The 10-month-old Cilantro is a stalwart at Purvis Street, alongside chic restaurants like Gunther’s and Garibaldi. Boasting three floors of contemporary chic décor (groovy chairs, mood lighting and downtempo music), the food is, thankfully, as good as the vibe here. A la carte is the mainstay, although we especially like the set lunch menu. At only $18.90, you can choose a starter or soup, a main course or pasta, and a dessert or add $3 for pricier starters and main courses like the soft-shell crab and mixed grill. Our creamy potato salad ($6) was just nicely done and comes with delectable cheese crackers in between the potato pieces—this scored in the presentation department. Our soft-shell crab ($9) was also very good—it was not too oily and the Thai chili sauce that came with it was the perfect complement to the dish. Our mains of bacon pasta ($12) and mixed grill ($18.90) were also excellent. Cooked to perfection with olive oil, our angel hair pasta was just right, while the generous mixed grill—comprising lamb, beef, pork and chicken sausage, laced with yummy pepper sauce—was one of the best we’ve had, and we finished everything. That said, our desert of brownie with ice-cream ($6) was disappointing. The brownie was too hard, and the vanilla ice-cream which came with it was oh-so-ordinary. Thankfully, the creamy tiramisu ($6) was much better. This is a great place to hang out with friends—not just for the ambiance, but the food too. We’ll be back.
