Paper Moon Café: A dream in her luggage

On an ordinary afternoon in Glorietta, where the daily choreography of city life unfolds—shoppers passing briskly, coffee spoons tapping porcelain cups—Paper Moon Café feels like a quiet pause.

Inside, the mood softens.

Behind the glass display sit the café’s signature mille crepe cakes, their delicate layers visible like the pages of a pastry book. They are understated desserts, free from towering frosting or elaborate decoration. They do not demand attention—they invite it.

A fork slips in.

The layers yield gently: 20 paper-thin crepes stacked with cream and finished with a faint caramelized top. Each bite is soft, almost airy, dissolving into a quiet rhythm of crepe and cream.

It is the kind of dessert that makes people pause.

Perhaps that is why Paper Moon Café has, over the years, quietly become a staple for birthdays, tea parties, and intimate gatherings in Manila. Though priced higher than many neighborhood bakeshops, those familiar with fine desserts rarely question it.

Quality, after all, speaks in its own language.

A dream that began with a taste

For Joanne Quintas—fondly called Josa—the story began with a memory.

More than a decade ago, during a trip to Tokyo, she encountered a cake that would quietly reshape her future.

It looked simple.

But the taste—light, delicate, perfectly balanced—was unlike anything she had experienced.

She brought several cakes home to Manila, carefully packed in her luggage, eager to share them with friends and family.

What began as an enthusiastic gesture slowly became something more deliberate. Today, Quintas oversees 12 Paper Moon Café branches across the Philippines, ensuring each one remains faithful to that first encounter.

In many ways, the journey fulfills a dream she voiced at 18, shortly after being crowned a beauty queen. Asked what she hoped to become, she answered simply: she wanted to have her own restaurant.

Now, she runs several.

Yet she introduces herself with characteristic humor. Rather than CEO, she prefers “chief eating officer.” Before anything reaches the public, she tastes it herself.

Authenticity, she insists, is non-negotiable.

The woman behind the mille crepe

Long before Paper Moon arrived in Manila, its story had already begun in Japan.

At its center is Emy Wada, the artisan behind the now-iconic mille crepe cake.

Despite its French name, her creation is distinctly Japanese in spirit—precise, restrained, and quietly refined.

Where many crepe cakes elsewhere feature only a handful of layers, Wada’s version is a study in discipline: Twenty delicate crepes, each handmade, layered with light cream and finished with a thin caramelized crust.

Her journey began in the 1970s, when she honed her craft under the guidance of her Austrian mother-in-law. She later became a trusted supplier to some of Tokyo’s most respected cafés before opening her own boutique.

That venture would become Paper Moon Cake Boutique.

Her creations would eventually travel beyond Japan, appearing in prestigious establishments in New York City and helping popularize the mille crepe as one of the world’s most beloved modern cakes.

Recreating the original

When Paper Moon opened in Manila, the goal was not reinterpretation—it was fidelity.

Many ingredients are sourced directly from Japan to preserve the integrity of the original. Each crepe must be nearly translucent. Each layer must align with precision.

Chef Joanne Tan, formerly the café’s pastry chef, worked closely with the team to uphold these standards.

Behind the scenes, a dedicated group—including Carol Kison-Estacio and current general manager Ever Español—helped guide the brand’s steady growth.

The result is a café that retains its delicacy even as it expands.

More than just the mille crepe

While the mille crepe remains its signature, it is not the only reason to linger.

On one memorable afternoon, the standout was strawberry shortcake by Wada—fluffy chiffon layers filled with light cream and bright strawberries, finished with generous slices of fresh fruit.

It was, quite simply, irresistible.

The kind of dessert that makes one think, if only half in jest: take my money.

The café’s savory offerings are equally compelling. Fresh salads, hearty sandwiches, and warm quiches provide a welcome balance, making Paper Moon an easy place to settle into for lunch or an unhurried afternoon.

The lightness of success

If there is a secret to Paper Moon’s success in the Philippines, it may be the same quality that defines its cakes: Lightness.

Quintas carries it effortlessly. Despite her accomplishments—beauty queen titles, multiple restaurants, an expanding café chain—she remains approachable, even disarmingly so.

She laughs easily. She speaks warmly. And she prefers talking about cake layers over talking about herself.

More often than not, conversation returns to two things she clearly loves: her dog, Miso, and the café she brought home.

Which perhaps explains why Paper Moon feels less like a brand and more like something personal—something carefully carried, and gently shared.