Japanese Tapas: Meaning “traveler” in Japanese, Tabibito takes a round-the-world approach to its food — serving Japanese-style tapas in an open-air restaurant in Po Hing Fong.

On the Menu: Divided into sections like “Raw” “Land,” “Sea” and “Soil”, the menu covers everything from fresh oysters to Japanese comfort foods to western staples — with a Japanese spin of course.

Look & Feel: With its streetside dining style, beautiful wood interiors and communal tables, Tabibito is like a contemporary — and way classy — izakaya. We have no complaints about the look, however it can feel a bit crammed on a busy night. But we suppose that just makes it more authentic.

Meet the Chef: Bringing his Japanese heritage and global experience to the table, Chef Nori has worked all over the world, including Chicago, Sydney, New York and France.

Service: Friendly, down to earth, and accommodating — even on the busiest nights.

Jeng: We love all the small bites and sharing portions, enabling us to taste-test many more flavors. Earning big points from us? Go for the sweet corn tempura, which has a delightful crunch; the uni-spiked tofu, lobster toastie, smokey chicken karaage, mentaiko pasta and the spicy wagyu tartare. The tartare is divine, made with spicy miso, capers, rice crackers and a big fat egg yolk on top.

Not So Jeng: Maybe we just ordered wrong, but there seems to be a jarring amount of fried food on the menu. The mud crab okonomiyaki (so mushy!) and the uni mac ‘n’ cheese (so bland!) are the only real disappointments.

Great For: Date nights, brunch, cocktails, birthday parties.

FYI: Beer lovers, rejoice! Tabibito has the entire line of Hitachino beers on hand, as well as lots of Japanese whiskeys and sake.

This writeup was based on an independent tasting. The Loop doesn’t guarantee/sell restaurant review coverage. See our editorial policy here.