crescent moon cafe

if you are looking for a quiet, secludedplaceto have lunch with your family, you have to go to this gem of aplacehidden in the hills of antipolo aptly called crescent moon cafe.

tip: you have to get a reservation as theplacegets fully booked especially on a weekend.

me and my family went there today to celebrate mother's day. their menu : alagaw rolls for their starter, nilaga for their soup, and for the main course, they have grilled liempo, chicken curry, grilled salmon and red pasta and for their dessert, their famous suman and mango.

my verdict:
theplace- 4
the staff - 4
the food - 4

will definitely go back here.

i found thisplaceout of the recommendation from various blogs and it did not disappoint. the restaurant had limited seats yet theplaceis amazing. you are surrounded by crafts and arts which gives theplacea whimsical vibe. they have their pottery display which is also for sale.

the food was amazing. we ordered the following:
✔️alagao - is a game changer. at first, i was hesitant to take it because i am not fond of veggies but this is great! no wonder they are known for this.
✔️beef rendan - the meat is tender and the curry flavor is great. you can taste how creamy it is.
✔️ glass noodles - its quite spicy and its heavy
✔️ suman at tsokolate - one of their best selling suman. the best!
✔️ brewed coffee - they serve quality and amazing coffee! taste it as it is to get the best experience.

thisplaceis must when you visit rizal.

theplacehas good ambiance and relaxing vibes. food tastes good as well, and the staff is friendly and has a sense of urgency. will definitely go back and recommend this to our friends.

where healthy and tasty meets!.:) good food. ambiance is so-so. reservation is highly recommended. we went there for a date but theplacewas crowded with students. tables outside didn't offer that privacy too. prolly needs some house music for that coz you hear other guests convo loud and clear. ;)

niceplacewith trees and a pond but they don’t serve breakfast. we drove for an hour only to find out that they only serve buffet lunch. it was a little disappointing especially as it’s on top of the list of restos.

just want to share my valentines date in this resto. it was refreshing as well as unforgettable. we had a set menu and all of them surprised us in a good way. we were first served with their signature dish, alagao salad. it’s exotic and bursting with different flavours. the serving for each course was quite small but we didn’t regret the taste as all of them fully satisfied my tastebuds.
it’s just unfortunate that theplacewas not accessible and quite hidden. nevertheless, the ambiance of theplacewas rejuvenating and ecstatic. ❤️ we will definitely go back to this place.

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

it is a bit of a challenge finding theplaceespecially 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 with coconut meat, 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 in coconut cream! 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 the coconut milk 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 aplacethat's close to nature and with very friendly staff. very positive crescent moon cafe experiene for us. 👍

crescent moon cafe is a gem of a restaurant in antipolo. this is owned by lanelle abueva-fernando, a lady well known for her artistry in painting and ceramic pottery. she was actually there when i visited, she smiled and said hello while i was walking around the path beside the fish pond. a very congenial woman.

theplaceis so serene and peaceful. it has lots of trees, so it's pleasantly cool without the airconditioning. the main restaurant structure is wrapped with screens, so the breeze could come in minus the insects, however, we stayed at the cabana outside as we brought our dog with us. thisplaceis pet friendly. 🐶

on weekends they have buffets available for their patrons. we had pork, chicken, vegetable, and a fish dish with rice. they had a unique type of soup with hints of ginger (and i think cumin), the taste was unique but very pleasant. i had the fish, which seems like a tanguigue. and of course they have their signature alagao for appetizer. the alagao leaf has a slight hairy texture but has an extraordinary flavor. the restaurant serves this with onions, green mango, dried shrimp, (crushed nuts i think), ginger with a sweet black bean sauce etc. it's really good. they gave us suman with a slice of mango for dessert but we also tried the carrot cake, tablea chocolate cake, and the chocolate chip walnut cookie. loved everything, except for the bitterness of the tablea cake. their staff, though we only see one on the floor is very efficient and attentive. the owners even served us water. they're very hands on and down-to-earth. very admirable. this is my second time in this charming restaurant as it's a bit far from myplacebut it's always worth the visit. price per head is around php 600.00.

on a sidenote, you can also take a look around their pottery shop. they sell their ceramic items for php200 per kilo. this is a very interesting place. i'd definitely come back whenever i have the chance. 😊

we discovered this chill-out buffet at the top of antipolo through friends' recommendations. usually, mas pinupuntahan natin yung mga food places that we saw from an article, which are usually overhyped. but this one lets their customers be their advertisements which is a sign that they serve quality food. besides from getting a happy tummy, crescent moon cafe will take you out of the city with their laid back kind of interiors. they also sell adorable pottery that you may want to take a look at.

detailed review:

reservation basis sya and you have to reserve at least days before. i reserved through email and i liked how they responded fast. we booked the lunch buffet (12-2pm) that costs p550 per person, a usual mid range buffet price. it is very easy to get there, pero we still got lost. haha. we didn't search the address and the only thing we know is the name of the cafe. good thing na my mom had many friends na nakapunta na so we're able to get help from them.

theplacefeels exclusive and homy. parang it feels like one of those rustic-ranchy-probinysa-like restos na makikita mo sa tagaytay. having said that, ok sana kung ma update yung interiors. it feels old, but like pinaglipasan kind of old and not antique kind of old. the cafe is also a bigplace(relative to other food places in the metro) and has so much potential. incorporating more elements to add to their beautiful pond (which was lovely btw) will really enhance customer experience. it can also get a little bit hot (during lunch), especially when trying to roam around the place. but maybe it's just me since pawisin ako.

mabait ang mga servers. they were kind enough to take our pictures and were very polite to answer some of our questions. i really appreciate it and this kind of service is a big factor that will make me want to go back.

the food was great. they had 3 mains and another 3 sides. it might be a deal-breaker to some especially for those buffet lovers. but despite the small choices of food, the quality compensates the lack of variety.

the pumpkin soup (their staple starter), was a nice first impression. at first, akala ko it was just a plain pumpkin soup, but it actually has slices of buko inside. this is something i have never eaten before. the combination might sound odd to some but they jived really well.

another staple to their menu is their own version of spring roll, the alagaw salad. i'm not a veggie person and definitely not a fan of spring rolls, but the alagaw salad's genius! i love it! among all the things they offered, it's the most foreign (to me) and most 'innovative'. i don't want to describe how it tastes like because i want you to try it yourself. for a person that doesn't love eating vegetables, this is an a+ for me.

they served 3 mains and one cooked veggie meal. this selection varies from day to day, which is a good thing since you get to eat new dishes every time you visit. during our visit, they served beef in curry sauce, grilled salmon and sweet and spicy shrimp (not sure with the names). i both loved the beef and the salmon where they both had it's own twists where it doesn't taste like the usual ones (both tasted healthier). the shrimp was ok for me (i have very high standards for shrimps).

lastly, they served suman with mangga for dessert. i don't want to overhype this one, but this is probably the best tasting suman i ever had. i'm not a kakanin expert, but this one was really good. nag order pa kami for another 24 pieces to take home. the combination of the suman and the mangga was an experience! masarap talaga. di na kailangan lagyan ng asukal yung suman since it's sweet na on it's own. together with the alagaw salad, they were the king and the queen of the cafe.

end note
it would have been better if it were p100 cheaper. it would have been a really great deal. but still, i will still go back to this buffet cafe. it's a goodplaceto relax and eat a lot without feeling guilty. you, with your family or friends, will definitely enjoy the good food and good company.

theplaceis privy and interesting, because of their ponds, waterfall and their pottery corner. the interior is also appealing with a unique feel. the food was only average tasting and i unluckily wasn't able to finish the 'puso ng saging' and the leafy appetizer coz it was attacked by lots of little ants. grilled chicken was overcooked. anyways, it was a nice date adventure to try on a slightly rainy sunday.

if what you're looking for is a quaint, quiet and simpleplaceoutside the city to dine (and do a bit of dinnerware shopping), then crescent moon is it!

tucked away in the hilltops of antipolo, this gorgeous healthy buffet is a treat to those who are willing to go the distance.

the menu is ever-changing but the food the two times i've been there has been delicious! the mainstay is their alagaw rolls which is something i recommend trying whether it's your first or fourth time dining here and their mango suman for dessert. other items on the menu i've seen are: salmon steak, chicken curry, and red sauce pasta.

tip: reservation is required so text or call them ahead. also, if you're into ceramics they're the makers of some of yabu's, the spa's, and bag of bean's dinnerware, to name a few.

thisplaceis a gem. for the food, price, and the distance from manila, you won't find aplacequite like it. fresh air, good food, definitely worth the trip to antipolo.

they have a set menu that changes (you never know what you're going to get), which may not appeal to everyone but it adds to the charm of crescent moon. you can call in advance for any allergies and dietary restrictions. i recommend calling to reserve. it's aplaceto relax and spend the day. service is also relaxed, but if you made it there, who's in a rush anyway?

alagaw appetizer, curry and suman are must-tries!

when i was invited by my friend for a pottery class on valentine's day at crescent moon cafe, i didn't think twice. i've always wanted to go but never found anyone to go with til last valentine's.

the class was very enjoyable and therapeutic for me. we had a kid in our group so we were all inspired to use up all the clay we were individually given. also, theplaceis conducive for relaxation. and it's nice that the owner is the one who teaches the pottery class.

the food is something else. i loved how everything was 'lutong bahay' style and very healthy.

i like how they don't overcrowd the restaurant by refusing walk-ins. you can only go if you have reservations.

i can't wait to come back and pick up our works. :)