© 2024 90.7 WMFE. All Rights Reserved.
Public Media News for Central Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Spotlight: Domu

domu_ramen

On my third visit to Domu I was finally granted a seat. On one visit the restaurant, which does not accept reservations, had a wait of an hour and a half. Nope.

On the second visit, middle of the week, there were dozens of open seats, but the hostess said I would have to wait a while because there were only two waiters on that evening and if she were to seat me I might not be greeted right away. So, the logic was, stand here and wait instead of being seated and wait. Nope.

But that proverbially charming third time worked,

Ramen is Domu’s raison d’etre, or however that’s pronounced in Japanese. The noodley soups have been enjoying a resurgence in popularity, and Domu does them nicely.

I went whole hog with my ordering here, getting pig and more pig.

I started with an appetizer of Pigs in a Blanket, which had nothing to do with little wieners. Instead it featured chashu, or pork belly, with bao buns for blankets. The doughy steamed buns also held pickled cabbage and cucumbers with a spicy mayonnaise. Quite good.

I chose the Richie Rich ramen, so named not for its expense but for the fat content. It had a pork broth — 18 hours in the making, according to the menu — with pork belly, chewy wood ear mushrooms, and a soft-boiled egg. And, of course, the permanently bent noodles that are familiar to any grad student on a budget.

The broth had a wonderful unctuousness that coated the mouth and complemented the richness of the chashu. I almost wish I hadn’t taken the leftovers home because the next day I saw that the broth had almost completely congealed. Oh well, we don’t go to restaurants to keep our New Year’s resolutions.

Once I got past the front desk I found the staff to be amiable and accommodating.

Because of its newness and the popularity for ramen, Domu is enjoying the kind of business that puts them on a 90-minute wait some nights. That newness will wane. Then they’ll have only the quality of the food and the graciousness of the staff to keep them going.