ONE fine afternoon, I was walking along Matina Town Square, when a familiar voice called out my name. It was Jip Mascarinas, a friend way back in college.
Jip, his wife Sharon and relatives are partners in the newly opened dining resto at Matina Town Square, The Stairwell.
One of their partners, Jip’s cousin Chloe Mascardo answered some of my queries during the opening of the restaurant located in a portion which used to be the now defunct Whistletop bar.
“It started, because we wanted to serve the food which is cooked at our home,” Chloe said. A practicing dentist she keeps her clinic a few doors apart from the resto.
According to Chloe, her mom had a catering business, which is steadily growing. This gave her the inspiration to share her mom’s meals thru a restaurant which is more accessible to people.
Originally, the plan was for a small restaurant business between Chloe and her mom. However, the plan expanded with the entry of relatives and friends as partners.
The industrial-themed interior of The Stairwell comes from Chloe. “It’s something new and unique here in Davao.” Chloe said she gets inspirations from her travels abroad.
The name Stairwell was thought up when Chloe was looking for a space in MTS, she wanted the space near the stairs that led to the second floor. However it wasn’t available. Fortunately, the present location had stairs, which leads to the upstairs dining space.
The restaurant can set around 80 people, presently it is enjoying brisk business as people found a new dining destination in MTS a welcome treat.
Best sellers include the Honey-grilled Spareribs and the Chicken Pepper Steak. The spare-ribs was tender, the meat was tasty even without the sauce. But my ultimate favorite was the chicken pepper steak, which is a meal worth a million repeats.
Other recommended meals include their sisig which is cooked- Kapampangan style, the Stairwell sisig is a perfect pulutan meal popular among diners chilling out in the evenings.
The meals are affordable and would not burn your pockets. “We try to keep the prices as reasonable since our main goal is to make our food accessible,” Chloe said.
They are also planning to expand their menu, one of the plans is to have burgers and pizzas.
The place is perfect for families as a dining out spot. One can also chill and unwind with friends over a bottle of wine or a bucket of beers.