Bayan Ko — Restaurant in Lake View Township

update:

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.

—*—

original review below:

We’ve been looking to try this spot out since we walked by it before it opened a while back — but the few times we stopped by it was full/no reservations available. Definitely worth the wait! As a Cuban in Chicago that has a very tough time finding good Cuban food in the city, this pleasantly surprised me in the best possible way.

I was able to chat with one of the owners, Raquel (also Cuban, and I assume the Cuban half of this Filipino/Cuban restaurant) — and it was a pleasure. Very nice service, and a lovely experience on a beautiful summer day on their outside seating.

All three bites (appetizers) were delicious, and I especially loved the croquetas and the lumpia. And this was honestly one of the best Cuban sandwiches I’ve had in the city. The maduros (sweet fried plantains) were perfect. The rice and black beans were fairly bland, but mixed well with the other savoury food.

And finally, as a serious flan connoisseur, my litmus test for any Cuban place is the flan — and this one is absolutely delicious and creamy.

Very happy to have tried this place out and looking forward to many repeat visits! (will try out some of the more filipino-influenced food on...

I like their diner food even before they moved their regular menu from the main restaurant to the diner. But when I heard about them getting on to the Michelin list and having a pre-fixed menu, I had to try it for myself. And as much as I like their regular menu, they NEED WORK on their entire experience in their main restaurant if they ever want a Michelin Star. First off, the service was SLOPPY. You have one guy dressed as t-shirt and jeans and a lady who doesn’t look like she wants to be there. I got sat by the door. So, when people enter and leave I get a breeze of cool air. I put down a deposit of $10 when I reserved my spot and a deposit for the wine pairing, but was told it would be “refunded” back to me instead of applied to my final bill. By the way, I’m STILL waiting for that refund at the time of this post. The guy with the t-shirt was my server and had ZERO KNOWLEDGE of the wines he was serving me. No backstory of the wine, no explanation to why this was selected with the dish, NOTHING like a starred Michelin restaurant. “Here’s (insert name of wine). Enjoy”. Seriously, if you want that Star, you have to know the “Who What Where Why When and How” of what you’re serving. Plus, some of the wines were served in glasses I would not serve wine in. The last glass in particular looked just wrong. The food was just ok, nothing that says, “Wow” in my mind. Although, one dish in particular (the beef dish) was chewy in its medium rare (more like rare) state, not melt in your mouth as a Wagyu steak would be. Overall, like I said, I like the diner food. But they need work on their pre-fixe menu and service, especially if they want that Michelin Star or even be elevated to...

A wonderful chefy Filipino classic dishes that is well-balanced in flavor and ingredients. Prix-Fixe is always a wonderful way to taste the menu.

Perfect, fall off the bone #OXTAIL KARE KARE is a great reason to be a regular. 😋. Excellent pricing that is also shareable. Bagoong is the preferred add-in instead of the salty red shrimp paste (acts like soy sauce with a pungent flavor used in many Asian dishes like Thai, Korean, Vietnamese) but, it will do. 😁

NOTE: Most mains are shareable.

UBE SUNDAE is a luxe version in price and quality as it's super duper difficult to get a real Ube flavor. Plenty of fake, Ube color only out there. Plus, MILKY MILKY... a Ravenswood Ice Cream purveyor that you are supporting 2 small businesses instead of just one.

Back to UBE, this #SUNDAE is intense compared to it's Motherland as it has no shaved iced (necessary for hot Philippines weather). Flan bits has been and always will be luxurious. Chefy signature is on the black salt sprinkle and strategic ingredient placement and portion.

PSA — It's a small venue, so make reservations. I pray 🙏 there will be Table Limits on peak times as BYOBs can hog the tables forevermore.

Say HELLO to the fantabulous Second Raquel, Friends.

Now that the menu is more balanced between cultures, I shall be back for MORE...