"Amen" for Ramen- Domo Izakaya Opens in Destin

DOMO Izakaya is owned by the same minds behind Fort Walton Beach's DOMO Cafe and Think Poke. Stacy Lee and her husband have had two successful kitchens bringing Asian inspired cuisine to the Emerald Coast, and now DOMO Izakaya is their newest addition to their collection and located right in the heart of Destin on Harbor Boulevard. 

DOMO Izakaya is an upscale Japanese style pub serving fusion food with a cozy vibe. At DOMO Izakaya, they feature locally sourced fresh seafood, majority of ingredients made in house from scratch, and creative flavor combinations that modernize their dishes compared to profiles of more traditional sushi + ramen.

When you enter DOMO Izakaya, you are greeted with an energetic "DOMO!" from staff who are eager to welcome you in, provide great service and serve a heavenly meal. Complete with Japanese inspired decor such as lanterns and anime paraphernalia, DOMO Izakaya is stylish and comfortable- exactly what you'd think of a new, trendy restaurant (but in the best way).

To start, we ordered the KFC- Korean Fried Chicken that was absolutely delicious! I am still dreaming about it. It is fried to a perfect crisp, and covered in a sweet and smoky candy glaze that compliments the chicken perfectly. We also enjoyed a few bottles from their extensive sake collection, one of which tasted like a mango smoothie. In addition, we ordered a daily special that included Yellowtail Sashimi covered in a berry balsamic glaze, topped in cherry tomatoes and microgreens- WOW! 

We also ordered the Truffle Mafia sushi roll, and DOMO Tonkotsu Black Ramen. The Truffle Mafia roll had a beautiful list of ingredients, some of which include salmon, scallop, asparagus, lemon, and truffle sauce. The truffle added a delicious, rich flavor profile that complimented the melt in your mouth scallops and created a super savory roll. The ramen- me oh my! I am going to keep you on your toes about this because you MUST try it for yourself, but I will say the Miso Egg was probably the weirdest thing I have ever tried, and also one of the most delectable! It was full of flavor,  just runny enough, and definitely worth a try. The "black" ramen got its name because of, what I assume, the black garlic oil, enriching the broth with that oh so familiar piquant garlic flavor. I will definitely be back to try the rest of their ramen options, and I am particularly interested in the Vegetarian ones.

One last thing I want to note is the Domokase-  a take on traditional Omokase, where guests leave their fate in the hands of the chef and receive multiple courses of gourmet small bites. I believe DOMO Izakaya is the only restaurant in the area that offers this, and if someone else does I certainly haven't heard anything about it- which makes this new restaurant feel like it is already above the rest. At DOMO Izakaya, their Omokase option is about $50 per person in a group of 4. I have not had the pleasure of trying their entire Domokase meal, but we did try a portion of it- seared Wagyu Beef Nigiri topped with Caviar and Gold Flake- it was absolutely amazing. I cannot wait to get a few friends together and try the whole meal! 

Overall, DOMO Izakaya has won our hearts as our favorite new restaurant in Destin. It's got a sleek and cool atmosphere, with quality food and creative ingredient combinations that will leave you wanting more, but with no room left to fit it. DOMO Izakaya is a little over a month old, and is already filling up. Put this on your bucket list and check it off soon because (you heard it here first) it is definitely going to blow up. Hallelujah, DOMO Izakaya is finally giving us what we've been praying for! 

All the blessin's,  

ECHC ( :