Monday, August 31, 2026

  1. Gaijin

    Japanese

    The okonomiyaki griddle in the center of the room is the whole point, and it makes conversation difficult in the best way. This is Paul Virant's Japanese comfort food spot on Lake Street, small and izakaya-ish, with brass fittings and exposed brick keeping things warm. Guests build their own path through Osaka and Hiroshima styles, with a custom Moody Tongue brew on hand to accompany whatever direction that takes.

    One honor, in evidence:

    The record strongest first

    One number, weighted & current 69

    How we score

    The dishes from the writeups


    Address
    950 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL · Chicago
    Hours
    • Mon Closed
    • Tue–Fri 11 AM–2:30 PM, 5 PM–10 PM
    • Sat–Sun 11 AM–10 PM
    Phone
    (312) 265-1348
    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

Nearby in the record closest first

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Eat Score

The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

    How we score →

    Drink Score

    The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

      How we score →

      Stay Score

      The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

        How we score →

        Do Score

        The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

          How we score →

          Best Place Score

          The Best Place Score rates the area around a point, not any one place. It runs on the scored places nearby: more good stuff within reach, higher score. If it looks low, we probably haven't found enough critics out here yet.