Cheesy Beef Nachos and Spicy Caliente Wings at Silantro

My son has finished his online final exams last week. Both of us wanted to relax and I was craving for Mexican food. There is only one place to go - Silantro!

Silantro Fil-Mex originated in Dagupan, Pangasinan, and is owned by longtime friends Paolo de Venecia and Francis Sanchez. One of the owners, Paolo de Venecia, worked for a brief time in a Japanese restaurant based in the US. Majority of the service staff was Mexican and Paolo ate Mexican food everyday.

Years ago, their old menu included Caldereta and Mexican-style bangus. They decided to open the first Silantro branch in Dagupan back in 2010. The business expanded and now they have several branches with delivery service: Kapitolyo, UP Town Center, Eastwood, ATC, Solenad, Urdaneta, Dagupan, and Baguio.

As expected, the branch at UP Town Center, has a long line of customers. We had to wait for about twenty minutes and customers are not allowed to pre-order, we simply had to wait until we get a table. Silantro follows safety protocols: facemasks, face shields, and social distancing.

If it’s your first time at Silantro, you will certainly enjoy the cartoony paintings, modern hanging lamps and pin lights, colorful artwork, wooden chairs and tables, and the Mexican vibe.

But what I love the most is the beef nachos. It is composed of crunchy tortilla chips piled up with tender, juicy beef, fresh veggies, salsa, and melted cheese. What makes it more exciting to eat is the array of dips – green cucumber, red chili, and white garlic. My favorite dip that matches the beef nachos is the green cucumber. There are times that I mix the green cucumber and red chili to balance the taste and make the nachos sweet and spicy.

Brace yourself in eating the caliente wings! They are tender but spicy. My secret to lessen the heat is to dip it on white garlic. The good thing is the dips at Silantro are unlimited. Just simply ask the waiter/waitress to refill the three-dipping sauce tray.

The beef nachos cost P240 while the caliente wings cost P245. I was tempted to order Coke which costs P60, a guilty pleasure that I have to admit 😊

Lining up at Silantro is worth the wait! It’s an affordalicious snack topped with a modern Fil-Mex ambiance. My son and I had a great time taking a lot of pictures. We definitely had a FUNtastic Saturday afternoon!