If you’ve never feasted upon the delicious ramen at DOMU, not only will the Japanese inspired noodles blow you away, but the restaurant’s modern appeal and creative ambiance is sure to impress all visitors.

Chef and owner Sean “Sonny” Nguyen was determined to bring his DOMU vision to life, learning authentic Japanese techniques and infusing them with his modern day menu. He started the restaurant off in the Audubon Park District of Orlando, Florida and after tremendous success the team began discussions of expanding to Jacksonville.

“Jacksonville was our first out-of-city trial,” he says. “Jacksonville has a lot of culture, which we liked. The Town Center is in a constant evolution and we felt like it was the epicenter of Jacksonville. It’s always bustling, has a dense population, and is continuing to grow.”

So far, DOMU has certainly been a hit at the Jacksonville Town Center. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7qo1z7hee7/

With imported tools from Japan, the staff makes their own noodles in-house. They also make all of their broths from hundreds of pounds of bones, simmering for hours. They also have a very curated bar program and weekly soft-serve ice cream specials, which consist of flavors such as ube, Vietnamese coffee and horchata. 

“DOMU was an outlet for me to express everything I ever wanted in my ‘idea’ of a restaurant. Super casual, but still elevated,” he explains. “Here I was able to help empower my staff to come in as they wish, to express themselves for that day. [I stick] to true Japanese techniques but with my modern touch, [it gives] my staff a platform to get creative and to put food and cocktails out to the world.”

DOMU serves both brunch and dinner. You can come in to try delectable brunch items from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and come back for beautifully blended dinner entrees from 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. Out of all these scrumptious food items, DOMU is specifically memorable for its ramen.

“I really enjoy the Richie Rich,” the chef says. “When I first started DOMU, there were only two hot ramen options on the menu, which was this one and the Tokyo. To this day, eight options later, these two original ramen bowls are still our most popular. It’s definitely a modern approach to a tonkotsu that is truly unique only to DOMU. Oh, and the egg, you can’t forget the signature bruleed egg.”

If you are wondering whether to give DOMU a try, consider coming out for one of their themed days. They have specials that include build-a-ramen Mondays, happy hour Tuesdays, wine down Wednesdays (once a month) and weekend brunch. 

“We are unique. We are dedicated to our craft and just want to put out good food and drinks for people to enjoy in a curated environment and hope that people like that we are different.”

You may be wondering, what is in store for DOMU’s future? Nguyen says they always have plans to push the envelope, and expansion is definitely on the horizon.

“I just want to thank the city of Jacksonville for their tremendous support this far,” he reiterates. “We couldn’t be here without you and we hope to bring new light to the city.”

For more information abut DOMU, visit here.

DOMU: 4852 Town Center Pkwy. #101 Jacksonville, FL: 904-683-1367; www.domufl.com