Pick The Kind Of Dinner
| What You Want | Choose | USD Food Reference | Check Before Going |
|---|---|---|---|
| A griddled main each | Gaijin | Tofu okonomiyaki 19; pork 25; 3% dine-in service extra | Closed Monday; weekday lunch/dinner break |
| Rolls and nigiri you select separately | Sushi Dokku | Spicy maki 13; salmon nigiri 13 per two-piece order | A roll price and a two-piece price buy different units |
| A bowl with egg included | Ramen Wasabi Fulton Market | Signature Tonkotsu 19 | Lunch listed only Saturday/Sunday; use the Fulton branch |
Prices checked October 15, 2026; tax, tip, drinks, additions and any other applicable charges excluded unless specified. These are menu examples, not equivalent portions or complete dinner estimates. Current reservation availability and waits have not been established.
Gaijin: For An Okonomiyaki Main Each
Gaijin is the choice when you want dinner to revolve around okonomiyaki rather than sushi. The Osaka-style savory cabbage pancakes include a USD 19 tofu version with mushrooms, spinach, shichimi togarashi and arare, or USD 25 pork with pork belly, bacon and bonito. Two people choosing those mains and USD 10 bok choy reach USD 54 in food, approximately USD 55.62 with the posted 3% dine-in service charge, before tax and tip.
Its FAQ explains a useful detail: the pancakes are cooked on the kitchen griddle, then delivered to tables with warming teppan units. The kitchen does the cooking; the table unit keeps the finished dish warm. Book through the official site for a table or chef's-counter seat. Monday is closed; weekday dinner resumes at five after lunch service ends.
Go Here: 950 W Lake St. Read Gaijin's menu and its booking and seating information.
Sushi Dokku: For A Dinner You Build In Separate Orders
Choose Sushi Dokku when you want separate rolls and fish orders, with room to add another selection. The traditional nigiri/sashimi section states two pieces per order: salmon is USD 13, as is yellowtail. Spicy maki is also USD 13, with a choice of tuna, shrimp, octopus or salmon plus roe, spicy mayo, togarashi and sesame. The roll's piece count is not stated, so do not treat the matching prices as matching quantities.
A spicy maki and a salmon nigiri order total USD 26 in food. That illustrates the cost of those two selections, not a claim that they make a complete dinner. Additions accumulate independently: gyoza are USD 12, edamame USD 6. Use the main Sushi Dokku service details when planning; Boozebox downstairs has its own hours. Friday has a noon opening, while most other days begin at four.
Go Here: 823 W Randolph St. Compare the Sushi Dokku menu and book through its linked Tock page.
Ramen Wasabi Fulton Market: For The Bowl-First Plan
At 819 W Fulton Market, Wasabi's Signature Tonkotsu is USD 19 with pork broth, Berkshire pork belly, a soft-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, scallion, sesame, wood-ear mushroom and garlic oil. If an egg is part of your usual order, it is already in that posted bowl price; an extra egg is USD 1.50.
Read beyond the broth name when choosing with someone who avoids pork. The USD 18 Chicken Paitan lists chicken broth but pork-belly char siu. The separately listed USD 18 Vegan Tantan Miso uses seitan ragu with mushroom-and-seaweed broth. Confirm requirements and changes directly. The official Fulton Market location page lists dinner Tuesday–Sunday, but lunch only Saturday and Sunday, noon–3:15 p.m. This is a different destination from the Logan Square branch already covered elsewhere on Top Food Spots.
Go Here: 819 W Fulton Market. Use the Fulton Market food menu and branch hours. The restaurant also links an official pickup menu; check the offered collection window.
Decide How Much Ordering You Want To Do
Choose Gaijin when each person wants a defined cooked main; choose Sushi Dokku when picking separate rolls and fish orders is part of the evening. Wasabi makes the clearest bowl-first plan, with weekend lunch an additional reason to choose the Fulton address. At Wasabi, read the toppings as well as the broth. At Sushi Dokku, keep the two-piece nigiri unit in view as you add to the order.
For ramen elsewhere in our initial coverage, compare Wicker Park and Logan Square bowls, eggs and booking. If dinner has to happen early, see our West Loop early-dinner plans.
How We Chose: Official menus, FAQs, branch pages and restaurant-linked ordering sources checked October 15, 2026. Selections compare dinner formats and practical constraints; they are research-based recommendations, without a Top Food Spots visit or tasting.