Bayan Ko

Amazing 5-course tasting menu blending Filipino and Cuban flavors. Each of our dishes were complex layers of flavors woven into an amazing experience. Cooking techniques were spot on. All three of us had a different favorite dish (arroz caldo / octopus / dessert). Service was attentive and courses were well paced. Good sized portions and attractively balanced plates. Very enjoyable experience! My only (very minor) critique is that our menu was entirely very rich dishes - would have liked one lighter course. Note: Reservations only, no walk-ins

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 “Bib Gourmand”.

There are actually two Bayan Ko restaurants down the street from one another. We sat outside on a nice night (though the train made for occasion tough converations). The Caribbean and Filipino inspired dishes is an interesting combination. We ordered 3 Filipino and one Caribbean dish. I have to say I enjoyed the Filipino dishes more, especially the rolls and wings.

Great Food!!! Filipino-Cuban food with a delicious modern twist! A tasty stop for all lovers of Filipino and Latin cuisine!