Bayan Ko

My apologies if there is already a thread on this topic. I did a search and did not find one.

We have heard good things and are headed there this week. Any suggestions on menu highlights?

Bayan Ko
1810 W Montrose
Chicago, IL — 60613
(773) 698-6373
Tue - Sat 4-10pm
Closed - Sun & Mon

BYOB $5 corkage fee per table

I was there in November of last year. I enjoyed our meal and the overall vibe of the place quite a bit. Service was extraordinarily friendly, which felt great*. Crispy Adobo Chicken Wings, Lumpia Shanghai, Bayan Lechon and Oxtail Kare Kare -- all still showing on their online menu -- were the highlights for me.

*We'd given the host our mobile number and went up the street to a bar to have a drink while we waited. We were supposed to have been notified via their automated system when our table was ready. For whatever reason, that didn't work. But guessing we might be there, the host walked to the bar and told us in person that our table was ready. That was exceptional.

=R=

Thank you for starting this thread! The items we fondly remember from our visit a couple of months ago that would put us in a quandary between ordering the same dish again vs trying something new were the: lumpia (comfortingly familiar yet the meat was juicier and better-seasoned than most versions), luglug noodles (we expected great noodles then were blown away by the perfectly seared, high quality scallops), and the Cubano sandwich (I intended to mention this on the dedicated thread and apologetically haven't). We deferred to recommendations from the staff and were kindly, deliciously rewarded. After reading as much as possible beforehand, what surprised us was that the restaurant was not really a fusion of the two cuisines, and seemed more like elevated greatest hits from each tradition. We loved everything we ate and look forward to future visits.

We ate there last month and were mostly disappointed by the food; nothing was memorable or even particularly good. My strongest recollection was how the short rib bistec was fatty and chewy, and apparently had only been grilled, and how this cut did not appear to have been braised as is usually done to render some of that fat and tenderize the meat. However, the service was friendly and the prices were reasonable. I think it's great that others apparently had a better experience, but we won't be going back.


Exterior:

Interior (note that some of the seating consists of large picnic style tables with communal seating):

Luglug noodles - scallop, uni, chicharron, egg yolk, saffron

Short rib bistek - calamansi soy marinade, spanish onions

This dish contained pulled pork and plantain; it must have been a daily special since I don't see it listed on my photo of the day's menu:

We may have also had the mussels, but if so, I neglected to photograph them.