Johnny Moon Cafe

On our night in Laoag, we strolled along the Capitol. The city was celebrating the Pamulinawen Festival so the Capitol was buzzing with activities. That night, there was a concert and fireworks display at Aurora Park.


We walked from our hotel and went to La Tabacalera where there were some places to dine in.

I have read several reviews about Johnny Moon Cafe. Earlier reviews praised the place, saying the fusion of Ilokano food with other cuisines was great and innovative. But, recent reviews said since the restaurant was now under new management, the quality of food and service was not the same.

That night, Johnny Moon Cafe had no customers but its neighbor, Gerry's Grill, was full house! Hubby wanted to give Johnny Moon Cafe a try.

The interiors of the restaurant was beautiful. Large artworks covered the blue-green walls. There were images of Ilocano painter Juan Luna, thus, the name Johnny Moon. :)

We ordered a seafood soup, Laureana Pasta Verde and Johnny Moon Paella. As we were waiting for our order, the waitress gave us black hats and mustaches as props reminiscent of Juan Luna.

The seafood soup contained squid rings, mussels, fish fillet, and shrimps. It has a simple broth which I liked.

The Laureana Pasta Verde used malunggay leaves in its pesto. There were bits and slices of dried fish in the pasta. I loved the saltiness of this dish.

Johnny Moon Cafe Paella used red rice and had similar ingredients as the seafood stew with the addition of bagnet and chicharon. I was hoping for paella but what we had was just a big bowl of rice with a myriad of toppings. The bagnet was tough to chew. 

We finished our big dinner and still no other customer came in to the restaurant. I was saddened by this, but what can we do if people didn't like to dine here? 

Based on our experience, the food at Johnny Moon Cafe was just so-so. With their fusion dishes, we were expecting a party of flavors in our mouths. I liked the pasta dish among the three. Hubby didn't like any. He said the shrimp and mussels were not fresh. 

However, the saving grace was the service. The waitress was kind and eager to serve (maybe because we were the only ones there?).

Hopefully Johnny Moon Cafe would revamp their recipes and cut down their menu items to a few delicious ones. Why offer a long list of menu items if no one would order them?

My rating:
Cost: ***
Value for Money: **
Service: *****
Food: **
Health: ***
Ambiance: ***
Location: *****
Restroom: N/A

Johnny Moon Cafe
Gen Luna St. Cor. Balintawak St., Brgy. 9, Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte
Phone: 0920-909-1235