled from the party tray, the hamachi nigiri exceeded my expectations. It was fresh and sliced at a thickness where I could appreciate the protein and was satisfied. To allow my guests enjoy, I decided to not eat any more from the party tray and ate potstickers instead.Overall, I am very pleased with the party tray from DC and wouldn't hesitate to order from them again. They do have a large selection and venture to their other options.NOTE: Maunakea Municipal Parking lot adjacent to DC and they allow a 15min grace period. Preorder your food for a quick pick-up.

Give the tips in cash instead of credit card. The owners steal their workers' tips.I stopped ordering from here ever since they removed their bubble/fruit tea menu. Their durian bubble tea was the best on the island. Sushi is always fresh as well.