Tayo By Bien Colchester – Filipino Banana Blossom Curry

I went around midday on a cold winter’s day. Tayo By Bien is a Filipino restaurant based on North Hill, and this was actually my first time visiting a Filipino restaurant.

The place felt calm and welcoming. I don’t usually mention interiors much, but I did like it here. It was nice and bright inside, which definitely helped on a cold day.

What I had

Oat Milk Cappuccino (£4.00)
I started with an oat milk cappuccino, which was nice and smooth. I also appreciated that there was no extra charge for oat milk, because that still feels like a tiny win whenever it happens.

Ginataang Banana Blossom (£9.00)
For food, I had the Ginataang Banana Blossom, which is a Filipino-style curry made with banana blossom in a creamy coconut milk sauce.

It was rich, fragrant and full of flavour. It wasn’t overly spicy either — more of a mild to medium heat — which worked nicely with the creamy sauce.

Pandan Rice (£3.50)
I also ordered pandan rice, which was soft, aromatic and went really well with the curry.

I ordered a big bowl, probably too much rice if I’m being sensible, but I still managed to finish it all. So clearly, no real lesson was learned.

The prices felt very fair, especially for how fresh and generous the portions were. The meal was hearty and satisfying without feeling too heavy, which made it a really good lunchtime comfort meal.

Final thoughts

Tayo By Bien is a lovely family-run restaurant, and you can feel that personal touch in both the food and the service.

The food had a proper home-cooked feel, the staff were friendly, and the vegan options felt like they had been made with care rather than just added on to tick a box.

The banana blossom curry really hit the spot — rich, creamy and full of flavour.

They usually have a few vegan dishes on the menu too, so it’s good to know there’s usually something plant-based to choose from.

If you like Thai food, there are definitely some similarities in the flavours, so this is well worth trying.