Gaijin
Vivian Anne · 368 Google reviewsGaijin — high-caliber japanese in Fulton Market. Order the It Again. It gets busy, and that's part of the appeal, and priced right. [$$]
What 1,348 diners keep saying
What 1,348 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Gaijin may be a small restaurant, but it makes a big impression the second you walk in. The dining room isn't huge, but it has this lively energy that makes it feel exciting instead of crowded. I even was able to watch the chefs cooking just a few feet away. I could hear the sizzling from the grill, smell the food cooking, and by that point I was more than ready to eat. Our server was really nice and gave us a bunch of recommendations. Everything sounded good, but I ended up going with the Pork Belly Yakisoba. This dish was packed with flavor. The noodles had that smoky, slightly charred taste, and they were coated in just enough sauce to make every bite rich. The sauce brought a nice balance of savory, a little sweetness, and plenty of umami that soaked into the noodles. The pork belly was easily the best part. It was incredibly tender and juicy, with just enough fat that it practically melted in your mouth. Every piece had those caramelized edges that added even more flavor. Then you get the crunch from the cabbage and bean sprouts, the freshness from the scallions, and the little nutty flavor from the sesame that tied everything together. Hahaha I'd definitely come back. This is one of those dishes that sticked with me long after I left.”
“Fantastic food and atmosphere. The service was wonderful as well. Everything we ate was delicious! Would recommend highly!”
“An incredible experience! This is Japanese comfort food at its finest. Every dish was perfectly executed, packed with flavor, and absolutely delicious. Already looking forward to coming back to try even more of the menu. Highly recommend!”
“We had the veggie yakisoba, octopus Osaka-style okonomiyaki, and sesame yuzu shaved iced. I might skip the yakisoba next time and get another okonomiyaku, but nothing wrong with it. The okonomiyaku though was amazing, really high quality. Shaved ice had a lot of great contrasting flavors. Food came out really quick and the service was great”
“Popped in for a happy hour highball and tasty okomiyaki. So cold, so crispy, so delicious. Highly recommend! Best highball I’ve found in town.”
“Stopped in for lunch and it was outstanding! It was my first time trying this style of Japanese food and it was delicious. Umami flavor and big portion size. Would be an excellent hangover meal!”
“You haven’t tried real Japanese food until this! The Okonomiyaki is off the charts, the kakigori with sesame ice cream is insane. Drinks like he highball and the vibes make you feel like you’re in Japan. Please don’t miss it! @chicagopescetarian”
“My first time trying this type of Japanese food. Umami flavors are extreme. Good portion size, probably too big for an average adult. I also tried black sesame ice cream and it was good too.”
“Wow! My friends took us to this restaurant while we were visiting Chicago, and it was amazing. We had a reservation and did show up about 15 minutes late. The hostess said we could still be seated but another reservation was coming an hour later. I had never had okonomiyaki before, but I got to try three different kinds plus some yakisoba. We ordered four dishes and shared them among the four of us. We got the pork belly yakisoba, pork osaka style okonomiyaki, shrimp osaka style okonomiyaki, and the mushroom and yuba Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. My favorite dishes were probably the pork ones, but I really liked trying all of them! When our waiter asked if we wanted dessert, we said how the hostess told us we would need to leave by a certain time for the next reservation. However, he said we could order dessert anyway. I thought it was weird the hostess was being so finicky about the time, since usually 15 min late is within reason. We did get the red panda. It's mostly ice and a little ice cream, but it was very good and so cute! I would definitely come here again! It is a bit loud if you have anyone in your party who has trouble hearing. You are also quite close to other people in the restaurant.”
“Always delicious!! The seasonal kimchi (Ramps) was phenomenal.”
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