crescent moon cafe

entering the cafe is like an escape from the hustle and bustle metro. lucious trees and bushes surround the area. a koi pond that was once a world war ii bomb crater together with the trees and bushes at the back of the cafe serves as a panoramic view of nature, a paradise in the middle of the city.
all dishes serve in crescent moon cafe incorporate the natural flavors of their ingredients. they shy away from preservative and enhancer because chef bey wants each of their guests to smell the real aroma and taste the true flavors of the dishes that they serve.
among the staple dishes of crescent moon cafe is alagao appetizer. alagao appetizer is chef bey's version of the famous thai street food, miang kham. it is composed of basil, dried coconut, chili, ginger, green mango, onion, shrimp, sweet peanut sauce and alagao leaf.  you can mix and match the fillings of the alagao leaf depending on your preference.

another staple dish of cresent moon is the pumpkincoconutsoup. the soup is creamy with a tinge of sweetness coming from the pumpkin. it has bits ofcoconutmeat that added texture to the soup.along with the staple dishes of the cafe is the chicken wings with mulberry mayo dip. the chicken is seasoned well and has a crunchy breading. the meat is tender and has a tinge of sweet flavor. the dip, on the other hand, has a sour and fruity taste.along with the chicken wings is the pork indian curry. this dish is oozing with flavor and spices. it has tender and juicy meat.
a visit crescent moon cafe is not complete without savoring the famous suman or rice cake of antipolo. they two varieties of suman. the first one is with manga and the second is the black suman.

suman with manga is served with a slender shaped rice cake wrapped in banana leaf and a slice of ripe mango. the suman is well cooked, has a tinge of sweet taste and perfectly blend with the mango.

on the other hand, the black suman is served with black sticky rice, drizzled withcoconutsauce and topped with adobong casoy. this suman is sweet and full of texture coming from the casoy and the black rice. black suman has a mixture of sweet and salty taste.

aside from their all natural and delectable dishes, crescent moon cafe also provide great service to their guests. the staff, chef and the owners of the cafe always make sure that each guest is served well. every now and then, they check each table and to check the needs of their guest.

the serving portion was good, the tom kha is like a creamycoconutsinigang, worth a try! the rice meals tasted good. we had the pork knuckles which is like the hong ma in chinese restaurants, and also the adobo.

in a secluded place in antipolo is a beautiful and homey restaurant that offers unique food. since we have been watching what we eat, we searched for a place that offers healthy food, and found crescent moon cafe.

it is a bit of a challenge finding the place especially if you are not familiar with the area. upon entering the very narrow street keep your sight to the right as the signage isn't noticeable.

during weekends, crescent moon cafe offers buffet lunch but reservation is required as it gets packed. they offer ala carte after 2pm and i hear food is great. they operate from wednesday to sunday.

we were seated in a cabana outside with get a view of the greens and koi pond. there was a few on the buffet spread but everything was delicious! there was korean braised beef short ribs, thai yellow curry chicken, steamed fish with wansuy, gado gado, and their famous alagao appetizer. i was hoping they had the pumpkin soup withcoconutmeat, as i have heard good reviews about it. maybe next time...

alagao leaf is said to have herbal properties, which is a good thing. this is served with different fillings and how this is done is you choose what you want to put (basil, dried shrimps, dried coconut, ginger, onion, chili, green mangoes), and top with their special sweet peanut sauce. roll it like you would a lumpia, and enjoy! the leaf has a hairy texture which did not really bother me because it was just the best! i think i had 4! gado gado is another one i really liked which is vegetable salad with hard-boiled egg served with peanut sauce dressing which was as equally delicious!

apart from the great food and perfect homey ambiance, staff were very pleasant and attentive to our needs. one challenge we had staying in the cabana is the presence of so many flies! the staff however provided us with candles and electric fan to keep flies away. there was also a bug spray on the table to make sure guests are protected from mosquitos. this i feel is a must and have only seen in crescent moon cafe.

the owners were very hands on as they attended to us a couple of times. they even served us our dessert which we were told is their best seller...black suman incoconutcream! after having tried it, not surprised why people go nuts over it. oh and yes...it has bits of adobong kasuy on top which makes it even more interesting. perfect combination of sweetness from thecoconutmilk and saltiness from the nuts. they sell suman itim for take out as well.

crescent moon cafe also sells hand made ceramics for p200 per kilo. there is a small area just behind the restaurant where they sell these. though overuns, these are still beautiful pieces. we were told they supply ceramic plates in some of the famous japanese restaurants and spas in metro manila. they also offer pottery classes which i think i want to try!

the best part of this experience was enjoying a delicious guilt- free lunch buffet in a place that's close to nature and with very friendly staff. very positive crescent moon cafe experiene for us. 👍

we came unknowing it was by reservations except for the few items in the menu. this review is so limited to what i had --coffee and suman with mangoes. but mind you , i was blown away by the homemade suman. i savored the strong coconutmilk taste of this sticky rice. eating it with the sweet mangoes was heavenly. . luckily., we could buy suman for take out but minus the mangoes . moreover , i am in loved with pottery , so having these available in their retail area spells happiness!!!!!!