Yesterday I got a haircut from my usual barber in Tomas Morato. When I'm with the kids we'd usually stop by the nearby Jamba Juice or Krispy Kreme for some snacks, but when I'm alone I typically leave after getting a haircut, but I had some extra time that afternoon, so I decided to check out this small restaurant that was a short walk away.
Silverspoon on Scout Gandia reminds me of those small restaurants outside my college campus. The interiors are pretty spartan, with the typical white minimalist color scheme and matching chairs and benches. It seats up to 20 people inside, and 4 in the al fresco area. Considering how small I found the place, I was surprised with the prices on the menu as a single meal with drinks could set you back P400-P800. I was about to find out whether the taste and/or quality of the food could justify the relatively steep price point. It's got pretty good reviews on Google maps, though.
I ordered the mushroom burger (P310) and sago't gulaman (P110). As expected, the gulaman arrived first. When it arrived, I realized that I forgot to tell the server to lessen the sugar, which I almost always do as most places in the city tend to serve very sweet drinks. Well, it was indeed a bit too sweet, but at least it wasn't too overpowering. The taste was very typically sago't gulaman, there was nothing notable about it.
The burger arrived 15 minutes later. It was around the same size as a BK whopper junior albeit taller. Inside the burger were large slices of button mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and if I'm not mistaken, cucumber. I was kind of expecting a mushroom patty like what they have over at Mushroomburger (which some say isn't exactly 100% made of mushroom, but I digress), but I was ok with how they served it.
Taste wise, it was pretty ok - it wasn't bad at all. It's a bit on the oily side, and the onion taste tends to dominate. But the quality of the ingredients seems high, and it tasted like a decent home cooked meal. The fries were pretty good too, notwithstanding the ketchup-mayo dip which I'm not a big fan of (I prefer plain tomato ketchup). It tasted like 100% potato, not one of those frozen fries with a lot of starch and extenders. I guess the price point is justifiable based on these factors alone.
To make the customers feel better with spending a lot of money on their offerings, management may consider redecorating or updating the interiors. As it stands it's got a cozy, neighborly vibe which I'm sure a lot of people like, but a bit of repainting here and there could do wonders. And the staff should make added effort to make the place look neat. When I was there, they hung some of their clothes and bags near the counter, which was an eyesore.
One of my pet peeves is smelling like burnt oil after visiting a cafe or restaurant. There was a bit of that smell on my clothes after I left, but it was tolerable. Servers were nice and attentive.
It was a good experience overall, and I would consider coming back with my family if we found ourselves in the area. We won't go out of our way to visit, but if we're nearby, like within 500 meters or something, we'd consider it.
Summary
Taste: 4.0/5.0
Quality: 4.0/5.0
Interiors: 3.0/5.0
Ventilation: 3.5/5.0
Value for money: 4.0/5.0
Worth coming back to?: Yes, if nearby.
