Gaijin

Name: Gaijin
Address: 950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL, United States, 60607
Telephone: (312) 265-1348
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.7

4.7

74 Reviews

$30 and under

Japanese

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2 people

27 Nov 2024

19:00

Booked 21 times today

Experiences are available.

Neighbourhood gem
Great for creative cocktails
Good for special occasions

Gaijin by Chef Paul Virant is Chicago’s first okonomiyaki restaurant, offering both Hiroshima and Osaka styles of the savory Japanese pancake. A self-described gaijin, or “outsider” in Japanese, Virant playfully embraces this perspective and honors traditional preparations and techniques, as well as his well-known passion for pickling and preserving.

Designed to deliver a lively and interactive culinary experience, the 60-seat space is anchored by a custom 12-foot griddle and chef’s counter and offers individual Hiroshima teppan griddles for table service.

The dessert menu features kakigori, a shaved ice dessert, along with mochi donuts and other Japanese-inspired treats. The bar program showcases highballs and a focused selection of beer – including a Moody Tongue-Gaijin collaboration house lager, sake, Japanese whisky, and wine.

We can’t wait to see you at Gaijin!

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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Japanese, Okonomiyaki, Asian
Hours of Operation
Mon–Fri 16:00–22:00 Sat, Sun 11:00–22:00 Happy Hour Mon–Thu 16:00–18:00
Phone number
(312) 265-1348
Website
https://gaijinchicago.com/
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
Area
West Loop
Parking details
None
Public transit
Morgan Green Line

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Experiences

Chef Collaboration Night: Paul Kahan
20 Dec 2024 only
Gaijin is thrilled to welcome James Beard Award-winning Chef Paul Kahan in on Friday, December 20, for the fifth installment of our Chef Collaboration series! Chef Paul will be in house from 6 - 8 p.m. to showcase his osaka-style okonomiyaki special created with Chef Rob Levitt of Publican Quality Meats. This is a one-night-only opportunity you won't want to miss!
Collaboration Night: Rob Levitt
19 Dec 2024 only
Gaijin is thrilled to welcome Chef Rob Levitt of Publican Quality Meats in on Thursday, December 19, for the fifth installment of our Chef Collaboration series! Chef Rob will be in house from 6 - 8 p.m. to showcase his osaka-style okonomiyaki special created with Chef Paul Kahan. This is a one-night-only opportunity you won't want to miss!

Offers

Try Our Happy Hour Specials Starting At $5!
Multiple dates available
Mon - Thu - 16:00 - 18:00
Join us Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., for selected highballs, sake, draft beer, starters and share plates, starting at $5. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are also welcome.

What 74 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.6Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Gaijin offers a remarkable Japanese dining experience with creative dishes and a lively ambiance. Guests rave about the "best okonomiyaki in the city" and the "phenomenal" service, especially from staff like Orlando. The restaurant is perfect for exploring unique flavors, with many patrons eager to return for more.

74 Reviews

F
FRANK
Chicago
92 reviews
5.0
92 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Can’t go wrong at Gaijin! Absolutely delicious food and very reliable service. It’s great the way new collaborative menus keep the offerings fun and interesting. Our server, Milan was outstanding.
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J
John Karl
Chicago
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great Okonomiyaki, just wish there was more ability to customize the order. Hiroshima-style seafood mix option?
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T
Taylor
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, atmosphere, and people. Highly recommend anyone goes to gaijin.
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D
Denise
Chicago
26 reviews
vip
5.0
26 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Sat at the counter and saw all the action which is so fantastic!!!
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J
Jai
Chicago
23 reviews
vip
3.0
23 reviews
Dined on 18 November 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
We were all vegetarian and wanted a good experience. While many of the veggie options are ok, everything had a strong smell of eggs, which two of our party did not enjoy. The food was reasonably tasty. I would not recommend this to a vegetarian.
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J
Justin
Seattle
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 18 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always delicious and just a great dining experience. Kind staff, fun atmosphere.
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A
Allyson
Pittsburgh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 17 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food is amazing, be ready to eat family style. Tons of options and a lot to customize exactly how you want it. Drinks were expensive but good. Only complaint is how hot it is inside because of the proximity of the kitchen and the heated tables to keep food warm and fresh.
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S
Shannon
Chicago
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 16 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I am coming back for that Sesame Yuzu ice cream dish. Incredible.
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D
Daniel
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 10 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Overall experience was phenomenal! Will definitely come again.
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S
Samantha
London
25 reviews
vip
5.0
25 reviews
Dined on 9 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic meal and experience. Menu was so innovative and delicious. Staff super friendly, space was fun. I can't say enough good things- everyone in our party loved every dish. Have never had preparations or combinations like this-amazing. We are excited to get back soon. Great drink and dessert menus, also.
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FAQs

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Gaijin is rated 4.7 stars by 74 OpenTable diners.