Domo Arigato Domo, a Denver Based Japanese Restaurant That Makes You Feel Like You Are in Japan

“Domo” in Japanese means “thanks,” “hello,” and or “Nice to meet you.”

I’m very happy to see a place like this in all places, Colorado.

The main entrance is actually next to the parking lot (on the side).

You’re so spoiled

There’s a level of pretentiousness when I look at the reviews on Yelp about a lot of the sushi restaurants in Colorado.

I’m talking specifically about the ones that are written by the out-of-state visitors. These are the type of reviewers that first establish that they’re from LA, New York, or some other city that is meant to put the cowpoke Coloradan in awe.

So these reviews go something like this “I’m from _________, so I’m really spoiled when it comes to sushi. XXX sushi restaurant is like a 2 star compared to XXX”.

When I read this, I’m always wondering what sushi restaurant in XXX city are they spoiled by?

You know I got to know, so I typically research them via their Yelp profile, and it usually turns out to be some mundane or mediocre spot they checked into or reviewed.

Seeing this just reinforces that coastal or major cities aren’t the only places in the world for stand-out spots, and if you can’t get past your pretentiousness, you should just stay in your city with your favorite “Sushi’r’Us AYCE,” where they spoil you.

Deciphering and understanding the Domo menu

At the time of this post, there are 14 menu’s from a “specials menu”, “take-out menu”, “noodle menu”, “beverage menu”, “sake menu” and there’s more. If that weren’t enough, I find the design from the layout to the typography only complicates things more. So to simply things for you, I’ve posted the core menu’s which are the lunch and dinner menu, along with the breakdown.

The Domo Lunch Menu: downloadable PDF and Dinner Menu: downloadable PDF.

Now the breakdown for their 3 categories which are:

Appetizers
Entrees
Wankosushi (as for the rest, you’re on your own figuring that out, goodluck).

1. Appetizers:

Ranging from $5.75 to $7.50

9 offerings

this little deep fried curry thing was good

2. Entrees:

Ranging from $16.75 to $19.50

Teriyaki chicken, pork, and salmon, + 7 country dishes, $17.50-$19.50
Nabemono (stew), + 7 country dishes, $16.75-$19.50
Donburi (toppings served over rice): sashimi, mixed sashimi, and grilled salmon or eel, + 7 country dishes, $16.75-$19.50
Japanese curry: chicken, pork, salmon, +7 country dishes, $17.50-$19.50

the country side dishes

Domo’s creation “wanko” sushi

3. Wankosushi:

3-course is $23.50, 5-course is $29.50 and each addtional dish is $5.50

Sake (salmon), 5 variations.
Ebi (shrimp), 4 variations.
Unagi (freshwater eel), 3 variations.
Saba (mackerel), 4 variations.
Maguro (albacore tuna), 6 variations.
Hamachi (yellowtail), 8 variations.
Ika (squid), 8 variations.
Tako (octopus), 3 variations.
Ikura (salmon roe), 3 variations.

Still feeling confused? Try having another beer which won’t help, but it’ll give you a happy little confused buzz.

Hot Bowl of Gohan (“rice”)

You’re only going to find this type of food either at Domo or inside a Japanese persons home. Well, not all homes since some are only capable of opening up packs of natto or instant noodles although as for me, I can sometimes cook up dishes along these lines. When I do, you just may want to drop some compliments on me; otherwise, your only chance of eating this type of food is by going to Domo (I highly suggest this route anyways).

Now don’t think this is some fancy, techno playing, fusion spot with twenty types of sushi rolls because it isn’t (what Colorado Japanese food is about). It is instead the stuff that I love to eat which reminds me of my grandmothers cooking. Home style Japanese country food is the type of food where a freshly scooped warm bowl of satiating carbs in the form of rice is a perfect pair with all the varying types of okazu (side dishes). Mmmhhh, satiating.

Shinto “shide” are those zig-zag (Shirakawa style?) looking things.

Willy Wanko of Sushi

“Wanko sushi” is a style distinctive to Domo, so Gaku Homma (the owner) is like the Willy Wonka of Japanese food. I say that because he most likely coined the term “wanko sushi” himself which is most likely based on “wanko soba.”

Wanko style is where you eat off these small red plates. Everything I had on these little red dishes, I really liked, so it’s no gimmick (well to me it isn’t).

My favorites were their sushi meshi (sushi rice) which was perfectly seasoned. The fish quality and the saba (mackerel) in particular were so good.

If you want to try real Japanese food, not the “con-fusion” food that Colorado Japanese restaurants are so well known for, this is the legit spot to do that at.

No cliff divers, but I like the main dining area.

Restaurant, museum, garden, and dojo all in one

Domo isn’t just a restaurant, but it is also an aikido dojo, Japanese country museum, and a Japanese garden. What? You say your restaurant only does food? That’s cute bro.