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 pumpkin coconut soup. the soup is creamy with a tinge of sweetness coming from the pumpkin. it has bits of coconut meat 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 isservedwith 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 isservedwith black sticky rice, drizzled with coconut sauce 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 isservedwell. every now and then, they check each table and to check the needs of their guest.

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 firstservedwith 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 the place was not accessible and quite hidden. nevertheless, the ambiance of the place was rejuvenating and ecstatic. ❤️ we will definitely go back to this place.

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 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 isservedwith 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 eggservedwith 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 evenservedus 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 a place that'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.

the place is 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. this place is 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 evenservedus 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 my place but 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.

the place feels 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 big place (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.

theyserved3 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, theyservedbeef 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, theyservedsuman 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 good place to relax and eat a lot without feeling guilty. you, with your family or friends, will definitely enjoy the good food and good company.