Bang for the buck: Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina

Note: This post has been updated on Aug 20, 2017

Starting the year looking back at one of the places I liked that was bang for the buck!

Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina is a Mexican restaurant that opened its doors down south only a couple of months ago. Its newest branch is located at Alabang Town Center's newest building (the office building). We don't really see a lot of Mexican restaurants around, and the only one near me is a bit pricey. So I was happy to find out that Silantro's menu was cheaper. Of course, I was eager to try it!

My friends and I decided to have our mini Christmas reunion here. We wanted cheap food perfect with drinks. Silantro offers your usual Mexican restaurant fares and more. And might I add, it was really affordable! I went back this year with my family and they also loved it!

We ordered tacos, beef nachos, and rib fingers for sharing. I was quite surprised with the serving size and the amount of meat in each dish! The meat in the tacos and nachos were very soft and juicy, and the seasoning was quite right. You can choose either soft or hard taco. You also get to choose the meat you want (from single choice to 3 choices). I chose beef (they ran out of lamb) and oxtail. The greens were fresh and crunchy. The sauces were quite tasty but doesn't overpower the taste of the meat. The beef nacho dish was so packed with toppings that you will finish the whole dish without feeling like you've been ripped off. The downside with it is that you need to eat it fresh out of the kitchen because the cheese hardens as time goes by. The rib fingers were just okay, but it seemed out of place in a Mexican restaurant.. I didn't get to taste the burgers at all, but for its price, it's very affordable (a same priced burger from a fast food joint pales in comparison to its patty). The ones who tried it said it was a good burger.

Medio (beef and oxtail) soft tacos, P95.00

Beef nachos, P180.00

Rib fingers, P280.00

Pancholon's burger, P160.00

We paired our drinks with beer and mojito. I don't remember the prices but I'm sure they were less than P100.00 each. Since the branch is quite new and the hype is still strong, expect long waiting time. The service was slow when we went there (a Sunday). It took 3 follow-ups to get the burgers (by that time, I was quite pissed because another table who went it before us got their burgers first). It's a bit understandable that they're still ironing the kinks out. The place is a bit small but the seating is comfortable. However, the place was a bit hot, not sure if it was AC problems, the amount of people inside, or the heat from the kitchen coming out of the kitchen was too much. All in all, we still had a great time there.

Would I go back? YES! It's definitely worth the money. We were 8 in our group, fully stuffed, and we only paid about P250.00 each! The place is perfect for hanging out with your friends!

I went back again with my family this August and I got to try new dishes. I skipped ordering tacos (even if I wanted to eat one) and ordered a main course instead.

Silantro's Paella Fajita Mix, P250.00

Pork ribs, P310.00

Shrimp skewers, P220.00

Beef skewers, P280.00

The Paella fajita mix was so big that I took home half of it home. The rice was more liquidy for my liking, though. I wished that they served the tortilla separately so that it won't be soggy. 2 pieces were also not enough for the amount of rice the dish was served. The skewers had the same seasoning. The only difference was that the shrimp was a bit dry while the beef (which we ordered cooked medium) was very moist and tender. The pork ribs were very juicy and tender. The 2 skewer dishes and pork ribs were served with a side of seasoned white rice but I didn't get to taste it.

I rate this restaurant an 8 out of 10! It's a definite place I would surely go back to.

What food or restaurant should I try next? Comment below!