The menu was fantastic and the food was very good, well seasoned and well executed. The service is top notch and seamlessly orchestrated. It's a small space but not crowded but can be a bit noisy like many restaurants. read more

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8/26/2021 - On day 2 of restaurant week, my friend and I decided to attend this amazing restaurant that I found on Instagram. Upon walking in, I was kindly greeted by two female waitresses. We arrived early and at Bayan Ko, which is a no-no - SERIOUSLY - because we were kindly asked to retreat to our cars to wait because the previous party was not complete with their 90 - minute meal. I totally understand this as the place is fairly small in size. The restaurant has a dark ambiance and a romantic intimate demeanor attached to it - which I love. The wall art is memorizing; the overall aesthetic of the place was beautiful. Once it was our time, we were sent a text (since we made the reservations online) inviting us to come in, and instantly we were seated at a table already prepared with a menu awaiting. We were given the option to participate in restaurant week or the regular menu offered. TIP! This place is BYOB, but they do charge a fee if you choose to participate in the BYOB. My friend and chose to participate in restaurant week which offered one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert per party. One thing I was pretty disappointed about is that Bayan Ko no longer serves the Oxtail Kare Kare dish - this was stated on their website and the restaurant week website, but not offered. I was given a legit reason as to why they no longer serve that dish but I wish that would have been stated when showcasing the menu. Nonetheless, I ordered the Lumpia Sariwa dish, GinataangGulay and the Ube Sundae. My friend ordered the empanada, Rope Vieja and ube sundae. I will say the appetizer and the dessert was immaculate. However, the entree was lacking - the flavor was not as vibrant as I would have liked especially given it was a curry dish. The rice was a bit too sticky/ mushy for me. Would I return? Not by my choice - while this was good, I do not believe the prices match the amount of food nor flavor that should have been given in my dishes. read more

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Uniquely delicious food in a cozy environment with very friendly service, loved it and will definitely be coming back! read more

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Tried Bayan Ko for the first time during Chicago's Restaurant Week. Love the fusion of Filipino and Cuban cuisine. Server was very nice and friendly and the food was delicious. They are BYOB which is always cool and I recommend making a reservation since it is a small and cozy space. FOOD Lumpia Shanghai - pork, carrot, scallion, mom's garlic sauce. Croqueta Tots - smoked ham, jufran aioli. Ropa Vieja - beef brisket, sofrito, black beans, maduros. Bistek - hanger steak, mojo sauce, Spanish onions. Ube Sundae - flan, red bean, young coconut, coconut gel, corn & ube ice cream from read more

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Eat here. This cozy BYOB spot has exceptional food at a very reasonable price. Everything we ordered off the menu was delicious. Being familiar with both Cuban and Filipino cuisine, Bayan Ko offers clever fusion dishes like the squid ink Palabok and Sisig Nigiri, reinvented classics like the Dinuguan, and nails the traditional preps with the Cuban sliders, Ropa Vieja, and Kare Kare. The service is excellent, Raquel who was the hostess and waitress is so sweet and pleasant. Will happily go back to have the rest of the menu. read more

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Okay, I live in the area and have been meaning to try this place for years. It's a small footprint so I think I've avoided because it doesn't seem super kid friendly. Finally, we had a kid free night and got to go! I did love the intimate feel of the space and the service was fabulous. We enjoyed our bantering with the servers. It definitely enhanced the experience. They also guided us through the menu and this is where I think we went off the rails. We relied solely on the recommendations and ordered the following: Lumpia Shanghai - I did like this dish a lot. Good flavor, crisp texture, not greasy. Dipping sauce had some sweet and savory notes. Mussels - very coconut forward, not as much of the lemongrass flavors. I found the broth to be tasty, but rather thick and almost not a good combination with the mussels. It just wasn't my jam and my husband chose to just eat the sauce over the rice and forgo any of the mussels. Fried rice - good, solid dish. Very much what I would expect from a fried rice dish. Nice amount of shrimp. Well cooked. Bistec - this was not for me. Taste was good, but texture for me was too chewy, difficult to cut off the bone. I did enjoy the sauce it was served with. After reading all of the reviews, which I wished I'd done prior to going, I'm concluding that we didn't order the right items. The adobe wings were served to the table beside us and they smelled outrageously good. Desserts looked interesting, but I was too full to explore. So my best advice is to go for yourself, but read the recommendations here before going so you make sure to order the mind blowing options. For me, none of our dishes achieved that status but I want to go back and explore other options. read more

how did I not write this review months ago. what a great experience. food was served family style and as the kitchen cooked it. fantastic experience for the 4 of us. 2 apps, 4 entrees full bellies. they had been BYOB for years but I think they have a liquor license now read more

Oh boy was this delicious! Two of us split 4 half orders (empanadas, duck skewers, lechon kawali, and cumin lamb belly) which was plenty of food. My favorite was the lamb belly (so tender!) and my boyfriend preferred the empanadas. Loved that they have half orders so we could try more dishes (and also appreciated that the half order was truly half price). Place was lively, but we were glad they could find a seat for us on a Friday night without a reservation. Need to go again to try the rest of the menu. 20% gratuity is included in the bill and, while that's noted on the bill and menu, it wasn't specifically said to us and almost slipped my attention when signing the check. read more

Bayan Ko - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for dinner on my birthday and had a great time. I decided to go with the wine pairing and really appreciated how the waiter came to the table and explained exactly how each wine would complement the different courses. As far as the space goes, it's an intimate setting and I'd definitely go back. read more

I went at the tail end of restaurant week and got to enjoy so many things! This was a birthday celebration for my sister and it made her birthday super special! The vibes were awesome, the staff was awesome. I even made a friend with an employee while I was there! I cannot say enough about the service received. We were seated later than expected, but they did warn us they were a little behind, which made it easy to take. The food was AMAZING!!! The lumpia is always a go to. You can never go wrong with lumpia!! The soft shelled crab paella was to die for. The socarrat at the bottom was perfect and crispy. The crab was perfectly cooked, and wasn't too salty as seafood tends to be. I even had a little to take home and enjoy. The portion size was spot on. The crispy lechón was TO DIE FOR!!!! The crunch combined with the tender bite inside was perfect. And the sauce that pairs with it brings it all together. The end desert was amazing. Ube is a favorite of mine and they did not disappoint. The ube icecream with red bean, corn, and flan was fantastic. The corn and red bean added some additional texture to a normally flat desert. And the flan was a nice surprise! I'll definitely be back!!! read more

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Made a reservation for this place which was two weeks out. It's interesting that it is a mix of Filipino and Cuban but it works! I was not disappointed in any dish. We tried the Oxtail Kare Kare, Lumpia, Noodles and Ube Ice Cream. I plan to mix in some of the Cuban dishes next visit. The service was great and the ambience fit our style. Perfect background music, cute decor! I would recommend checking this place out. Enjoy! read more

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We had the 5 course tasting menu and it was fantastic. The food was imaginative in taste and presentation. The service was superb. Well worth the price read more

Bayan Ko - Octopus - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went to dinner on Saturday night around 6:30pm - made reservations with some family to celebrate birthdays. There is street parking. It was such a good time. There is seating inside and outside. Staff was friendly and great; Very tentative, lively and welcoming. The food was sooo good! I am half Filipino, German and American and it was a really good experience of Filipino meets Cuban food...and IT WORKS!! read more

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The mussels are absolutely amazing. I would come back again for the incredible mussels. Good service and hard to get cuisine in a tiny intimate restaurant. Besides the mussels, all of the others dishes on average were just average, not elevated and overpriced for the portion sizes and quality of cooking. Lumpia was good, basic, not elevated. Not that it needs to be elevated, but don't charge me premium prices. Pork BBQ skewers has good flavor, but meat was too chewy. The potato ham balls are small and flavor was one note. The adobo chicken wings were good. Not super moist or crispy or anything. Luglug noodles were okay. It was different and unique, but it was fishy and greasy. Not really that enjoyable. Ube sundae is a joke. It's basically the toppings for halo halo, when it could be such a fun fusion of halo halo and a good ole American sundae. read more

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This place is a hidden gem! Small dining room tucked away by the brown line near Glenn's Diner and Margie's Candies you'll find this fabulous Filipino-Cuban fusion restaurant. Put your fusion fears aside. This place is less southwestern eggrolls and more about balancing ideas and flavors. We started with the nigiri, as recommended by the server, and it was amazing. Great salty-sweet-umami flavor, a perfect start to the meal. After that the croqueta tots blew us away. Crispy fried spheres of meltingly tender duck to dip in a spicy aioli--what else do you need? We had the ropa vieja, the mussels and the paella for entrees, and, yes, you should split everything. Don't be greedy! The paella was packed with goodies, including a plump, beautiful lobster tail (split down the middle to make sharing easier). Don't miss the quail eggs in the paella, though. Unbelievable flavor. The mussels come in a creamy, aromatic broth with bright, vibrant accoutrements. The mint, in particular makes the dish. The ropa vieja with brisket was so succulent. A hearty meal served with rice and black beans and sweet, caramelized plantains. Definitely make sure you come hungry. For dessert we had the flan. Made with cream cheese and set upon a graham cracker cake, this nod to cheesecake transcends. Smooth with amazing flavor and a salted caramel that will live rent-free in your mind. BYO, so, sadly, no trendy cool cocktails, but the place is small, so where would they even put a bar? We managed to order a ton of rice, so I might advise to check that first so you don't fill up on starch. Basically we're gonna come running back. Menu descriptions sounded amazing and every dish delivered on that promise. As always, ask the server for recs. We weren't thinking of the nigiri, but it was a top favorite based on the server's recommendation. Can't wait to get back. read more

This place is great! It's a tasting menu with five courses. There are also wine pairings with it. It's a small place. The guy serving us was great! Definitely worth a try, especially for a special occasion. read more

Had the chance to try this small, "hole-in-the-wall" type restaurant and the flavor and most dishes were very innovative and interesting. If you are to order any of the appetizers I highly recommend the BBQ Pinchos--there was so much flavor and the meat was extremely tender. In terms of a main course the adobo chicken wings were delicious and packed with flavor. You also can't go wrong with either dessert options. The other dishes were alright, but worth trying if you've already tried the Pinchos or the Adobo Wings. read more

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3.5 stars This review is pretty limited - was in the neighborhood and stopped here to grab a quick bite after dinner to try it out. Overall the food was decent, but very standard versions of the Filipino dishes I'm used to. The lechon came in cubes, great crisp, but the sauce with it was sweet (tasted like there were raisins in it?) - which was weird. Maybe that's the fusion part. The lumpia was decent, but not outstanding. And again, the sauce was a bit weird - instead of a sweet chili, it was served with a garlic soy type sauce, which just added another layer of salt to an already salty dish. Service was friendly and quick, and it's a small place so it was full the entire time we were there. read more

Bayan Ko - Lechon - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I waited a while to post this review. We returned to Bayan Ko last month. We had a reservation at 5:30 which is when they opened. The manager saw us through the door but made us wait outside until about 5:40. It was cold. Like really cold. He seated us at a two top in front of the door. They didn't have the heat on and it was cold. The restaurant was EMPTY. I asked to be seated at a table in the corner and he told me those were all reserved. We sat there, in our winter coats freezing and my wife said; "are you enjoying this?" Nope. So we started to leave. All of a sudden the manager tells us he can move us to the table we originally asked for. Great. It took a half hour to get our first appetizer. Another half hour to get the first of three entrees we ordered. Other tables around us were seated much later and got their food faster and left before we even got our final entree. We were there for two and a half hours by the time all the food was served. We have been to Bayan Ko a number of times. We catered from them. My wife is Filipina so we always try to support Filipino establishments. We enjoyed the food in the past but will not return due to the horrible service. Note to the staff; when you encounter a repeat customer, it pays to treat them well. read more

Such a great Filipino spot with a Cuban twist to it! The area is in a great location with various restaurants to check out, but the authenticity and uniqueness of this restaurant sticks out for me personally! We ordered the sisig nigiri and loved the presentation, the rice was a little tougher but the hint of sisig was delicious. Can't ever go wrong with the lumpia Shanghai and loved the unique dipping sauce. The crispy pata was really good and extra crispy! The bistec was the best dish of them all and loved the sauce that was drizzled all over. The ube sundae was also a really sweet dessert with a surprise hint of salt to it and was surprisingly so good! It was quite pricy for the meal and the two of us each paid $50 including tip, but still worth checking out! read more

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My friend and I had this place on our wishlist for a while and decided restaurant week was the perfect time to stop by and try new foods. The restaurant is very small so be aware to avoid peak hours. However, make sure to check their open times because it seems like they take a meal break between lunch and dinner (2pm). I wanted to try the mango magic rooibos tea but they were, unfortunately, all out. I tried a mango green tea instead which was smooth and refreshing, especially for the cold day it was outside. It would've been nice to try something I haven't tried before but I knew what I was getting when I ordered. The glass my water came in was cracked so be careful! For apps, we got the empanadas and bbq pinchos. The empanadas are so underrated, they're easily the best ones I've ever had by a landslide. The flavors are slightly different from traditional empanadas and the MOJO SAUCE was the star of the show. It was so fresh and provided the perfect kick to what could've been a heavy bite. The BBQ pinchos were also delicious but not anything mind-blowing. The fire-y, grilled taste which is hard to achieve in a home kitchen was what made it worth it. My friend accidentally dropped a piece of meat on the floor while taking it off of the skewer, but the server was incredibly kind enough to bring us a new skewer to fill our sad sad hearts. Thank you!! We both got the lechon as our main dishes but I wish we got something different. The pork belly pieces were a bit on the larger side and overall very dry. I had to cut each piece into smaller bits and still some parts were too tough to get through. A couple pieces were just straight up fried pork fat. I understand the dish is pork belly but I've had better lechon and would probably not order this again. We got the ube sundae as dessert which was a smaller, deconstructed halo halo. Delish! read more

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Wow! Every bite of food was absolutely mouth watering! A very delicious fusion restaurant. Never for the life of me thought Filipino and Cuban food can be sooo good together. The food is family style. Our waitress was the nicest person you'll meet. She checked on us many times and made sure we were taken care of. At the end, she told us that she has a treat for us. Little did I know, she gave us the two desserts on the menu on the house!! How amazing! For small bites: 1. Lumpia Shanghai - the standard is pork and shrimp. Our waitress told us that they currently have a lobster lumpia, so we tried it. A must get!! It comes with their mom's garlic sauce 2. Croqueta Tots - duck confit with jufran aioli. Really really good. 3. Sisig Nigiri - OMG this was the best!!! Reminds me of spam musubi, but the sisig and the egg on top just makes me mouth water thinking about it. If I could just eat this for my whole meal I'd be happy. Another must get for sure!! For entrees: 1. Bayan Ko Paella - I'm gonna sound like I'm raving about this restaurant, but honestly this is a must get too!! The buttery paella and the buttery lobster tail was hot and tasty! Every bite was just as flavorful as the last I'm getting this again for sure. 2. Crispy Pata - a crispy and fatty pork shank. The most interesting looking dish. The pork was very rich, tender, flavorful and the skin was crunchy. The pickled papaya (atchara) on the side helped balance the dish and cut the richness. A must get! 3. Ropa Vieja - Korean cut beef short ribs was a rustic and comforting dish. Best to eat on a cold day. As our waitress liked to described it - it feels like a warm blanket. Came with sweet plantain. A favorite of my wife's. This has got to be one of the best restaurant I've ever had. You can tell they put a lot of love and care in their food. The presentation alone is a piece of art. It was chosen by my friend on random too. My wife and I will be going back soon! read more

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Ab-so-lute-ly freaking amazing. Ok, so, your mains don't always come out together, but, if you're sharing, it's all good. Gives you the chance to try each others food. Had the soft shell paella, hangar steak, with the Cuban sliders as an app, and all was super hot and delicious! So many flavors. Great service. Will be coming back again. read more

Bayan Ko - Soft shell crab paella - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was home for 36 hours with an empty fridge, a starving husband, and an out of town guest. We made our way over to the restaurant and feasted on Filipino food just as good as mom's AND Lola's!!! Kare kare was ON POINT as was the bistek. To make it even more glorious- Cuban empanadas, plantains, ropa vieja, adobo chicken wings, and a glorious Filipino/Cuban lechon. All served with white rice the way it should be. Later, we tried the pancit which was tasty too although I wish they had fresh calamansi to sprinkle on it. We sampled the two desserts they offered- one was a "halo halo" inspiration and the other was flan. Flan was perfect. Just like my auntie's and mom's with no air bubbles. However, I will confess that my perfect meal would be Bayan Ko then Margies for dessert. It's BYOB. The restaurant isn't big so if you can make reservations ahead of time, do so. Raquel and Lawrence- we will definitely be back! Parking out front costs money until 9 or 10. Parking on the side streets is free after 6 pm. It's also right under the brown line. read more

Bayan Ko had been on our list to try since we heard they had opened. Decided to celebrate our anniversary there and they did not disappoint. They staff was super nice and made for pleasant dining experience. We tried several dishes: Pinakbet - medley of mixed vegetables. Hard to find bitter melon and excited to find it in a dish. Mussels - extremely delicious! The both was so flavorful. Maybe some bread would be nice addition to soak up all the yummy broth. Luglug noodles - glass noodles and scallop dish. I love scallops so they nailed this one! Oxtail kare kare - perfect and great flavor. Ube sundae - my favorite dessert! Love the sea salt!! Bayan Ko is a must to try! They do not disappoint. read more

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We went there with large group of people . It's relatively small restaurant but food was great. I think their cuisine is more Cuban than Filipino . My favorite was Ropa Viejas but their paella is great too. Remember that this is BYOB restaurant read more

Bayan Ko - Bocadito - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wow. I would give Bayan Ko 6 stars if I could. Bayan Ko had been on my list since pre-Covid times, but I didn't have a chance to try them out until this week. Before I get into how good the food was, I have to give a shout-out to Raquel, who was so accommodating with our difficult delivery/order requests. Not only was everything handled exactly according to procedure, but Raquel had such a good attitude the whole way. She totally didn't have to go out of her way to accommodate us, nor did we expect her to, so what she did for us was a very kind gesture and nice surprise. Ok, now onto the food. My husband and I ordered the following items to share: Ropa Vieja: 6/5 Bayan Ko Lechon: 5/5 Adobo Chicken Wings: 5/5 BBQ Pinchos: 5/5 The ropa vieja dish was the favorite for both of us. I could eat that every day. The lechon was very special, and the sauces it came with were delicious (and I'm not normally even a sauce person). I would definitely get this to share, though, as it is very rich - probably too rich to eat in one go on your own. We saved some of it for later, and even reheating the leftovers the next day, they were still pretty crunchy and just as tasty. The pinchos and wings are best shared as well. The wings were my husband's least favorite - not because they didn't taste good but because he's had better. I sort of agreed with this... for this style of wings it's hard to beat Crisp, but I thought Bayan Ko gave them a run for their money. Overall I am so glad I finally got to try Bayan Ko and can't wait to order from them again so I can try more items on their menu! read more

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Disorganized- was there when it was the owners tending the restaurant and waited 30 min for the bill and it was the wrong bill, even with such few tables... Soft shell carb paella under seasoned- desserts way too sweet. really had high hopes for this place but even though it's been around for a long time and limited tables, felt like an opening night. Won't be back here again read more

Bayan Ko is outstanding. Absolutely delicious food. We loved the very original fusion between Filipino and Cuban. Favorites included the crab croquettes, squid ink noodles with scallops and uni, lumpia, and mussels - wow were these all great. We also loved the intimate ambience and the fact that you can do half orders of each item on the whole menu, we got to try more things - why don't all restaurants do that?? Drinks (strawberry daiquiri and pina colada) also top notch. If you haven't been here go ASAP Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 5/5 read more

Bayan Ko has been my neighborhood favorite for years. I love the new tasting menu! It's amazing to see what Lawrence can do with a more fine dining menu. Raquel has the ambiance in the dining room perfected, and the service throughout dinner felt like home. read more

Filipino & cuban fusion I stop by and try the empanadas The croquets & flan Pretty good The empanadas are small bites and delicious The creoquets I don't like the filling and the flan was delicious Is byob I didn't make reservations but they accommodate right away I be back to try something else read more

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sadly, dropped down as there have been a number of issues pre- and post-Covid. a few times went in to purchase a flan to-go and got some very dismissive and flippant "no" from the chef for some reason. this was after enthusiastically eating there a good 5-6 times. then dropped in a number of times when the restaurant should have been open but was closed with no sign or updates on google alerting people. which is a real drag and ruined multiple lunch plans. and lastly, they got rid of menu staples like the cuban sandwich (which was pretty great). also, a corkage fee for byob (i don't believe they sell alcohol so the corkage fee doesn't make much sense) AND a required 20% gratuity--disclosure: i leave a 20%+ tip on almost all service unless someone was specifically awful)--but i have never been a fan of having it automatically added. ‍ maybe i'll come back at some point and give it another go. read more

Incredible food and atmosphere! Food was especially awesome for my family because we have some folks who are gluten-free. We loved all of the dishes, especially the paella and the chicken wings. Definitely coming back soon! read more

Everything was amazing!!!! Service, our server so nice accommodating and offered multiple free things to provide the right amount for our group of 5. He was the only server for the entire restaurant which is quaint in size but has a warm atmosphere. We ordered almost everything on the menu it seems although the oxtail was sold out by the time we got there. I am just glad we got a reservation since it is hard to get one. The Filipino/Cuban fusions were so flavorful: from the lumpia Shanghai and beef empanadas appetizers which they call bites to the main dishes which we all shared family style: the adobo chicken wings, the garlic shrimp, the cubano fried rice and my favorite the Bistec!!! We also had the mango rooibos tea was very soothing and tasty with a natural sweetness. We finished the night with the Ube ice cream and flan. Such a wonderful experience everyone should try but plan in advance to make a reservation. It's booked up for a reason. read more

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Awwww yeah Cuban-Filipino food all up in the local neighborhood! Soooooooo good and such a nice change from the other local fare around here. Ok so my favorite thing I tried while I was here was the BBQ Pinchos! Best BBQ sauce I've possibly ever had. I asked if they sold just the sauce, and they don't, but they really really should (hint hint). My lug lug was delicious as well-its flavors are something that I can't get with any other fare around here. It's hard to explain. The dish was very rich in flavor, but it was also light, and the scallops were a perfect addition. I ate here before quarantine began, so I had the pleasure of eating inside. The restaurant is very small, so it may be hard to grab a seat on busy days, but I know lately there is an outdoor tent you can eat in. I will definitely be back here because this is such a great addition to the neighborhood! read more

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We ordered the Christmas Eve feast from Bayan Ko and let me tell you, we will be back. Not only was it very reasonably priced for what you got but it's all delicious as well. I can't remember the last time I didn't shower my food with the salt and pepper. We will certainly be patronizing this restaurant again. Many times. read more

Bayan Ko - Microwave share plate with less than half of the food we received. - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow! we were able to snag a last minute reservation and can see why this tiny spot is booked up! The food is delicious, the Cuban and Filipino work seamlessly in flavor together for everything we tried. Definitely a unique menu and we look forward to trying something new next time! First off there is BYOB with a $5 corkage fee which is pretty reasonable. The space is small and cozy, only seats 20 or so guests at a time. The menu is easy to navigate and the waitress was very friendly and helpful. We ordered the bayan lechon and oxtail kare kare. The bayan lechon is thick pork belly perfectly crisp and meaty with both a Cuban sauce (mojo) and Filipino sauce (tomas) for so much flavor! The oxtail kare kare was meaty and tender, smothered in a peanut sauce with perfectly cooked veggies, and a side of fermented shrimp paste for extra umami. The paste should be used sparingly and adds a nice kick of salty tang to the dish. We were mixing it into the sauce and rice at the end of our meal. We split the ube sundae for dessert, which is a fantastically creamy and vividly purple coconut milk dessert, dished with a good helping of sweet red beans, young coconut slices, and squares of the house flan which can be ordered as a stand alone dessert as well. Everything worked so well together and was visually appetizing to boot. This is a great place for a unique and satisfying meal! read more

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One of the best food & service experience I've had in years :) We had the waitress chose the dishes for us, and the picks were incredible. We made a reservation ahead of time, and there was a candle lit for our arrival. We brought some beers, and our waitress got a bucket to keep them chilled. Everything was incredible -- I loved the atmosphere, the service, and the food. I keep dreaming about paella read more

Stopped in with friends for a spontaneous late lunch / early dinner. While we were super excited by the premise (Filipino Cuban), the flavors didn't quite deliver, especially for the prices. - Croquetta - these were nice and piping hot, with a good crunchy texture on the outside. People were mixed on the inside - I thought it was great and creamy, my fiancé felt it was lacking flavor. - Pancit Canton with shrimp - These noodles were pretty meh to me. Not a lot of flavor, just oily and salty, and a pretty small dish even though it'd be cheap to make the fried noodles an entree size (especially for the $14 it costs). The added shrimp (I paid extra for) was really nice and juicy, though! - Caldereta - my fiancé had this dish, and he felt this had an odd combination of contrasting flavors that didn't quite balance well. The bit I tried didn't stand out too much to me. - Ube sundae - this was great. The ube ice cream was a little mild, but the custard and red bean really worked well together. Aside from being uninspired by the flavors, a lot of the 3 stars rating is from the mismatch of vibe and price. The place feels casual, and the dishes are like home cooking / street food, but the prices are like a fancy tapas place. I think it'd be easier if dishes were made like more of an entree portion. read more

Bayan Ko - Croquetas and lumpias - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Loved this late night spot! It's BYOB and the food is perfect to chow down while you work through your fave bottle of wine or brews. Would definitely come back just to get more of those insanely crispy Adobo Chicken Wings! Would also recommend the coconut flan - so creamy and tasty. Next time, I'm excited to try their Cuban dishes too - the ropa vieja looked so good when I was stealing looks from the table next to us. Love places like this that keep reppin Filipino flavors and dishes! read more

Bayan Ko - Flan - Cuban Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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