Gaijin may be a small restaurant, but it makes a big impression the second you walk in. The dining…read moreroom 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.

There are few places in general across the US that serve up okonomiyaki, so I was thrilled to find…read morethis spot near my office. Ultimately, the food was just ok. I got the pork okonomiyaki lunch set and added a fried egg to it. I like that the table has a built in grill to keep it warm (I'm a slow eater, so this is extra beneficial for me). The bacon was quite salty, compounded by the okonomi sauce. Hoping the kombu vegetables would offset this, I mixed them into each bite to no avail. The pandan coconut mochi donut holes I chose were probably the highlight. They were crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and there was ample sauce for dipping. I think some people would find the service top notch here--constantly checking in on me and keeping water refilled. I guess that came with a cost: 3% service charge automatically applied, and the server proactively brought over a digital payment system, so the 18% tip I selected calculated off the total leading to what was essentially a tip of 23%.

I had heard great things but this meal was incredible!! Brought my family here for dinner while…read morethey were visiting and everyone loved it. We sat outside on a beautiful day and I definitely recommend the outdoor if it's nice out! The inside seemed big and a nice vibe for the winter. Service was good, I liked that they paced out the dishes for us. It really made the experience great! We shared everything. Loved the wings, the green beans, and I think all of our favorites was the duck fried rice! Soooo good and flavorful. The goat slap noodles and beef and broccoli were great too. Everything was super unique from traditional Chinese and nothing was too spicy! Definitely trust the experts. The wabbit season cocktail was good but I think I'd get another drink next time. Can't wait to come back!

Lot of the food missed for me. The only thing I really enjoyed a lot was the goat slap noodles. The…read morechewy texture of the noodles and flavor was good, but offered barely any meat. A couple callouts on the mapo tofu, why does it not come with rice? Also the white rice we did have to buy as a side comes in a small bowl, making it difficult to scoop. The other mention is the overwhelming amount of peppercorn, taking away from the flavor and instead numbing the mouth. The green beans were not worth it and the chocolate sesame dessert was really disappointing to share. I don't recall much vanilla soft serve or chocolate shaved ice, if at all. The sesame flavor was really distracting away from the chocolate chunks and wasn't good overall. The service was weird with us not getting our rice right away with the green beans. We also had to ask about the noodles and it came out very late as we were almost done eating.

Such a beautiful evening with good food, great atmosphere, and even better company. Renee is a…read morewizard in the kitchen. Some highlights we will definitely be returning for: Brussels sprout salad, chap chae, and the ridikulous dessert. Also such an accommodating place, went with my mother who has a severe shellfish allergy and the whole staff with immediately informed and cognizant throughout the meal. She is also a vegetarian and their options were STACKED as well as equally delicious.

Oh my gosh!!! What an incredible place to celebrate any occasion!!!! Went with my family with some…read morefolks that are vegetarian and also have severe shellfish allergies. When we informed the staff, head chef Renee personally came out and told us to not worry and he would take care of us! What service!!!! Then the food started coming out and not only does this place not disappoint but their menu speaks for itself...especially with their vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options...everyone in your party will feel welcome and have a truly upscale experience.

This is an amazing Asian fusion restaurant. Very classy without being unapproachable…read more Service was impeccable - knowledgeable and friendly without being overbearing.

Took one of my friends here for her birthday & it was really an enjoyable experience! It's a nice…read morelocation as well. We decided to do the chef's table for dinner. It was a quiet night, but we were not rushed at all. The staff were really nice & attentive. The menu for chef's table was a Vietnamese fusion inspired menu. You can tell that each dish was carefully thought out & creative. There were dishes were created with a little twist to it. Some of the dishes, however, we thought were more on the saltier side. I would want to come back again and try some items on the regular menu. A lot of things sounded delicious & would be enjoyable.

We stop here every time we visit Chicago. If you love tiki cocktails, this is the place to go!…read moreCan't recommend enough. It's a speakeasy, so it feels like a hidden escape from reality. We've been to many tiki bars in the US and this is by far the best! Love that you can now buy a mug (with a cocktail) for cheaper than the shop... It's a great deal to get a mug this way! The only slight disappointment was the updated food menu.. loved the Spicy Thai Chicken, Veggie rolls, and coconut shrimp in years past.. sad to see them go.

Immaculate vibes here, very dark and moody…read more Fantastic drinks, didn't try the food though. Lexy was amazing!

Come here for the raw bar! We lucked out and got to enjoy the brunch buffet that is available only…read moreon weekends for $80. We made reservations online and were able to enjoy our feast. We had to try a lychee martini which was so smooth with that delicious sweetness from the lychees. Be sure to chase it down with a crispy tuna bite! The tuna is $11 on the regular menu, but here you can fill up your plate. I wouldn't say the rice to fish ratio is a bit much, there quite a bit of rice. The fish quality seemed just okay to me, however this is a buffet. The stars of the show were the miso cod in the hot bar, the yellowtail nigiri, the cocktail shrimps and the oysters! The shrimps were large and succulent while the oysters weren't too briny. We felt well attended to and enjoyed our meal. We were particularly excited for the beignets at the dessert bar but they never refilled . All good, leaves more to try next time!

Came here for the $80 brunch buffet, and it was solid. The selection is a bit small, but makes up…read morefor it in the quality. All of the food was great, especially liked the oyster bar, miso cod, and French toast with berries. The desserts were all good, highlight was the chocolate tart. Service was very attentive, they refilled our waters and cleared our plates quickly which was appreciated.

First time here we were seated immediately! It was Thursday night around 10ish I'll say. The staff…read morewas super friendly and helpful! Very welcoming and attentive, but then again it's a hidden little ramen spot where everyone's huddled up at a bar pretty much lol The food was absolutely delicious! I got their signature ramen and the pork just melted in your mouth. Noodles were 10/10, broth even better.! Will be coming back for sure. Hopefully we have a similar experience with waiting and dining

I never leave negative reviews, but this experience was unacceptable. On 7/18/2026 at approximately…read more9:30pm-9-45pm My friend and I were waiting for our ramen, we watched one of the kitchen staff check the noodles by reaching into the bowl with his bare fingers, pulling out some noodles, and putting them directly into his mouth to taste them. Then wiped his fingers on a dirty rag and proceeded to finish making the bowls. A short time later, we were served that same bowl of ramen. Watching an employee use their bare hands and mouth on food that was then served to a customer was extremely concerning and completely unacceptable from a food safety and hygiene standpoint. It ruined the experience and made us lose confidence in the restaurant's food handling practices. I hope management takes this seriously, retrains their staff on proper food safety procedures, and ensures this doesn't happen to anyone else.

Absolutely marvelous. Recommend the Godzilla, King Kong,…read moreand Idaho sushi rolls. The Panang Curry with shrimp is the best I've ever had. Try the Iced Green Tea.

After getting my sweat on next door at Perspire Sauna, I was starving and needed food! Didn't…read morereally want to walk or go too far so Talay was perfect. I was checking out the menu on Yelp while a fellow Yelper recognized me outside the restaurant and highly recommended their Pad Thai, so say less! I went on a Thursday afternoon around 5pm and the place was empty so perfect time to grab something without having to wait. My order came out in about 5-10 minutes . Hands down one of the best Pad Thai I have had in a while! It came in a huge bowl and I got shrimp as the protein. I thought I was going to have leftovers for later but I underestimated how hungry I was and finished the whole bowl. It was delicious. It was creamy and not dry and just perfectly seasoned. The ambiance of the place was dark and moody, nice place to relax and chill. My server was nice and checked on me a few time to refill my drink. Will definitely come back again whenever I am craving Thai food.

The service was great, super attentive. Kind gesture with a signed birthday menu…read more Sushi was fresh, with simple but great flavors. Didn't love the wagyu bao buns since it was more of a ground meat, similar to a kabob. But overall the food was good, atmosphere was perfect date night/special occasion, and we will definitely be back.

food: my favs were the tsukune dango and tsukune sliders. all the food that came out was yummy but…read morenothing blew me away and for the price i'd have hoped for a dish that made me want to come back but I didn't get that service: the staff was very nice and let us switch tables because it was hard to hear ambiance: really nice vibe especially when the dim the lights later into the night. gets really loud and was so hard to hear my partner across the table

With a creative menu and rave reviews, Mott St. had been on my bookmarked list since it opened! I…read morewas finally able to visit recently and it was all I hoped it would be. The interior was pretty sleek and it was packed around 6:30pm on a weeknight. It's definitely the kind of place to go when you want to have a dinner out that feels like an occasion without getting dressed up. Most of the dishes were served family style, so I recommend going with a group if you can! We tried the chef's special menu for 4 people, which had about 8 courses at a great price. To drink, I started with the white lotus, which did not come to play! It was very strong and barely sweet- maybe a bit much for me, but if that's your vibe, you'll like it. Appetizers included the Thai papaya salad and imperial rolls. The first was solid and the rolls were extra hot and crispy. I enjoyed the perilla leaves that they were wrapped in. Next came the garlic rice with whole roasted cloves of garlic, sauteed mushrooms, everything wings, and chili cauliflower. The rice was super fluffy and garlicky, but the miso butter mushrooms are not to be missed! We definitely drank a little bit of the sauce. The wings could have been a little crispier, but I really liked the sweet and spicy Korean style sauce. The crispy chili cauliflower was sweet and actually tasted a bit like orange chicken- we demolished it and this may have been my favorite dish of the whole night! Finally, we had the mentaiko kimchi udon, steak kalbi, and ordered one of their burgers on the side because why not. We agreed that the bonito flakes on the udon covered up the kimchi flavor a bit and wished it was stronger, but I liked the creaminess of the sauce. The steak kalbi had a great flavor and sauce, but I do think it could've been more tender. The burger was as good as it looked and indeed one of the best I've had in Chicago. I loved the balance between sweet and savory, and all of the flavors were balanced very well. We ended the meal with the seasonal dessert, which was sticky rice with strawberries and fermented rice. I thought it made for a refreshing end, but we agreed that it would've been even better served cold rather than hot. Overall, this was a very fun and great experience with delicious food! I would absolutely return and recommend paying a visit.

Positives our waitress was friendly and nice. Some good things. Hhhmm take away I can really say I…read morewould return. Well the Bronx menu is nice and reasonable priced. Food is average. Let's start with the hamburger. It's been picked as one of the best in Chicago. Well if u want Asian sauces on it. Almost 30 bugs for average hamburger. The brunch which is traditional food, breakfast was ok per my sister in law but the cabbage salad was spiced. The appetizer avocado was ok. But the was not fresh nor the toast sour dough. Nephew had the fish. Average. Also table of five automatically was considered a big table so they placed 20%% top. Service was off two entrees came late. So Wait a minute I think our nice waitress said she covered the birthday gift. But that appeared on the bill. Ok now that I think of it the noice level was high as well they closed the windows and I could see two bees flying inside. Ok my original 3 is down to 2. Sorry neighborhood diner. You can do better.