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    Bayan Ko Diner

    4.3 (136 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Bayan Ko Diner Photos

    Business Info

    BAYAN KO DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Bayan Ko Diner

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    Reviews With Photos - Bayan Ko Diner

    Inside of ube pancake
    Jonathan W.

    Takes credit card. Brunch is open till 3pm. Great service. Interior is super trendy. Sisog tocino- the pork meat was soft, charred, strong seasoning. Shishito hash- pork belly was cooked well but cooked with the potato. I wish the pork belly added at the end so it stay crispy. Egg cooked well. The garlic rice was not much garlic, I wish there was more garlic flavor. One pancake ube $7- strong ube flavor. It's very fluffy and you can add syrup for more sweetness. Lumpia-2 pieces- nice texture outside. Crunchy, some meat inside. Less meaty than desired. The side sauce was good and add enough flavor.

    menu
    Christine H.

    Bayan Ko Diner serves Filipino-Cuban fusion that doesn't disappoint. We ordered the following: 1. Cubano Breakfast Burrito (7/10) (beef brisket ropa vieja, soft scrambled eggs, plantains, Swiss, and black beans) Brisket and plantains? I was sold when I saw that on the menu. I'm happy to report, it was as good as it sounded. Also, the texture from the cheese, brisket, beans, and plantains was incredibly addicting. The Swiss cheese paid more of a textural role rather than flavor (compared to a different type of cheese) but I appreciated that the entire dish stuck to it's Cuban roots. For instance, Swiss is used in many prominent Cuban dishes such as the iconic Cubano sandwich. The burrito came with a red salsa which tasted pretty standard, but my recommendation is to add the hot sauce, provided at the table, to the burrito. You're welcome. 2. Sisig Shishito Hash with garlic rice (6/10) (chopped pork belly, breakfast potatoes, shishito peppers, soy black vinegar aioli, sunny side egg, toast or garlic rice) Now I am going to be totally biased here because I love anything that comes in a "Hash-style" dish. Fatty pork belly, seasoned potatoes, and a sunny side egg? It was not mind blowing and I probably won't order it again. I'd rather check out the rest of the menu, but it sounded good, looked good, and tasted good. Take that as you will. 3. Halo Halo Banana Split (5/10) (3 scoops of your choice of ice cream, turon, young coconut, red bean, coconut gel, flan, rice crispies) The ice creams are made by Milky Milky, a local Chicago small batch, handcrafted ice cream maker. For our flavors, we chose all 3 options they had at the time: ube, mango, and pandan. Homemade? Asian-inspired flavors? A wide variety of toppings? They got me again. Despite the rising popularity of ube within recent years (I am partial to taro lol), I have found not many places do it justice. THIS ube? We found a winner. Finally, a STRONG ube flavor that isn't lackluster or bland. The mango ice cream was fine and the pandan was too salty in my opinion. Pandan is one of my favorite ice cream flavors and I haven't tasted one that I haven't liked...until this one. Also, the rice crispies are so simple but add textural interest. Service was good. The atmosphere was cozy, but not cramped. The interior had jewel tones with a modern boho style that pays homage to the restaurant's Filipino-Cuban heritage.

    Shishito hash
    Kenna G.

    Bayan Ko is the spot! Amazing brunch here - very unique menu! Service was great, smaller store front with a couple of tables outside as well. Ube pancakes: 4/5 Crab Rangoon dip: 4.5/5 Shishito Hash: 4.7/5

    Beef Empanadas (Half)
    Erica B.

    Really cute diner! We went around 930AM on a Saturday and while an inside seat would've required a reservation, we were able to sit outside immediately! They have a good beverage selection and the vanilla latte was delicious. For two people, we got a Pinoy Burrito and a half order each of croquetas, lumpia, and beef empanadas, two items coming in each half order, and it was the perfect amount of food. Our favorite was definitely the croquetas. I couldn't even tell you what was in them but the inside was soft and mushy in the best way with a crisp outside and a really yummy sauce. I also really like the empanadas with tasty tops vieja and a creamy, ranchy sauce. The Pinoy burrito was also really good, especially the bites with a good chunk of sausage and the sauce that came with it was also super tasty (as you can tell I'm big on good sauces). The lumpia was probably my least favorite but still good and crispy with a decent sauce, just liked the other things better!!

    Lico J.

    Had a quick yet nice and relaxing Sunday lunch here. We really enjoyed the tocino plate - very balanced, comforting, and flavorful. The tocino was perfectly seasoned and cooked, and paired so well with the garlic rice. We also tried the lumpias and pork belly adobo. Maybe not the best versions we've ever had, but still definitely tasty and satisfying. They also offer sweeter brunch-style dishes like ube pancakes, which looked fun and unique. Overall, we liked this cute, bright neighborhood spot and would happily come back again.

    Adobo wings
    Christine H.

    BBQ Skewers: tender chicken thighs and the perfect amount of sweet glaze Lumpia Shanghai: the crispiness was perfection and the sauce was so good, it was like a slightly sweet vinaigrette Lechon Kawali: so crispy on the outside and the pork was juicy and tender inside, the sauce helps give flavor and softens the crispiness of the the pork Ropa Vieja: the shredded beef brisket was cooked to perfection but was very salty, eat it with the sweet plantains and rice and it reduces the saltiness taste, sweet plantains are black but not burnt, garlic rice is tasty Adobo wings: messy but worth it, delicious Saffron cream cheese flan: very sweet, but also had salt on top, texture is thick and smooth and melts in your mouth Halo Halo Banana Split: pandan ice cream is so good, loved the shredded coconut and the rice crispies to add the crunch, the fried banana lumpia was so good Hibiscus ginger cooler: slightly sweet and so refreshing, can def taste the hibiscus Pandan Mojito: slightly sweet and has like an aloe after taste Table reservations are for 90 minutes only and they give you a 20 min warning. Order quickly! You can sit at the bar if your time is up and still want to hang out afterwards. Highly recommend getting the $30 prix fixe menu (reasonably priced) and ordering one more dish from the menu for two people. We left feeling very full and satisfied if you're super hungry. Love the decor inside and very tropical with its palm leaves wallpaper. Latin music gives an upbeat atmosphere. There are two locations for Bayan Ko. One is a diner and the other place is for a more private tasting menu. I accidentally went in there instead of the diner place.

    Ube pancakes
    Xavier Thomas M.

    Bayan Ko Diner lives up to expectations! The food was great and it really takes in a modern taste to Filipino food. I loved the flavors and I was so full because we had so much food but I wanted to keep eating it! My only feedback was that the tocino silog tasted like barbecue instead of the regular red-like traditional tocino. It still tasted great but not what was expected. But in general, the vibe of the location was chill. Homey with cool modern decor and great for a smallish-medium dining area. Definitely try to make a reservation because it was busy and packed the whole time. Also, service was great, our server checked on us occasionally and even warned me about how the Ube drizzle stains clothes so to be careful about that. Great experience!

    sundae
    Clarissa H.

    A 70° day in March means its patio weather! Bayan Ko Diner has a super cute little patio on the sidewalk. We ordered half orders of all of their veggie dishes. The half orders were more than enough food for two people! I had leftovers to take home. I think the curry with eggplant was my favorite (with the garlic rice of course). For dessert, they have Milky Milky ice cream!! My favorite local ice cream that is so hard to find! Absolutely delicious I can't wait to come back in the summer.

    We spotted the restaurant while walking by and immediately decided we needed to try it!
    JoAnne R.

    First time at this restaurant. Menu was diverse, and the food was good. Nice-sized portions. The server was nice and really pretty, but didn't speak a word of Pilipino. The ambiance was very nice, and the patio was cute!

    McKayla S.

    This place is so freaking cute. When you walk in I would say it has botanical cute vibes. We sat at the bar and I asked what his fav food was and was recommended the Sisig and WOW was it the best choice. Everything was good but that was the bet by a landslide. I liked our drinks as well and the service was so quick. The food is a unique must try! I'm looking forward to coming back to the city so I can visit again!!

    Silog with half tocino and half loganisa. 10/10
    Bridget M.

    10/10 no notes!!!! Everything was cooked perfectly, well seasoned, great menu, friendly staff, cute vibes, great cafe con leche. Really, really good. Will absolutely be back.

    Girlie M.

    We decided to try Bayan Ko Diner based on the positive reviews and its feature in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant is known for its traditional blend of Filipino and Cuban cuisine. The dining space is small, so reservations are highly recommended. One thing we appreciated is that the menu offers both half and whole portions, making it easier to sample a variety of dishes. Here's what we ordered: Croquettas 4/5 - Tasty and enjoyable. Chicken Skewers 3/5 - Just okay. Shanghai 3/5 - Just okay. Adobo Wings 4/5 - Giving this a higher rating because the kids loved them, though they were a bit salty for my taste. Crab Rangoon Dip 5/5 - The standout dish of the night - this was everyone's favorite. BKD Fried Rice 3/5 - Decent, but nothing memorable. Lechon Kawali 3/5 - Nicely crispy, but meat was slightly dry. Halo-halo Dessert 5/5 - Complimentary for to end the night celebrating our kids' birthdays and was a hit with the kids. Service was a bit slow, but Chef Lawrence (the owner) stopped by our table toward the end of the meal to check in on us, which we really appreciated. Overall, the dinner was decent, though the bill was on the higher end. I don't think I'd come back for dinner but I'd rather come back and try their brunch, as the brunch menu looked more appealing than dinner. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit during brunch on this trip.

    Interior
    Mike L.

    Amazing brunch menus at Bayan Ko! The food is absolutely amazing with an eclectic combination of flavors. Interior space is super cool and the staff is overly friendly! Pro Tip: You can order 1/2 portions of many dishes which allows you to try more

    Menu

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    Amazing service! Really good Filipino food (saying this as a Filipino). The lumpia was to die for

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    Ask the Community - Bayan Ko Diner

    Boonie's Filipino Restaurant

    Boonie's Filipino Restaurant

    4.5
    (228 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    Moody, fine dining Filipino restaurant in ravenswood/north center Chicago…read more The experience of this place really starts when you enter the restaurant. I was a big fan of the interior. Dark moody lighting with warm colored lamps really sets the tone for the meal you are about to eat. Service was incredibly kind and attentive. Everyone's so lovely. The food is exactly what you'd expect - elevated Filipino and overall INCREDIBLE. Here's what we got/my thoughts. Coco ginger daiquiri - 5/5 - really refreshing. You could taste each component of the drink which was fun to experience. Sisig - 4/5 - I'll start by saying I'm really particular about my sisig. For sisig to be a 5 for me, it *has* to be crunchy. And that's the only thing this sisig was missing. For coming out on a sizzling plate, it was a little too wet, even after the sizzling. Despite this though, the flavors were there and they were delicious. Garlic rice - 5/5 - best garlic rice I've ever had in my life. Just get it. That's all I have to say. Pancit canton - 4/5 - if I'm being honest, it's hard to really elevate pancit canton. But this was a good attempt, it just seemed to be missing something to put it over the top. Really appreciated the fresh vegetables with the noodles. Lumpia - 5/5 - like pancit canton, it seems hard to elevate lumpia but they freaking did it. This was so good. The filling was nice and juicy and had great flavor. Kare Kare - 5/5 - Kare Kare was my favorite dish growing up but I've never experienced it elevated to such a high level until boonies. The meat was so tender, cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth. The vegetables being carmelized was also quite the treat. Didn't realize until after the fact that the sauce isn't made with peanuts, so huge plus that gives our peanut allergic friends the opportunity to experience such an amazing dish. So well done.

    This was a great, cozy spot to try a different take on Filipino food. Being a Filipina myself, I'm…read moretorn between labeling it because I feel like some of the dishes are more Filipino-inspired while others are definitely elevated-Filipino. Either way, it's a good place to try a twist on your favorites or dip into something new. I especially appreciated that there were a lot of vegetarian options which is hard to find in Filipino food, like our "veggie" lumpia usually has small bits of meat in it, lol. We were warmly welcomed, seated relatively quickly, and the service was attentive and timely. The place is cozy and on the dark side so my pics aren't the greatest. We had the Inihaw ng Talong which is basically grilled eggplant that came brushed with sunflower butter, loaded with tomatoes and garnished with cilantro. This was a nice start but a small one. The eggplant was smoky and creamy and complimented by the bright tomatoes. The Satti Manok, skewered grilled chicken, with cornbread sticky rice was good, but I've definitely had better for a lot less. This is usually a staple you'll find at any Filipino family's BBQ but the cornbread sticky rice was a surprisingly nice treat. If you've had this before, somewhere else, I'd skip it to try something else. The Sinigang Caesar was such a nice twist that totally made sense! My only complaint is that it was served with Bibb lettuce instead of a crunchy romaine. I enjoyed this so much I've been making my Caesar dressings with a sprinkling of Sinigang powder now and my family loves it. The Kare Kare gulay was nice and I enjoyed it. The charred cabbage gave it some extra depth that I think is needed to pull this off because this sauce is made with sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. This was great for me because I'm allergic to peanuts but it definitely changes the flavor, making it a little sweeter and lighter. I wish they would've made this with cashew or almond butter to keep it closer to the rich, deep flavors of a Kare Kare. The Maitake mushrooms -- I absolutely loved. I've never had this before and it reminded me of a good Laing which is also made with a spiced coconut sauce. I definitely could've eaten this all to myself with the garlic rice. Yes, the garlic rice is good but I was surprised to see it go for $6 a bowl. Rice is usually so cheap, if not complementary in Filipino restaurants and garlic rice is quite common, especially for breakfast (yes, I sabreakfast). It was cooked perfectly though. The mango float was delicious. Not sure why it's called a float but it was mango and mascarpone ice cream nestled in a mango sauce and topped with a delicate, crumbly butter cookie. I will definitely come back for more if I'm ever in the area again. I'd be excited to try other things on their menu.

    Photos
    Cozy corner
    Cozy corner
    Sisig & garlic rice
    Sisig & garlic rice
    Pancit Canton

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    Pancit Canton
    Kubo

    Kubo

    4.2
    (313 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    My boyfriend and I moved to Lakeview in September 2025, and ever since then we've passed Kubo…read morecountless times, each time smelling the incredible aroma filling the neighborhood. We've said to ourselves over and over, we have to try Kubo! We finally decided to go in for lunch on a cold Sunday (3/22) and we had the most wonderful meal. The space was clean, welcoming, and lively with other diners. There's plenty of seating and although I usually highly dislike high top seating, their bar seating was incredibly comfortable. We ordered the chicken eggrolls and two orders of the chicken adobo. All of our food came out very fast, and we had very attentive service. March Madness is currently going on and was playing in the restaurant. We are basketball fans so this was a plus, and we were asked if the game that was currently on was our preferred game to watch, which was very thoughtful. The food was incredible. The eggrolls were incredibly flavorful and the chicken in the chicken adobo fell off the bone easily. The sauce on the chicken was delicious and it mixed so well with the garlic rice. We cannot wait to bring friends and family to this restaurant in the future. The hot food made us feel so whole on a cold and extremely windy day. In the summer, I cannot wait to sit on their spacious, covered patio. Thank you Kubo for a wonderful experience!

    Three of us without reservation were seated quickly. The wait person was friendly. I wish I would…read morehave gotten his name a great guy. We ordered drinks from a well stocked bar. We had the chicken lumpia, first which were long not like the normal finger length I'm used to. Lots of tender meat inside. Wow. Then had the lechon kawaii, deep fried sea bass and the pancit with rice noodles. We were knocked out by the presentation of the sea bass. OMG it was perfectly crispy, The flavors were clean and fresh. Definitely a must order. The pork belly was also perfectly cooked. The pancit loaded with chicken and veggies. This is a must return place. THe inside was cozy and not noisy. We could talk without shouting.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Tuna Ceviche
    Tuna Ceviche
    Red Horse and Lychee Martini

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    Red Horse and Lychee Martini
    A Taste of the Philippines

    A Taste of the Philippines

    4.5
    (59 reviews)
    5.2 mi

    Went here for lunch and tried their lumpia, pork belly with garlic rice, sinigang fish sandwhich,…read moreand ube cold brew! Service was great; you go to the counter and order while they bring your food as it's ready. Ratings per item: - Ube cold brew 4/5 (Ube flavored and strong) - Lumpia 4/5 - Pork Belly 4/5 (good crisp but needed more seasoning) - Fish sandwhich 4/5 (good flavor but wish there was a bit more fish) - Ube cookie 5/5 Will def come back to try more items especially their icecream sandwiches!

    Perhaps we came on an off day because we love A Taste of the Phillipines at various markets and…read morewanted to support the brick and mortar. But the moment we walked in, we felt like we were bothering the staff. We walked up to the register and she asked us what we wanted. When we asked a question about the menu she restated the menu name saying that what it is. We started ordering and she kept aggressively asking is that all you want? And we just rushed and ordered and sat down. We ordered the lumpia, the breakfast sandwich, and the pork belly with garlic rice. We also ordered a pandan cold brew and a ube cold brew. For dessert I got an ube cookie. The lumpia came out almost immediately, but was super super salty. I took one bite and couldn't finish it even with the sweet chili sauce but my husband kept eating at it. Our entrees came out shortly after the sandwich was good, and the pork belly was crispy. It was a great size portion. We waited to eat our food until we got our drinks, which came out quite a bit later after we got our food. The drinks were great and full of flavor. After we finished our meal, we went to the counter to find someone to ask for our cookie because we hadn't received and we were the only ones In the restaurant. It took a while until someone came out, so we rang the bell. She gave us our cookie after checking we never got it. So we took it to go. Overall the food was exactly what it was listed as, but I don't know I'll come back to the brick and mortar maybe just support them at various pop up markets.

    Photos
    Great aesthetic
    Great aesthetic
    Chicken adobo
    Chicken adobo
    Pandan Cold Brew and Ube Cream Cold Brew

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    Pandan Cold Brew and Ube Cream Cold Brew
    Bayan Ko

    Bayan Ko

    4.4
    (236 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    I don't think I've had a meal this good in a long time…read more I'm usually hesitant about Asian fusion restaurants, but Cuban-Filipino sounded interesting enough for me to take the chance--and I'm so happy I did. Every dish was sexy. My favorite was the arroz caldo: a black rice porridge with lobster. It was salty without crossing into oversalted, and it tasted warm, homey, and comforting while still feeling incredibly elevated. The wagyu melted in my mouth and was easily my second favorite. The octopus came in third - it was cooked and charred perfectly. The tamales and pork were also so mf good: crispy, flavorful, and just extremely satisfying. Dessert was amazing too. It wasn't overly sweet and had this mochi-like texture on the inside with a cake/brownie-crust texture around the edges. So fucking good. Even the cocktails were great. I rarely visit fine-dining restaurants twice, but this place was so good that I genuinely feel like I have to come back. They rotate the tasting menu, although this particular lineup was so perfect that I can't imagine how they'll create another set of dishes just as amazing. My only criticism is the timing between courses. Some of the waits felt longer than they should have, and tightening that up would make the entire experience feel even more polished. Other than that: really, really good. Everyone needs to try it.

    First time! The inside is cozy and small. We were greeted warmly and seated immediately…read more(reservations only) we got complimentary drinks because we were celebrating, which was a nice surprise. The food was really good but I had higher expectations. The tamale Cubano was one of my favorites and the kare Kare was good. The dessert was also really good. Amazing amazing service! I don't think we will come back because we can definitely get food as good for cheaper somewhere else Chicago; it was a great experience to try one time.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    ARROZ CALDO
    ARROZ CALDO
    Cubano Fried Rice. Uncle Ritchie Ricardo approved

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    Cubano Fried Rice. Uncle Ritchie Ricardo approved

    Bayan Ko Diner - cuban - Updated August 2026

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