It's 'halo-halo' season!

Just a few days ago, the onset of summer 2014 was officially declared by the government weather bureau. But even if you hadn't heard it in the news, you knew it by the feel of the scorching heat at daytime. Indeed, it's that time of the year when Pinoys crave for the ultimate summer treat - "halo-halo". This cool dessert/snack is a medley of various sweetened ingredients, usually "saba" (cardava banana), chunks of sweet potato, beans and gelatin. A teaspoon or two of  sugar is added, and then shaved ice, and topped with sweetened langka (jackfruit) and a slice of leche flan. A generous amount of evaporated milk is then poured over everything. In many restaurants, a scoop of ice cream will crown your halo-halo, oftentimes in ube (purple yam) flavor. 
At summertime, stalls selling halo-halo are a familiar sight on the streets, both in  cities and in the countryside. They proliferate, seen in almost every corner.

Halo-halo is also part of many restaurants' menu. But perhaps, the greater testimony to the deliciousness of this uniquely Filipino dessert is having been praised by CNN travel host Anthony Bourdain. In the second episode of his show last year, he got to eat halo-halo from a Jollibee store in Los Angeles, California (makes me wonder why Jollibee doesn't serve halo-halo here in the Philippines) and described it as "oddly beautiful".

Anyway, as summer's here, I thought about compiling pictures of halo-halo that I've had in different restaurants, from way back before I started blogging up to last weekend, to share 
with you. And here they are:

Chuan Kee (Ongpin, Binondo))

Cafe Via Mare (Landmark, Trinoma)

Max's Restaurant (Scout Tuazon, Quezon City)

The Mochi Halo-Halo at Karate Kid is one of those unique kinds that I know of. Because it has mochi, you know at once that this is Japanese inspired. You gotta try it. Delish!

Mochi Halo-Halo at Karate Kid (SM San Lazaro)

Panciteria Lido (UN Ave., Manila)

The Halo-Halo Ice Cream at Aling Banang (a carinderia that has about a dozen branches around the metro)  is one of a kind too because it has no shaved ice, only ice cream on top of the usual halo-halo ingredients.

Aling Banang's Halo-Halo Ice Cream (Visayas Ave., Quezon City)

Manong's Bagnet Station (Tomas Morato, QC)

Mang Inasal (Tandang Sora, QC)

Halo-halo in my hometown in Quezon Province

Whew! Lots of sweet icy goodness there! Too bad I wasn't able to take a picture of the one I had from Little Quiapo (an iconic restaurant, being one of the Top 10 oldest in the country). Anyway, I've decided on the best halo-halo I've ever had. We'll, it's a no-brainer: Razon's! Never mind that it only has three 'halo' or ingredients - macapuno, sweetened saba and leche flan. Its flavor just outshines the others because of its uber creaminess. It has finely shaved ice, thus it's very smooth, almost like ice cream! Very yummy!

Razon's (Robinson's Magnolia, QC)

So, why don't you cool down with a nice and lovely glass of halo-halo today? Enjoy summer!

Pure porcine pleasure

Last weekend, I, together with two kids, were able to try a new foodie place that opened just this month. You see, I'm such a sucker for anything crispy and have been craving for that Ilocos specialty called "bagnet" - pork deep-fried till the skin gets a nice crisp that one eats after dipping in vinegar (spicy, please!). Thus, when I learned that a restaurant whose specialty is bagnet had just opened up in Quezon City, I didn't waste much time and hauled 

ourselves off at once!

This new place said to offer ticket to porcine heaven is called Manong's Bagnet Station - a simple, unassuming restaurant which I found out, serves really mean bagnet - a haven indeed for pork lovers! All three dishes we ordered were made from bagnet and all of them were so good! Take a look at what two of my kids and I partook of for a late lunch:

Manong's Bagnet Rice Meal, P135.

Sinigang na Bagnet, P220.

You gotta eat this before the pieces of pork swim in the soup so you don't miss 
out on the crack.

Sisig ni Manang Rice Meal, P110.

Halo-Halo with 2 scoops of ice cream, P80.

Brewed Coffee, P50.

Iced tea, P35.

Mango Juice, P40.

Inside Manong's Bagnet Station.

My bagnet rice meal didn't disappoint. On the contrary, I was impressed! You should hear that crack whenever I would bite into the skin that was so crispy I was eating noisily! Haha! I also took spoonfuls of my kids' sinigang na bagnet and bagnet sisig. I'm not kidding you, both were really delicious as well. The next day, my daughter was still daydreaming about Manong's Bagnet Station, planning to order bagnet kare-kare next time. By the way, although this restaurant had just opened, it's not really a new kid on the block in the food business as it has been a weekend market favorite for quite some time. 

Manong's Bagnet Station is at 117A Scout Lozano corner Tomas Morato, just next (or behind) to Alba Restaurant in Quezon City.