Japanese
Gaijin Chicago
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Featured Items
Kinako Donut
Roasted Soybean flour glaze on a rice flour donut. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.$6.00
Matcha Donut
Matcha powder, and citrus glazed rice flour donuts. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.$6.00
Chicken Karaage
marinated chicken thigh, breaded and fried in the traditional Japanese style, served with a side of yuzu kosho mayo$14.00
FOOD (SAT&SUN)
Small Plates
Tsukemono Trio
curated rotating selection of Japanese-inspired pickled vegetables$5.00
Kombu Vegetables
kombu marinated celery, fermented green beans, radish, sesame$6.00Miso Soup
$6.00Gaijin Salad
House Gaijin Salad with orange-miso vinaigrette, romaine, cucumber, carrots, radish, bean sprouts, arare, and sesame seeds$7.00
Twice-Cooked Garlic & Senbei
rayu oil roasted and flash fried garlic cloves, served along senbai rice crackers$10.00
Bok Choy
sautéed baby bok choy, topped with sesame, garlic, shoyu, and fried shallots$10.00
Veggie Tempura
tempura battered and fried assorted vegetables: broccoli, mushrooms, marinated green beans$10.00
Enoki Mushrooms
Four Star golden enoki mushrooms, sauteed with soy sauce and garlic, topped with curry sesame seeds$12.00Chicken Karaage
marinated chicken thigh, breaded and fried in the traditional Japanese style, served with a side of yuzu kosho mayo$14.00
Honey Glazed Ribs
dry-cured baby back ribs, slow roasted and drizzled with honey chili, served along rice with lemon-ginger pickled turnips$21.00Scallop Sashimi
$28.00
Yakisoba
Veggie Yakisoba
stir-fried yakisoba noodles with cabbage, corn, bean sprouts, and mushrooms, tossed in a savory yakisoba sauce and topped with sesame seeds$19.00
Shrimp Yakisoba
stir-fried yakisoba noodles with grilled shrimp, cabbage, and mushrooms, tossed in a savory yakisoba sauce and topped with sesame seeds$22.00
Pork Belly Yakisoba
stir-fried yakisoba noodles with fried pork belly, cabbage, and mushrooms, tossed in a savory yakisoba sauce and topped with sesame seeds$23.00
Octo Yakisoba
stir-fried yakisoba noodles with grilled octopus, cabbage, and mushrooms, tossed in a savory yakisoba sauce and topped with sesame seeds$25.00
Osaka
Japanese savory cabbage pancakes cooked on a griddle with customized ingredients. Toppings can include. Okonomiyaki sauce: a savory rich sauce made with over fifteen fruits and vegetables.
Kewpie mayo: A rich mayonnaise made with only egg yolks.
Aonori: Aromatic Dried seaweed from the coast of Japan.
Bonito flakes (katsuobushi): Dried, fermented and smoked skipjack tuna or bonito. Umami explosion that dances with heat.
Arare: Japanese glutinous rice crackers, flavored with soy sauce.
Veggie Tempura Osaka
osaka-style okonomiyaki topped with lightly battered and deep-fried assorted vegetables, puffed rice, okonomiyaki sauce, and kewpie mayo (can be adjusted to be vegetarian or vegan)$19.00
Phoenix Bean Tofu Osaka
osaka-style okonomiyaki topped with Phoenix Bean tofu, puffed rice, okonomiyaki sauce, and kewpie mayo (can be adjusted to be vegetarian or vegan)$19.00Beef Osaka
osaka-style okonomiyaki with slow-cooked 21-day-aged black Angus beef and roasted garlic, topped with scallions, bonito, okonomiyaki sauce, and kewpie mayo$24.00Pork Belly Osaka
osaka-style okonomiyaki with fried pork belly and bacon, topped with bonito, okonomiyki sauce, and kewpie mayo$25.00
Fried Shrimp Osaka
osaka-style okonomiyaki topped with breaded and fried shrimp, puffed rice, okonomiyaki sauce, and kewpie mayo$22.00Octopus Osaka
osaka-style okonomiyaki with braised octopus and honey chili-gastrique, topped with bonito, okonomiyaki sauce, and kewpie mayo$27.00Duck Osaka
osaka-style okonomiyaki topped with teriyaki duck, bonito, okonomiyaki sauce, and kewpie mayo$30.00
Traditional Negiyaki
savory scallion pancake with bacon, topped with bonito and ponzu sauce$19.00Mushroom/Yuba Negiyaki
savory scallion pancake with roasted mushrooms and a layer of yuba, topped with shio kombu seaweed and ponzu sauce$19.00
Hiroshima
A variation where the ingredients are layered (rather than mixed), with the addition of yakisoba noodles. CANNOT BE VEGAN.
Traditional Hiroshima
layered okonomiyaki with yakisoba noodles, bacon, cabbage, egg; topped with bonito, okonomiyaki sauce, and kewpie mayo (not available gluten free)$22.00
Mushroom/Yuba Hiroshima
layered okonomiyaki with yakisoba noodles, roasted mushrooms, yuba, cabbage, egg; topped with okonomiyaki sauce, and kewpie mayo (not available gluten free)$22.00Japanese Breakfast
$18.00+
Sides
Chili Crunch
spicy sesame chili crunch made in-house$2.00Sriracha Mayo
kewpie mayonnaise blended with sriracha, offering a tiny and spicy kick$1.00Kombu Vegetables
kombu marinated celery, fermented green beans, radish, sesame$6.00
Rice
steamed rice topped with furikake: a blend of sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, salt$3.00
Kim-Chi Side
house fermented cabbage with chili, garlic, ginger.$4.00Sambal
sambal oelek, a spicy chili paste with salt and vinegarSriracha
sauce made from sun-ripened chili peppers and garlic, perfect side to add some spice and kickSeasonal Kimchi
salted and fermented apple, marinated in a spicy Korean-style sauce.$6.00OUT OF STOCK
Mochi Donuts
Glazed rice flour donuts. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.
Matcha Donut
Matcha powder, and citrus glazed rice flour donuts. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.$6.00
Strawberry Donut
Strawberry glazed rice flour donut. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.$6.00
Pandan Donut
Pandan: the leaf of a tropical plant paired with coconut, in a classic South Eastern Asia flavor combo. Glazed rice flour donut. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.$6.00
Chocolate Donut
Valrhona Dark Chocolate glazed rice flour donuts. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.$6.00Kinako Donut
Roasted Soybean flour glaze on a rice flour donut. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.$6.00Coffee Donut
Coffee glazed rice flour donuts. Crispy outside, fluffy and chewy inside.$6.00
外人 Merch
All hours
| Sunday | 11:15 am - 9:00 pm |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 11:15 am - 2:00 pm, 5:15 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 11:15 am - 2:00 pm, 5:15 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Thursday | 11:15 am - 2:00 pm, 5:15 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Friday | 11:15 am - 2:00 pm, 5:15 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Saturday | 11:15 am - 9:00 pm |
Restaurant info
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.
Location
950 W LAKE ST, Chicago, IL 60607
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