Moon Rabbit

It was what can be dubbed as Chinese-gastronomic-adventure-Thursday as I found myself gorging on traditional Chinese food at a 51 year old legendary Chinese Restaurant in Quezon City followed by  a second lunch for the day in  less-than-a-year-old Moon Rabbit Cafe  in a sprawling compound in San Juan...

We started dinner with the appetizing Black Pepper Beef (PhP 320). It’s something that might not pop out to you at first when you see it on the menu, but you need to get it! It ended up as one of our favorite food at Moon Rabbit. Filled with peppery goodness and really tasty, it’s made with black pepper sauce and onions. Eating rice with it is a must. 🙂

Their Crispy Squid (PhP 280) was one big exclamation mark. The tiny pieces of squid were super crispy and flavorsome, especially with the accompanying sweet black vinegar sauce. It’s a totally safe option, and one that’ll ease you into a meal here.

Ama’s Homemade Meatballs (PhP 220) indeed tasted like “homemade” with the same familiar taste of my mom’s or grandmother’s cooking. Tender and moist, these savory meatballs can be addictive. They’re great alone but for a little oomph, tangy ketchup helps welcome a bright finish.

Cooked in a clay pot to tender crusty perfection, Duck Claypot Rice (PhP 260) looked like a glorious mess. The duck breast was aromatic and meaty, the Chinese chorizo was yummy, and greens provided a nice crunch.

Definitely a crowd-pleaser, Moon Rabbit’s Singaporean Noodles (PhP 320) were a fab affair, with a combination of spicy and savory. We’re so glad that the serving portion was enough for all of us six people. Made up of curry noodles, asado, bell peppers, and seafood, the noodles were far from bland or dry and the ingredients were generous.

Scallop Fried Rice (PhP 180) was another dish that didn’t scrimp on ingredients and flavor. It was immensely comforting and pretty filling, bringing fried rice to another level.

The Orange Spare Ribs (PhP 280) was interesting since it’s not often that you come across pork spareribs cooked with orange sauce. The taste of orange though was tad overwhelming so make sure to pair rice with it. The spareribs remained juicy and tender. We thought it’s worth a try!

For desserts, both the Moon Rabbit Panna Cotta (PhP 175) and the Grass Jelly with Red Bean (PhP 95) were enjoyable. Made in the shape of a rabbit, their panna cotta was on point. It was frozen and the texture was quite hard then the vanilla cream melts in your mouth. Inside, we were surprised to see a crimson-colored strawberry purée with just enough sweetness to suit our liking. The inherent sweetness of the red beans was beautifully conveyed. Augmented by the pleasantly chewy grass jelly, this light dessert was creamy and satisfying. It’s the type that fills you up without weighing you down. 🙂

Nice Chinese restaurant with modern look and feel and tasty dishes at reasonable prices! We had the lovely Steamed Egg Custard with shrimp and mushroom. Followed by a tasty Black Pepper Beef and sumptuous Chicken Claypot Rice with chinese chorizo. Moon Rabbit Panna Cotta is a unique dessert!

If you want no-nonsense home-cooked Chinese food, this is the place to go! Best dishes for me are the Orange Spareribs, Lapu-Lapu fish with soy sauce, and the Duck Claypot rice. Also, don't forget to try the Rabbit Panna Cotta for dessert!! Will definitely come back to try more of their dishes. Lastly, interior is really well designed and clean.

Everything is great. The owner makes the food not only taste like home, but also the owner himself is very accommodating