Halo-halo, a heavenly filipino dessert; it consists of my favorite thing in the world, nata de coco which is coconut jelly. The flavors of the sweetened beans, fruits, evaporated milk, delicious purple yam (ube), and leche flan balance each other out. This shaved ice dish is perfect, especially for the blasting summer heat!

Some of you may be wondering, what is Halo-halo exactly made up of? Well the average Halo-halo sweet course consists of sugar plum fruit, coconut sport, saba plantains cooked in syrup, jackfruit, agar jellies, tapioca pearls, nata de coco, sweet potato, sweetened beans, pounded toasted young rice, shaved ice, and evaporated milk. Then it’s topped off with a combination of leche flan and mashed purple yam (ube); adding ice cream on top makes it special.

A major pro to this dish is that the toppings pair well with the evaporated milk. The sweetened beans are warm, so you feel a warm yet cool sensation at the same time. Halo-halo isn’t for everybody, but it’s certainly an amazing desert that can be eaten and enjoyed many times. Not all restaurants have the same recipe for Halo-halo and prepare it the same way, so you can experiment! 

Restaurants/fast-food places I recommend trying this desert at are Jollibee, Red Ribbon, Chowking, or Manila Kusina; these are not that far from the Mission Viejo area. Some other places are Manila Sunset, Goldilocks, Gerry’s Grill, and Pinoy-Pinay Filipino Fastfood. However, I must say that these eateries are further from Mission Viejo.

Though Halo-halo is most commonly eaten in the summertime, it can be eaten at any time of the year. It brings smiles to many faces and lives up to its reputation, you may check the reviews for your satisfaction. Hopefully this special desert brings joy to you, as it does for me!

-Hannah M.