We ordered beef Osaka style with egg and crispy rice added. The addition made it heavy and wet. We also ordered vegetarian Hiroshima style which is tasty. The mochi donut was good. Warning: the topping is very sweet. We recommend order just one and share. Not worth the hype. If you’ve never had okonomiyaki before, I recommend trying them for the experience.

Wonderful and delicious experience. Very easy to get a table with reservations and great team. I felt very taken care of. Also I really appreciated the thoughtful design of the space. The chairs open up at the bottom so your clothes don't smell like food. For dinner we started with the Korokke and although they were delicious after those and two okonomiyake, we were too full. Both the okonomiyake were fantastic. We got one Hiroshima style and one Osaka style. Both my partner and I felt ultimately the Hiroshima style was better with the addition of the noodles cause both were great but having the additional texture made a difference. I would also recommend getting a side of the kombu marinated vegetables to cut through some of the fattiness. It balances things out nicely. Lastly, the drinks were all great. We only tried two but they were both perfectly made. The best high ball I have had in the city. I should also add the desserts are very popular here. I was too full but they are supposed to be very tasty and Instagrammable if that is your thing. I would absolutely recommend Gaijin. Great date spot or spot to go with friends. The food is really delicious and I couldn't be happier with my first okonomiyake experience. It definitely made me curious and next time I visit Japan I will be seeking some out.

This was a place that I wouldn’t mind coming back to. We sat outside so we didn’t see if it was small inside. I loved the food. We ordered shrimp Osaka style okonomiyaki, traditional Hiroshima style okonomiyaki, and matcha mochi donut. We also shared a kakigori. Portion size was ample for two people, we had more than enough. Both of the okonomiyaki’s were very delicious. Shrimp was soft and fresh. The Osaka style was quite nice with the cabbage pancake, corn, and shrimp. The traditional Hiroshima style had cabbage pancake, yakisoba noodles, bacon, and egg. It was very filling. Matcha mochi donut had a crispy outer layer, matcha flavor was more subtle, and chewy on the inside. Kakigori is big enough for 2-3 people. In the past they got really creative with the designs.

Great Japanese food. Very flavorful. Fun environment. Food was good, Dessert was my favorite. Highly recommend their shaved ice / snow peak desserts. Creative, yummy flavors

Had an amazing first visit here. The okonomiyaki freshly-made and served hot onto a personal teppanyaki pan had such a great balance of flavors. The mochi donut was also a creative delight. I'm giving this place 4-stars only because it has not been super consistent with its flavors from my experience and could be a little cheaper. Regardless, this is a restaurant I would visit again!

Japanese restaurant owned by an "outsider" hence the name "Gaijin". Great menu selection, 4 course option for $40. Two styles of okonomiyaki, Hiroshima and Osaka. Wait staff very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable even while the place was packed. Definitely a go-to if you're in Downtown Chicago.

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.

This was a 5 star experience. The food was so delicious and came out FAST. We had food in front of us within 5 minutes of ordering. Not only that but we watched them make it in front of us due to their unique viewing window along the bar. Both the yakisoba and the okonomiyaki were so good. The donut we had for dessert was also really tasty. The only thing I didn’t love was my drink. The highball I had didnt feel like it had much whiskey in it.

What a great experience... the food and drinks were outstanding... it doesn't matter what you choose will be delicious... you ll feel an explosion of flavors in your mouth... highly recommend... I ll come back for more...

Decided to give this place a review during Chicago's restaurant week. I was able to try the $45 deal where I chose a total of 4 dishes. Everything was very flavorful overall and I was most impressed with the cabbage pancakes otherwise known as Okonomiyaki!

Service staff were very helpful and friendly. No issues figuring out our allergy requirements. both styles of okonomiyaki were great. If you are at the front section of the counter you can watch them cook the okonomiyaki. At the tables, they have the teppan to keep your food warm while you eat. Very nice. The Osaka was a bit salty. It's all down to the very generous amounts of sauce they put in. Cut it by 30% or so and it would be good. The kakigori was very delicious. Black sesame ice cream and the strawberry compote worked very nicely together. Make sure you save space for it!

Food was good and the service was great. In my opinion this is a specific taste kind of food. While I did enjoy my meal I don't have to return for another. The drinks were amazing though and the donut was awesome. It was cool to be able to see the cooks if you sat by the bar.

This was an experience to enjoy! The food was made and brought out so quick, and the best part was a view to see it all! The yakisoba and the okonomiyaki were my favorite dishes to eat. The marinated short ribs were good too but stick with the yakisoba and okonomiyaki instead! Their desserts were -> chefs kiss, I recommend getting them if you have a sweet tooth at the end of the meal!

We ordered Veggie Koroke (which was really good) and Hiroshima style and Osaka style okonomiyaki. We added udon to Osaka style which tastes like Takoyaki. Hiroshima style was a little sweet but ramen inside was delicious. It was sufficient portions for two people. however, their server was chatting with her colleagues not checking us frequently. Customer service can be improved. They have a warming pan on the table which is great to enjoy warn dish throughout your meal.

The food was good, though I don't think we ordered the best items on the menu. The service was fantastic with a cozy atmosphere. It's a great location for out-of-towners staying in the city, just a few stops on the pink.

It’s a good japanese pizza place and other food and drinks. There are many style of the pizza (forget about the usual pizza one) it made of chop cabbage or noodle as a base then mixed with the flour. something new to try. There are another items too like grill, deep fries etc. Great service too. Reservations is recommended because is limited seats.

Trying okonomiyaki for the first time? This is the spot to do it at!! It was my first time and, based on other reviews, I came to the right spot. We got the pork, which was fluffy, salty, sweet, and tender! We also got the tofu, which was complex, earthy, and salty. Both were delicious and went well with a lovely lychee martini (not pictured). Service was great, staff helped us make our choices. And ambiance was chill and unassuming, with comfy seating. Looking forward to coming back!

The food was incredibly tasty. We ordered different styles of okonomiyaki and yakisoba - all of them were fresh and amazing! The prices are a little on the higher side for the quantity of food. Starters and sakes were also nice. Service was spotty and we felt very rushed. In spite of having to deal with the awkward service, we had a good time.

Our first time at Gaijin. Great service, very flavorful and authentic okonomiyaki. We had bok choy and marinated beef ribs for appetizers, veggie yakisoba and mushroom and yuba okonomiyaki, Hiroshima-style. Make sure you have lots of room for their Japanese shaved ice dessert, we had ujikintoki (matcha ice cream with red bean) and sesame yuzu (black sesame ice cream with yuzu), and enjoyed every bite.

When you sit in the prep area for the making of the okonomiyaki; its a fairly cool show to watch. This japanese street food is a very strong 4.5 stars. Bit pricey, but the clients are eat and go types. Ordered the hiroshima style okonomiyaki layered with cabbage, thin flour pancake, bacon and yakisoba noodles. It’s covered in hoisen-sweet style sauce, mayo, dried seeweed and bonito flakes. This was a satisfying “pancake” of umami flavors and salty/sweet noodles and bacon. Staff was attentive and friendly. Worth a stop-in!

If you’re in Chicago and can make the time to reserve a table, definitely suggest you come here prepared to eat! The okonomiyaki (which is by far the best I’ve had since Japan) and the shaved ice are highly recommended. The staff are extremely nice and highly knowledgeable. Our part of four had such an amazing time (and got to meet chef virant as well!) and cannot recommend this enough

I've visited this place twice now, and it's a consistent delight! The menu is concise, making it easy to choose what you want to order. The croquette appetizer was wonderfully crispy and flavorful. We tried the Japanese-style pancake, using the table grill to warm it up - it's perfect for sharing, with one pancake serving 2-3 people. The mochi donuts were irresistibly chewy and sweet. Don't miss the shaved ice desserts, especially the cute blue bear and matcha one. It's a small place, so reservations are a must to beat the crowds!

If you want to experience great hospitality, food with incredible taste and presentation, please dine at Gaijin. We also met Chef Paul Virant which was a pleasure by itself. We feasted on Okonomiyaki with the dancing bonito as topping. It was wonderful. Next time, I look forward to the one with shrimp. The atmosphere was lively and the service was top notch. We will go back, no doubt.

Service was very friendly and hospitable, as well as incredibly attentive. Food service was surprisingly quick. Food was excellent!! It was a great experience to try okonomiyaki and kakigori. *Chef's kiss* Also, I REALLY LOVE that the chairs have storage to put your belongings while you eat.

Highly recommend and would definitely come back! Really craved comfort food and this delivered! A huge plus was the shaved ice. It's true shaved ice - soft and snow-like.