Gaijin - Chicago

My friend and shared the following 3 plates: Marinated beef ribs, octopus okonomiyaki with crispy rice , and matcha citrus mochi donut. We went in hungry and the above was filling enough and no leftovers so I was happy I didn't do the tasting menu for 40. Marinated beef ribs came with 3 slices of beef and a small scoop of rice about 3 tablespoons . The beef was tender and well seasoned. Octopus okonomiyaki Osaka style was very much like the one I had in Osaka, Japan so I was impressed. The ingredients were fresh, crisp, and cooked to perfection. I do wish for more octopus meat, but that's me being greedy. The one disappointing dish was the mochi donut. It wa so heavy and dense and not like the other Japanesw mochi donuts I've had in LA or at 2D restaurant. The donut got harder as it cooled. Maybe instead of dessert next time, I'd get a veggie dish and grab dessert elsewhere. Overall, my friend and had a wonderful dining experience and we'd return!

Cool ambience, Amazing food and extremely helpful and attentive servers. Great drinks and great food. Take a look at the pictures attached ‍

Gaijin was a delight through and through. From their outstanding customer service to delightful meals and tea selection, this is definitely a must try spot. We had a hard time finding the front of the building so for those who also struggle: it's across the street from the black and white character mural!

This is a great okinomiyaki spot with cool vibes. We sat at the chef's counter and it was fun to watch the chefs cook all the food. The interior is well decorated with a dimmer lit atmosphere. We tried the traditional Hiroshima style okinomiyaki. The sauce is on the tangier side. It was a lot of food, so would recommend splitting it between two people. I split it with a friend and it was the perfect amount for lunch.

We had 4 ppl and ordered two tasting experience plus one extra okonomiyaki. The portion was pretty big and all the okonomiyaki we ordered were very tasty.However, I do NOT recommend the tasting experience. Making separate orders should be a better choice.In the gaijin tasting experience:1. FIRST: KOMBU MARINATED VEGETABLES. This item is simply too plain. I feel like this should be something offered for free in most Asian restaurants. Nothing special about it. Money can be better spent on other dishes.2. SECOND: SHORT RIBS OR VEGGIE YAKISOBA. We did both short ribs and yakisoba, and both dishes are very delicious. Short rib is small.3. THIRD: OSAKA STYLE OKONOMIYAKI, like I said, all okonomiyaki are very good. Better to order separately.4. FOURTH: MOCHI DONUT. ——Turns out the donut in the tasting experience is NOT the same one if you order separately!!!!! —— We were not happy about it as the menu does not mention anything about it and neither did our waiter. It’s small donut balls not real donut. Plus the taste was just okay no highlight. Not recommended.