Slow days and sweltering heat—this is summer at its peak where we’re at. We’re not one to complain, though, because this means having something refreshing to help us cool down. Case in point: A glass of halo-halo—a classic summer cooler like no other. Proudly Pinoy and a universal favorite.
The summertime pick-me-upper traditionally layers shaved ice and condensed milk on top of sweet red beans, but variations are aplenty—with many homegrown restaurants offering their take on the dessert for an end result that packs in a lot of contrasting textures and flavors.
In celebration of National Halo-Halo Day, we’ve rounded up top-tier spots where you can savor this perennial summer staple this halo-halo season and beyond.
Chowking
You don’t have to search far and wide for one of the best halo-halo in town when you can easily have one at Chowking.
Enjoy their Halo-Halo Supreme (small) at a buy-2, get-1 deal for only P140 via the SM Malls Online app. Their signature version offers a fully loaded medley of Sangkap—luscious leche flan, rich ube halaya, bouncy red sago, sweet pandan ube, and thick ube ice cream that will have you savor textures from chewy to crunchy, creamy to sticky.
Download the SM Malls Online app to score this exclusive deal. Just register an account and redeem by swiping your coupon in-store, where a designated personnel will then validate and confirm your successful coupon redemption.
Mang Inasal
A perfect finish to Mang Inasal’s crowd-favorite grilled chicken and barbecue is their Extra Creamy Halo-Halo starting only at P39.
Extra creamy and milky, the sweet concoction is made with an assortment of toppings (red sago, buko pandan jelly, langka, ube halaya, yellow beans, red mung beans, leche flan, macapuno, slices of saging na saba, and ube ice cream) on a bed of milky shaved ice.
Kuya J Restaurant
Upgrade your halo-halo experience with Kuya J’s festive summer fix: their Halo-Halo Espesyal flavors in Cheesy Ube and Creamy Coco Brown Sugar—for only P100 each.
Cheesy Ube is their sweet-salty combo of milky-smooth ube cream infused with saba slices, nata de coco, langka, and crunchy cornflakes topped with homemade leche flan and cheese.
The Creamy Coco Brown Sugar, on the other hand, has all the standard halo-halo ingredients of Cheesy Ube (except for the cornflakes) but mixed with Kuya J’s signature coconut ice mix and brown sugar blend, giving it a milkshake-like consistency.
Razon’s of Guagua
If you haven’t tasted Razon’s of Guagua’s halo-halo, you’re definitely missing out. Also, why?
Apart from their sought-after pancit luglug, Razon’s is synonymous with the almighty classic halo-halo, whose simplicity is beloved by many. A glass is made with only saba, macapuno, and leche flan mingling in finely-shaved crushed ice that melts on your tongue. The “less is more” manifesto is evident in each creamy serving.
Whatever halo-halo you choose, make sure to use a long-handled spoon to reach everything. Mix and swirl accordingly, so that by the end, once things are mostly melted, you can practically drink it to your heart’s content.
For more summertime coolers at great discounts and exclusive offers, don’t forget to check out SM Deals on the daily or download the SM Malls Online app, available on Google Play and the App Store.
