the facts of luna

1. Luna Ristorante Italiano is one of the best restaurants in Camiguin.

2. There are only a few "real" restaurants in Camiguin, so chances are you will end up at Luna anyway.

3. The flavors of their version of Inslata Caprese are alright, even though the mozzarella is the low-moisture kind, not the semi-soft fresh type. I'm always happy to see our sweet and plump native tomatoes used in salads, instead of the bland imported or greenhouse varieties. And the extra virgin olive oil is green and fruity-- obviously high quality.

Luna's Insalata Caprese, 4.25/5

4. The Spaghetti Bolognese is tasty, but a bit too sweet and wet to be served in an authentic Italian resto. The technique and ingredients are there, but I think that the chef compromised a little too much to appeal to the Pinoy palate.

Spaghetti Bolognese, 4/5

5. Luna has a good selection of pizza flavors. The "Luna" has tomato, mozzarella, salami, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion rings and ham, and is big enough to feed three or four moderately hungry people. The toppings are very generous, but it's the crust that makes this pizza a contender: Crispy around the edges and bottom, chewy in the middle and pleasantly smoky from the brick oven.

Pizza Luna, 4.5/5

6. The excellent tiramisu is a delightful surprise. You can really taste the bittersweet cocoa, aromatic coffee and... could it be real mascarpone, or a brilliant substitute? Whatever's in it, this dessert is definitely worth going to Luna for. And the serving size is more than adequate to satisfy two people's sweet tooth (or teeth).

Tiramisu, 4.5/5

7. Service is earnest and friendly, but a little spotty. I actually asked for the Spaghetti Putanesa but got the Bolognese instead, even though our server repeated our orders. Good thing I'm not a vegetarian.

8. The place itself is very simple and homey. It reminds me of the restaurants that used to be common on Boracay's White Beach back in the day, before all the fancy-shmancy "improvements" such as matching tableware, modern furniture and uniformed staff came along.

9. Luna is not cheap. Our meal for two cost 1,000 pesos which is relatively expensive for that part of the country. But to be fair, the servings are pretty big and the chef/owner really makes an effort to use the best quality ingredients that are available.

10. When in Camiguin, eat at Luna's Risorante Italiano.

Note: Camiguin is both an island and a province. So sometimes I use "on" and other times "in". Not that anyone cares.