Domoishi opens first Long Island location, in West Hempstead

Domoishi, a rapidly expanding poke bowl chain from Virginia, has touched down on Long Island with its first store in West Hempstead. The fast casual concept, which translates to "very delicious" in Japanese, has a catchall menu that includes ramen, Taiwanese bubble teas and a stellar plate of Korean fried chicken wings. 

Owned by Sam Huang, the chain boasts 25 locations across Virginia as well as four locations in Houston, Texas. The West Hempstead location opened in the Cherry Valley Plaza on Hempstead Turnpike in February, and is still wrapped in a grand opening banner. 

On a recent afternoon, customers were streaming in to pick up ramen bowls to-go. Like the poke bowls, you can customize your own ramen, choosing from four different broths — shoyu, tonkotsu, miso and chicken — and adding a protein and toppings. The drink menu includes milk teas, smoothies, fruit teas flavored with lychee and wintermelon, and a variety of "snow cream" drinks with strawberry, mango and yogurt passion fruit. 

Most of the items are made for you at the counter, but the fabulous Korean chicken wings ($7.95 for six) come from the back. You'll want to eat them on the spot, because the best part is that hot crackly skin, giving way to steaming chicken fresh out of the fryer. These wings are of the smaller chicken wing variety, rather than the large boneless fried chicken or drumsticks you'll often see, and they're significantly less sticky, making them easier to eat. They're available in original soy garlic and spicy soy garlic, and the spicy variety was assertive enough to prompt a sweat.

Domoishi, 506 Hempstead Tpke., West Hempstead, 516-930-0039, domoishi.com. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. 

By Andi Berlin

andi.berlin@newsday.comAndiBerlin

Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.