Moon Rabbit Cafe Restaurant in San Juan

The Story of the Moon Rabbit

The moon has always piqued people’s curiosity. The early Asians were no different as evidenced in the old stories. According to ancient Chinese folklore, there is a moon rabbit living on the moon with the moon goddess, Chang’e. The moon rabbit creates elixirs of life for its immortal companion and it is this story that drew the inspiration for the name of the Moon Rabbit Café Restaurant.

Ambiance

Located in the heart of San Juan’s residential area, Moon Rabbit Café Restaurant was originally a house. Its inside has since been converted into a commercial space. I felt like I was coming home for a family reunion when we arrived at the lot. The interiors were spacious yet homey with its high ceilings and sprawling hardwood floors. Private functions are also available for reservations too. My friends were already talking about celebrating birthdays or holding special events there. Their parking lot is spacious enough for all of its visitors so there’s space for everyone.

The Food

Moon Rabbit specializes in homemade Chinese comfort food. These are recipes shared selflessly by the family’s own grandma. And truly, each of the dishes were simple but prepared with a special amount of care in its porcelain plates.

As an appetizer, we started with a spicy bang with Chili Garlic Wanton (160), which I liked because of the mix of flavors. The soft and thick Chilled Tofu (P175) was served with a side of century egg.

Both the Yang Chow Chinese Chorizo (P180) and Scallop Fried Rice (P180) were really good and tasty. I preferred the yang chow more though.  It went well with the Orange Spareribs (P280) and the White Chicken (P310), which was similar to Hainanese as it was topped with ginger dressing.

 

The Crispy Pork Knuckles (P280) was sprinkled with pork floss and reminded me of mini crispy patas, it would be better if it was crispier but it was okay.

My favorite was the Salted Egg Shrimp (P340), which was deep fried shrimp in salted egg batter infused with curry leaves.

The Sweet and Sour Lapu-Lapu (P280) was fresh with the mangoes and soy sauce combining the contrasting flavors smoothly.

I thought that the Chicken Claypot Rice (P260) was also a good deal, because it had meat, veggies, and rice in one pot already.

For dessert, we had the cute snow-white Moon Rabbit Panna Cotta (P175), which had strawberry puree inside. It was kind of too cute too eat, but delicious and rewarding in the end.

We also had Grass Jelly with Red Bean (P95) that was drizzled with creamy milk on top.

The Drinks

The drinks also deserve a special mention. We tried all their signature specialties.

For beginners or light drinkers, I recommend the Pick Me Up (P345), which consists of espresso, baileys and malibu. Or you can even try the Sandy Cheeks (P345), which is made with rum, malibu, lemon juice and rosemary.

The Yosimitsu (P345), Japanese whiskey like negroni mixed with islay, campari and sweet vermouth, is a classic choice for those seeking a stronger flavor. Personally, the Yosimitsu is my drink of choice.

The Price

Considering everything that we ate—and it was a lot! I was amazed that we were able to order a lot of dishes at a reasonable price. Their meals were affordable and ranged from P150-P300. Most restaurants nowadays offer food within this range, so it was a good thing that Moon Rabbit also worked within this price range. It’s ideal for groups of friends and even big families craving for some homecooked Chinese cuisine.

Buy 1 Take 1 Promo

Right now, Moon Rabbit Café Restaurant offers a special promo to its diners. You can Buy 1 cocktail and Get 1 cocktail free all day when the full moon rises. Take advantage of this opportunity because their drinks are really good and will be the perfect night cap.

Moon Rabbit Café Restaurant is best for groups of friends or families who want a laid-back atmosphere but good and filling Chinese cuisine. The location will be agreeable to most as it’s right smack in the middle of North and South.

Visit Moon Rabbit Cafe Restaurant at 2 Ledesma Corner F. Benitez Street, San Juan City. They’re open daily 11AM-10PM. For reservations, call 02 85294706.