Extravagant Sushi Lunch c/o Doma

A Friday or two ago I took the day off from work. It was one of my last vacation days before my office life gets very, very busy. Lots of editing all of the time. Reminds me that I am generally competent and have a brain. In any case, I was using my vacation day to prepare for my next week's vacation in the Adirondacks, as I would be departing on Sunday and had LW's 30th birthday to attend on Saturday. Preparations included a trip to south Philly for camping supplies and cat food.  On the way back north I thought I'd detour to Federal Donuts, thinking it wouldn't be too crowded in the middle of the afternoon. I didn't actually go in, but it looked crowded from the window and I was feeling weird about crowds. So then I thought I would finally (finally!) get myself a Paesano's sandwich. That's a date I've certainly been meaning to make. A date with a sandwich, that is. In any case I didn't have any cash and Paesano's is cash-only. So on home I went. But now I really felt like I wanted some lunch treat. So I settled on Doma. I think they lowered their chairs, which makes me very happy. I feel like I've gone there twice and both times I was perched in these uncomfortable tall chairs. Or I'm just an unwitting sufferer of chair vertigo amnesia. Who knows. I know I can't remember.

I ordered the hand roll lunch special, one eel and cucumber hand roll, one salmon and avocado hand roll and one spicy California hand roll. In addition to that I also ordered ikura, wasabi tobiko and monkfish paté.

I was quite pleased with my selection. Uncouth as it may be, I enjoyed sprinkling a little of the wasabi tobiko on the salmon avocado roll. They were all well constructed rolls and I thought the eel was nice and sweet, and the salmon fresh. The spicy California roll could have packed a little more punch, but I just infused some of my bites with a wee little bit of wasabi tobiko and straight up wasabi. 

Monkfish paté is just its own special thing. I've only ever seen it except on the Doma menu. It is the 'foie gras' of the sea according to this blog. The liver of monkfish is salted and then wrapped up in a cylindrical shape and steamed. Then disks are cut from the larger roll. This little disk has a definitely firmer and denser texture than actual foie gras. But there is some similar thing going on. The liver part, obviously. But they're very different animals, geese and fish. Additionally, I've always found foie gras to be really sensual thing. Not sexual mind you. It's just that when I eat foie gras I enjoy it with my whole body and brain. It fills me with a sense of satiation and contentedness while also alert. Perhaps that is the nature of all luxury foods.  It's just one of those taste/texture/tongue things for me. The monkfish paté doesn't have quite that brain rocking mouthfeel or flavor, but it has its own mojo. If you're a sushi fan and you haven't tried it, you should. Then we can talk about it.

Ikura, a long time favorite of mine. Just salty pearls of wisdom, each and every one of them.

A very nice lunch spot.