A new Japanese rice bowl spot is angling to open its doors on Frankford Avenue within days, bringing bluefin tuna, grilled eel and BYOB bowls to a stretch of Fishtown that already draws raw-fish fans. Nomu Nomu Don is the latest project from the team behind Cake & Joe, and it's being built around donburi, the Japanese rice bowls topped with prepared ingredients that give the restaurant its name.
The restaurant is planned for 2026 Frankford Avenue and is targeting a mid-November opening, according to Dosage Magazine. Sarah Qi, who owns Cake & Joe, is opening the spot alongside partner Arthur Zhao and chef Kyle Liu, Philadelphia magazine reported. Qi told the outlet she was aiming for November 8th specifically, though that date depended on how final inspections and planning shook out — a sign the opening has already been something of a moving target.
Zhao and Qi recently appeared on PHL17's Positively Philly segment, where they showcased chef Kyle's creations and talked up the concept for local viewers. Coverage from Philadelphia magazine has described Nomu Nomu Don as Philly's first restaurant dedicated almost entirely to donburi rice bowls, a framing that underscores just how specific the menu's focus will be.
What's Actually Going On the Plate
The restaurant will offer donburi alongside teishoku, the traditional Japanese set meals that come with sides and soup, according to WhatNow. The planned menu features bluefin tuna, salmon served five different ways, grilled eel and steak, with uni and caviar offered as premium add-ons, per the Inquirer's roundup of new November openings.
There's a practical reason behind all that raw and grilled protein. The kitchen has no hood or fryers installed, so everything on the menu is designed to be served either raw or grilled rather than fried, the same report notes.
A Small Room With a Big Neighbor
Nomu Nomu Don is planned as a compact, 750-square-foot dining room seating just 18 people total, split between ten counter seats and four two-top tables, Dosage Magazine reported. The restaurant plans to offer dine-in, takeout and delivery, giving neighbors a few ways to get a bowl even with such limited seating.
Dosage Magazine has framed the newcomer as a more casual counterpart to Fishtown's existing Hiroki, an omakase spot already known for serious raw fish in the neighborhood. As a BYOB, Nomu Nomu Don is expected to let diners bring their own drinks to pair with the raw and grilled fare.
Planned hours have the restaurant open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, stretching to 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, according to WhatNow. As with the opening date itself, those hours and the rest of the proposed setup remain subject to how the final stretch of planning and inspections plays out before Nomu Nomu Don welcomes its first customers.
