Balikbayan Restaurants

The Balikbayan restaurant in Santa Fe offers great food for adequate prices. It’s not situated directly in the center but you can reach it within a few minutes walk.

It used to be that the best way to get good Filipino food is to eat at home. Good Filipino cooking was only to be had in the provinces, specifically in roadside eateries or in the market where cooks work with the freshest ingredients and prepare dishes the traditional way. Today, thankfully, serving Filipino dishes has become more viable, and so restaurants that serve them have sprouted. And young culinary studies graduates have decided to rediscover their roots, learning to cook not only the old way, but also applying modern techniques to the dishes, updating the look but preserving the flavors.

You know they are craving their favorite Filipino food. You have to make sure that their favorite food is available in the restaurant you choose. But, at the same time, you want it to be in a new place that they have never been to before (Gerry's and Dencio's are the usual haunts) where they serve good food, have an impressive ambiance, and offer good value for money.

MENUS:

Grilled Squid (P245). Fresh squid grilled just right, perfect with our toyomansi.

The #1 request of our balikbayan friends and family is perfectly cooked Grilled Squid (hindi makunat). Melissa's Fil-Am kids love it, too. :)

Yellow/Green Mango Shake is the #1 most requested balikbayan drink. We have to make sure it is available in the menu.

In Silya't Sili, they have fun, healthy shakes like Banana and Malunggay. The signature drink here is the Buko Shake (which was creamy but a bit too sweet for my taste, though).

Melissa's only request from us was to order sisig. It's a good thing then that Silya't Sili serves this Pambansang Pulutan. It was served on a sizzling hot plate with crunchy chicharon bits on top. It hit the spot nicely.

Some balikbayans have Crispy Pata or Lechon Kawali on their must-eat-when-I-get-back list, and the resto has those dishes too. They also serve Kambing! The menu was carefully crafted to showcase the best of Filipino classic dishes.

Binagoongan Rice (P170). Rice cooked in shrimp paste, topped with sweet pork, green mango and egg strips, making the dish a truly filling accompaniment to any main dish.

This is the resto's signature rice dish, which is basically like the bagoong rice in Thai restaurants. The combination of sweet pork, egg and green mango with brown rice is unbeatable. This is a meal in itself.

If you're not in the mood for shrimp paste in your rice, you can go with the Adobo Rice or plain Jasmine Rice.

The furniture, art and bonsai accent pieces all contribute to the restaurant's ambiance. Majority of the Filipino dishes served there are decent, with the taste leaning towards the safe side -- not too spicy, not too sour, not too sweet. The food is good value for money, most ranging from P150-P250 per dish, with no service charge.

Overall, Silya't Sili is a good find for bringing balikbayans to satisfy their food cravings this holiday season. :)