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The Crescent Moon Caf: A Touching Remembrance

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The Crescent Moon Caf: A Touching Remembrance

by Cityzen | Lyn Cacha posted on Monday, October 11, 2010

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As a writer, its always my goal to find the story behind an event, and this

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case, uncover the story behind good food. Everyone loves a story. I may praise how perfectly crisp the pastry melted in my mouth, but without a story, it will end up like just another food feature. Well, this aint just a food feature. Let me tell you a story --- more than 14 years ago, there lived a lovely couple in Antipolo. The wife is a potter while the husband is a successful lawyer whos also a fine cook. The couple lived in a haven full of trees and flowing ponds, and because of its beauty, they decided to put up an open-air restaurant. With the little money they had and with the help of their relatives, they put up a modest restaurant in harmony

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After lunch, dont scamper off. Try exploring the garden. The days and weeks rolled by and the husband would cook in between his legal profession. The wife meanwhile continued to make lovely pottery which were distributed to major hotels in Manila. One day, the inevitable happened. The husband fell seriously ill and had to stay at home. The wife continued her craft as a potter, while tending to her husbands needs. They hired a midwife to help the husband with his dialysis treatments and assist him in his cooking. Despite continuous medical treatments, the husbands condition worsened and eventually, he died, leaving the restaurant to his wife and daughters. That was more than 14 years ago... The restaurant continues to live on as a remembrance of a dearly departed. The midwife, Ms. Rose Bacayo, is now the resident cook. She picked up the late husbands cooking style. The wife is Lanelle Abueva-Fernando, the niece of National Artist for Sculpture, Napoleon Abueva, and daughter of former University of the Philippines President Jose Abueva.

Large 12-year old Koi fishes greet customers

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Crescent Moon Caf also sells unique pottery and offers pottery lessons This is the story of The Crescent Moon Cafe, a culinary gem of Antipolo and the first in the Philippines to combine pottery and food under one roof. They started this format way before Ugu Bigyan in Tiaong, Quezon. Furthermore, unlike most commercialized food establishments, this ones built with familial love. The garden restaurant follows a non-set menu --- just like home, youll find out whats cooking once it has been served on your table. You can have a dining experience here for P350/person during weekdays, and P500/person during weekends. It mainly accepts reservations and in some cases, accepts walk-ins. Every day, theres always something new being offered. The restaurant sources its food supply from four major markets near the area. The food is guaranteed fresh because it is cooked on the spot.

Screen walls separate you from the restaurants garden

Some of the pottery being sold in the garden restaurant

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Artwork can be found in every nook and cranny of this place Our host Ms. Lanelle has been a very pleasant lunch companion. We shared food together as she introduces every dish being served on the table. Crescent Moon Caf is popularly known for its alagaw (fragrant premna) appetizer, a lot of food bloggers find this appetizer peculiar. The leaves serve as wrapper wherein you can put in all 8 ingredients (cooked coconut gratings, diced green mango, sliced green chili, dried shrimps, and etc.) and top it off with this sweet sauce made mainly of panutsa (coco honey).

Make your own appetizer with a carousel of fresh ingredients

The alagaw leaf looks like a heart with confetti topped on it. After appetizer, we had warm bowls of pumpkin soup enlivened with coconut meat. The delicious and cream-like soup is wonderfully comforting. I relish every spoonful that I realize I almost forgot to take a proper photo of the soup! I guarantee, its something your kids will love.

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The pumpkin soups halfway state is already a testament of its deliciousness. For our main meal we had a plate of steaming rice teamed with sweet and sour pork, and squid on mango coconut sauce. For veggies, we had a plate of braised water spinach with tofu. We also had creamy carbonara. The sweet and sour pork is delicious; it was the kind of dish youd want to use your hands with as you separate the flesh from the bone. The squid on mango coconut cream is savory. It was my first time to try squid dish cooked this way -- most of the time its adobo. The sauce is creamy and sweet and I could almost lick the plate dry.

The squid dishs colors remind me of pizza.

Topped with sesame seeds, the braised water spinach with tofu is so savory.

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Fresh pineapples make this sweet and sour pork yummy. The braised water spinach with tofu is a favorite -- I am not a tofu lover but this kind of dish is going to convert me into one. The carbonara, meanwhile, is worth praising. Topped with breaded cream dory, the pasta is bathed with fresh basil leaves. The fresh fish was cooked perfectly, soft without the fishy smell. So deliciously fragrant, the dish made me actually consume the whole plate. For refreshments, we had some lemon grass tea which I find naturally refreshing. Unlike the ones that came in teabags, this one tastes so real. It had lemon slices in it but it wasnt too tangy to make your face scrunch up.

Gotta love this creamy carbonara Of course your trip to Antipolo will not be complete without Crescent Moon Cafs signature suman (boiled glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves) and ripe mango. The sweet suman is paired with mango which was a bit sour. I think this helped neutralize the sumans sweetness. In case youve filled your tummy to the brim, you might want to try their hot brewed coffee. Thatll help with the digestion.

Coincidentally, the mangos sliced like a crescent moon

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Aid digestion with this warm brewed coffee with milk Overall, I had a wonderful dining experience at Crescent Moon Caf. In this garden of a restaurant, time stood still. This is something not commonly experienced in a fast food joint that pushes you to eat quickly and leave for the next customer. In here, I was able to savor a full meal with my family and friends. Definitely a must try!

--Map to Crescent Moon Caf:

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Establishment Info
The Crescent Moon Cafe

Cuisine Specialties

Filipino Chicken Curry, Labong Vegetable Dish, Fish Fillet with Sweet Chili Sauce and Suman with Mango

Budget

P200 - P499

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