Hiro Izakaya 🏮

I’d been here once before and wasn’t impressed, so I thought I’d never return. But one day, while out with my parents and unable to get into a nearby restaurant, my dad pointed across the street at the bold Chinese characters for ” and said, “Is that Japanese food? Let’s go there.” I knew right then—I was in for a disappointing meal. 💣 🍜 Halloween Special Ramen – The noodles and soup came separately, which was a bad sign. Sure enough, they didn’t complement each other, and neither stood out on its own. The huge beef bone was fun to gnaw on, but the flavors just didn’t come together. 🍣 Tuna Hand Roll – On my first visit, I remembered it being decent aside from overly soft rice. This time, though, the color of the tuna alone made me hesitate… 🐟🤨 🥗 Soba Noodle Salad – Ordered for my vegetarian mom. It was more like a salad than traditional soba, but she said it was okay. 🍗 Chicken Sandwich – The seasoning was actually pretty good! But the thick, dry chunks of chicken breast in the middle felt like a waste of potential. 😓 🍹 Mocktail – Took so long to arrive that we’d finished half our meal before we got it. After complaining, they comped it. Final Take: This feels like an izakaya made for an American audience—it doesn’t even reach the level of Momotaro. The service was fine, but the food just wasn’t. 🚫 📍 Hiro Bar Izakaya: 1600 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 #SummerFoodieCat 🐱 #Chicago #ChicagoLife #ChicagoEats #ChicagoFoodie