The Hungry Foodie: DoMo Japanese Steakhouse is So-So

Address: 3124 North Granville Avenue, Muncie, IN

Phone: (765) 751-1111

Website: http://www.domomuncie.com/

DoMo Japanese Steakhouse is perhaps the most unique dining experience in the Muncie area.

Enter the dimly lit restaurant. Sit at a large table. Be served a meal made right in front of you. All the while getting a show performed by the chef making your meal. You are sat at large tables that have the grill centered on one side and you and others (not necessarily people you came to eat with (a.k.a., strangers) at your table facing it. It's the Japanese equivalent of dinner theatre.

Our first trip to DoMo, we were promptly greeted and sat. Our order was quickly taken and our hibachi turned on. My wife and I had the "Seafood Combonation" [sic]. Considering this is Muncie and we are not situated near any large bodies of water and are in a rather out of the way area as well, the seafood was about as fresh as one could expect. The calamari that we had was surprisingly good. The idea that octopus would be anything but chewy and frozen tasting in such a land-locked area (considering we've had calamari in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco, all areas with significant Japanese populations and easier access to fresh seafood) was a very pleasant surprise.

Our second visit was less than stellar. We were again greeted pleasantly and promptly as well as sat quickly, with our orders also quickly taken. But then it was downhill from there. Our cook made no fewer than five errors in his presentation/show, struggling most with, of all things, the onion volcano!

In many respects the show here is no different than other hibachi restaurants. The butter flying ("Butterfly," get it?) and the onion volcano are standard among the dozen or so similar places I've been. The shows are about the same (FYI: the best performance we've seen was at Disney World)..

That said, the food is adequate. It's no surprise to the palate. The food was, actually, bland in the grand scheme of things. For example, the sushi, quite honestly and perhaps ironically, is as good and cheaper at Marsh. If the same chef prepares the sushi at both places, then DoMo is getting the shaft.

But let's be realistic folks. This is Muncie. Japanese fare isn't common in these parts. So unless you've gone to numerous other similar restaurants, then this should be a treat for you, regardless of what I or any other critic tells you. I recommend DoMo to everyone for at least two trips (in case once isn't a very good experience like our second trip was).

Domo arigato.