Food Trip: Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina - First Visit [Food Tales of a Kapitolyo Resident]

Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina is one of the newest restaurants to open in Kapitolyo. I thought it would be great to start off the Food Tales of a Kapitolyo Resident series with a fresh place. 

This newly-opened eatery was a random discovery. The husband and I rarely ever venture down East Capitol Drive, but one Sunday, we decided to hear mass at the Kapitolyo church for a change. We had to park a few steps away from the church, and on our way back to the car after the service, we spotted Silantro. We were actually planning on having dinner somewhere else in the neighborhood, but we readily changed our plans because we were so hungry that we were quite happy to find a place already right in front of us. I didn't have my camera with me because I didn't know I was trying a new restaurant that day, but I was mighty glad we found this place. 

Packed on a Sunday night

Silantro is a casual dining kind of restaurant. It has an al fresco area and an airconditioned area, but the place is on the small side, so expect it to be packed at dinner time, like it was when we went there. We liked that it's packed though, as that boded well for the quality of the food. Luckily, we were first on the wait list and we only had to wait a few minutes.

Inside, the walls are bright plastered with cool Mexican posters. The husband really liked one and actually knew a lot of the wrestlers on it. The ambiance was a bit noisy, but pretty comfortable, with wooden benches and tables. The servers wore hats and were prompt and friendly. It seemed like a good place for drinking sprees with friends.

Mexican Wrestlers galore

A waiting

J, waiting

We ordered drinks first and while the hubby got his usual cola, I decided to try their mojito. It came looking like a citrus drink, and it did taste like one with alcohol mixed in. Warning: It may not be your usual straight-up mint mojito, but it does pack a strong punch! I would've liked it with a tad lesser alcohol, but from my experience, all Mexican restaurants have potent drinks. 

The Silantro mojito

Since it was our first time, we decided to try Silantro's specialty, the Lucha Tacos. We both ordered the Completo soft tacos with three kinds of meat. I chose beef, lamb, and pork, while the hubby got lamb, pork, and chicken. For us meat-lovers, this kind of taco was definitely right up our alley.

The soft tacos came in baskets with guacamole dip

The soft tacos arrived looking like they were simply loaded with lettuce and tomatoes. They looked so veggie! Well, surprise, surprise -- they were loaded with meat underneath, and turned out to be the best soft tacos I've ever tried! The mix of lamb, beef, and pork was ridiculously perfect, and the hubby also raved about the combo he ordered. The flavor was a blend of Filipino and Mexican indeed, and it was yummy. The guacamole was the icing on the cake. It made the tacos even tastier. 

A meaty load of yum

Our server also offered us some hot sauce, and decided to bring us some onion-garlic sauce as well. Both were extremely yummy, especially when mixed with the guacamole. Don't be fooled by the mustard-like appearance of the hot sauce though! Like the mojito, it's super potent. The onion-garlic sauce was our favorite. It had a sweet and savory flavor that was just divine on the soft tacos. 

Hot sauce and onion-garlic sauce

The soft tacos were unexpectedly filling. Still, it was a pretty light dinner, and we wished we ordered more, but it was also a pleasant and flavorful one. We're already planning on trying the other menu items on our next visit! We're so glad Mexican food has arrived in the neighborhood. 

Silantro is located at 75 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.