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RESTAURANT REVIEW: Beautiful plates please diners at Arlington's elegant new Sushi Domo
BY CATHY FRISINGER
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM
Sushi Domo isn't just the hot new spot for sushi: It's volcanic hot.
Setting food on fire was a favorite way to add excitement to an upscale dining experience in the '50s, and owner/chef Jim Hwan Kim marries that slick trick with today's trendiest trend: tall food.
The volcano roll ($12.50) starts with a bed of salt on a yellow platter. A clam shell is placed atop the salt. Then comes a layer of cucumber rolls, rice, grilled crab meat, green mussels, scallops, seasoned mayo and, finally, flame. It's quite an eyeful.
But then just about everything about Sushi Domo is eye-pleasing.
Kim, who's been serving up beautiful plates of food as the sushi chef at places like Wasabi in Fort Worth and Blue Fish and Sapporo in Dallas for years, decided last year it was time to open his own restaurant. He chose an unlikely location -- between a vision center and a medical-supply store in south Arlington -- because he felt the Arlington market for top-quality sushi hadn't been tapped.
Kim said he, his wife and a friend who is a builder did all the decorating because he was on a budget, but if this dark, elegant environment is "budget" decor, Kim has himself a backup career.
Wall panels of black mixed with panels of dark green and a black ceiling make for a moody, urban-chic feel. Weekly specials are written on the "blackboard" panels.
The center space has mahogany tables, but along the walls, Kim has created a Westernized version of the low tatami-style seating. Pretty sake containers are displayed in a corner case. Even the bathrooms are a chic mix of purple stone and black.
The plates of food are equally artful.
Kim does a twist on the typical spider roll ($6.95) by adding pieces of mango and masago (fish eggs) to the traditional deep-fried crab, avocado and cucumber.
An order of California roll ($4.95) was eight slices.
For customers who enjoy sashimi, the manager particularly recommends the Japanese snapper and the toro (fatty tuna).
Dinners who steer clear of raw fish might want to try the katsu: a breaded chicken or pork fillet served with a sweet sauce.
You'll, of course, want some hot sake to cleanse your palate between courses. Drink specials include $1.50 sake on Tuesdays and Thursdays and $1.50 domestic beers on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Service at Sushi Domo was rushed. Our waitress kept asking if she could take our order, though we needed more time to digest the lengthy menu.
But Sushi Domo has been open only a month. The wait staff will learn the right pace. So far, lunches, which feature bento boxes ($6 chicken, $9 shrimp, steak), have been the busiest (there's a hospital with a hungry staff across the street). Kim says he's getting a good number of repeat customers, though, at night, which isn't surprising.
"Domo," by the way, means "thanks" in Japanese.
Domo, Jim Hwan Kim.
Sushi Domo
3330 Matlock Road, Arlington
817-557-3135
$$
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Cuisine: Sushi bar, Japanese
Essentials: Major credit cards; wheelchair-accessible; no smoking; wine, beer, sake
Sushi, sashimi cost: $3.50-$14.50
Entree cost: $9-$20
Signature dishes: Japanese snapper, spider roll, volcano roll, yakisoba
Recommended for: sushi in an elegant setting
Good to know: There is plenty for folks who are reluctant to eat raw fish.
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Go Fish
by Meda Kessler and June Naylor
The former head chef, Jinwhan Kim (call him Shawn), at Wasabi in southwest Fort Worth has opened Sushi Domo in south Arlington. Expect fresh fish such as bigeye tuna and salmon belly, a very good udon soup and perfectly cooked tempura. Speaking of Wasabi, word is that two of its best customers regularly show up (or should we say have their people show up) for takeout on their private jet.
