List of The Best and Most Delicious Halo-Halo in the Philippines

When it comes to Filipino Summer treats, we only have one tempting dessert in mind ~ Halo-halo! This popular refreshing dessert has become a trademark for Filipinos. Almost every part of the country has their own version of halo-halo. Typically, a glass of Halo-halo is composed of shaved ice, evaporated milk and a variety of ingredients (beans, jellies, banana, candied fruits and more). All the ingredients are mixed together, hence the name Halo-Halo which literally translates to Mix-mix.

This iconic Pinoy dessert has an interesting history too. It’s origin can be traced back to Prewar Japanese period. The Japanese traders first introduced the preserved beans ( mongo, garbanzos and kidney beans) served with thick syrup. This explains the similarity between our Halo-halo and its Japanese counterpart ~ Kakigori. Americans also play a huge part in the history of halo-halo. They are the one who introduced Ice in the country in 1800s and created the first ice plant in 1902.  From sweetened beans, the ingredients of Halo-halo eventually evolved and almost every region has created their own special version.

Listed below are some of the best Halo-halo in the country! Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Travel Trilogy
Halo-Halo De Iloko of La Union
Everyone who goes North should never miss the special Halo-halo of La Union. Halo Halo De Iloko is indeed a favorite spot by travelers and even by their locals. The Buko Halo Halo or Halo Halo in Coconut is special in many ways. It has all the standard Halo Halo ingredients such as beans, sago, nata de coco, coconut strips, corn flakes and more. It was topped with generous amount of Ube Halaya, Yema, Kamote and pinch amount of cheese. What really makes it more special is the polvoron-like mountain rice that you have to add on the mix. Not to mention the scenic view and inviting ambiance of the restaurant itself which is actually an ancestral house adorned with so many antiques. The price for their Halo halo will vary in terms of size and it ranges from Php99 to Php195

Razon’s Halo Halo of Guagua Pampanga
The melt-in-your-mouth finely shaved ice and the creamy and thick Leche Plan! I guess these are the qualities that made Razon’s Halo Halo a huge success. They may not be as colorful as the traditional halo halo and they may not have an overwhelming amount of ingredients to offer but this popular Halo halo that originated in Guagua Pampanga is surprisingly addictive. Started in the simple town of Guagua as a restaurant catering Halo-Halo and Palabok, Razon eventually grew into a major franchise and not to mention the other Razon branches owned by other generations of Razon family. The history is quite complicated but they all remained faithful to the original Halo Halo recipe which is only composed of three main ingredients, macapuno, saging and leche plan. The finely shaved ice also makes their halo halo a stand out! You can perfectly match this with their signature palabok too! The price of their Halo Halo ranges from Php85 to Php110.

Photo Credit : Choose Philippines
Kabigting’s Halo-Halo of Arayat, Pampanga
Another popular Halo halo in Pampanga is from the town of Arayat. They said that simplicity is beautiful! Well, Kabigting will prove you that it could be so damn delicious too! It started as a small carindera in Arayat owned by Boy Kabigting in 1974 and eventually grew into a large business and expanded to eight more branches in Pampanga. Like Razon’s Kabigting is also known for its simple set of ingredients. Humbly served in a disposable cup, Kabigting Halo halo is composed of three main ingredients including mashed beans, Pastillas made from Carabao’s milk and cream corn. The price ranges from Php75 to Php110.

Photo Credit : Tatiana Bautista
Milky Way Cafe’s Halo Halo of Makati
Dubbed as one of the best Halo halo in the metro! Established in 1950s in old San Miguel, MilkyWay managed to withstand the test of time and remain standing strong. Being a popular ice cream parlor, it is not really surprising that they also came up with a delicious halo halo which is now being patronized by many. Their signature Halo Halo is composed of an overwhelming amount of colorful ingredients like beans, gulaman, macapuno, langka, ube and many more. Topped with their home-made Ube Ice cream and sprinkled with crunchy pinipig. The price for their halo halo is Php175

Photo Credit: Wazz Up Pilipinas
Aling Consuelo’s Halo Halo of Tondo
Located at the heart of Tondo lies the special Halo Halo of Aling Consuelo. Serving since 1960, Aling Consuelo’s Halo Halo or also known as Halo Halo Sa Ugbo (Ugbo is the name of the street where the store is located) has been featured in many television shows like Rated K, Umagang Kay Ganda, Unang Hirit, Mutya ng Masa and even in Nat Geo. So what really makes this Halo Halo so special? Well, first of all, despite the popularity, Aling Consuelo’s Halo Halo remains cheap and affordable. A cup of her special halo halo is only worth Php30 yet you’ll get a chance to taste her signature recipe. The Halo Halo is topped with her home made Ube, Leche Plan and Macapuno. Price : Php30

Photo Credit : Aling Banangs
Aling Banang’s Halo Halo of San Juan City, Manila
Aling Banang’s Halo Halo started since 1930s. Urbana Santiago or more popularly known as Aling Banang started her Halo Halo Business in Agora Public market in San Juan City Manila. The Halo Halo was first served in empty milk cans. Today, they are still using the same recipe with minimal addition to make their signature Halo Halo better. They now have 13 branches in the Metro catering wide range of recipes. So what makes Aling Banang’s Halo halo so special? The Halo Halo which is served in a larger bowl is topped with an overwhelming and generous amount of Ube Ice cream (not just one but 3 scoops), Leche Plan and corn flakes and also great amount of grated cheese! Price : Php55

Digman’s Halo Halo of Cavite
In Cavite, there is only one famous place for Halo Halo  and it is definitely the Digman’s in Bacoor, Cavite. If Razon and Kabigting are known for their simplicity, Digman, on the other hand, is known for their overwhelming ingredients. They once had a series of food stalls in SM Supermalls describing their Halo Halo with “Sandosenang Sangkap”. They got over Twelve ingredients for their Halo-halo such as Gulaman, Saging Saba , Sweetened Beans, Ube Halaya, Garbanzos, Red beans, Leche Plan, Macapuno, Sago, Nata De Coco, Kaong, Pinipig and topped with homemade Ube Ice Cream. You can see all the ingredients being displayed in enormous amounts. The halo halo of Digman is best paired with their home made siopao. Price : Php65-Php75

Photo Credit : Ben’s Halo Halo
Ben’s Halo Halo of Laguna
The Definition of Halo Halo with a Twist is perfectly described by Ben’s Halo Halo of Laguna. We might have thought of many wonderful ingredients to add in our halo halo but who would have thought that this delicious summer treat can be paired with a spicy labuyo (chili)? What really makes Ben’s Halo halo a stand out is their ice. Instead of typical shaved ice, Ben’s Halo halo uses Gelato ice cream which makes it creamier and tasty. The ingredients simply include Banana, langka, ube, macapuno and leche plan. Their Spicy Winter Halo Halo is topped with a pair of siling haba giving it an extra kick. They also have another variant which is topped with a slice of salted egg. The Price per cup is Php50.

Photo Credit : Shoestring Diary
Aling Taleng’s Halo Halo of Pagsanjan, Laguna
Serving since 1933, Aling Taleng’s Halo Halo has become one of the most popular Halo Halo destination in Laguna. Ms Editha Dela Fuente or better known as Aling Taleng established the famous restaurant in 1933 making it one of the oldest establishments in Laguna. People are patronizing their great menu but their signature Halo Halo is what captures their heart. The Halo halo is composed of seven ingredients including mongo, white beans, kaong, ube halaya, macapuno and tubo ng niyog. What really makes it so special is the topping. instead of Leche plan, ice cream or langka, the Halo Halo of Aling Taleng is topped with candied Kundol (Wax fruit). The Price is Php50

Photo Credit : ABS-CBN
Kuya J’s Halo Halo
Of course, we should not disregard the signature halo halo of different popular fast food in the country. First on our list is a new contender, the creamy halo halo of Kuya J’s! Kuya J or formerly known in Cebu as Kan-Anan ni Kuya J started out as a carinderia until it was acquired by a Cebu Based entrepreneur and turned it into a restaurant expanding to many different branches all over the country. You can spot a branch in almost any big malls like SM, Ayala and Robinsons. Kuya J offers a lot of wonderful recipe to indulge and you should definitely not miss their signature Halo Halo.  Notable for its milky and creamy ice, generous amount of ingredients, thick and smooth leche plan and a lot more colorful ingredients. The Price is Php99

Chowking’s Halo Halo
It’s hard to imagine this list without including the famous halo halo of Chowking. The Supersangkap Halo halo of Chowking is made from an overwhelming amount of ingredients that you can typically found in a standard halo halo including the sago, gulaman (pandan jelly), banana, macapuno, red beans and more. It is topped with leche plan and a scoop of Ube ice cream and sprinkled with crunchy pinipig. Honestly it is not that different from Digman’s yet Chowking made their Halo halo affordable to everyone even outside Cavite. They also have a Milky White Halo Halo which is more like a Chowking’s version of Razons. Price is from Php80 to Php110

Mang Inasal’s Halo Halo
Another popular fast food chain in the country that offers an equally delicious Halo halo is Mang Inasal. It is probably the closest competitor of Chowking but what really makes Mang Inasal distinctive from its competitors? The Halo Halo of Mang Inasal is composed of typical Halo halo ingredients like sweet beans, green jelly, chewy sago, macapuno, langka, red beans,  banana and the rich and custardy leche plan. What really makes their halo halo special is the milk that is specially made for Mang Inasal which according to them is more like a mixture between evaporated milk and condensed milk. Oh and it is topped with a sweet wafer stick too! Price is from Php53 to Php73

Photo Credit: Melton’s Halo Halo
Melton’s Halo Halo of Cebu
Not that I’m biased simply because I have my name on it haha. Melton’s Halo Halo of Cebu is indeed one of the favorite summer spots in Labangon, Cebu City. It was featured already in numerous shows including the Asian Food Channel and is a Best of Cebu awardee in 2014 and was named as Best Halo Halo by Sun Star in 2015. This Halo halo will not gain any recognition for no reason. It has all the typical Halo halo ingredients including beans, Coconut strips, sago, gulaman, langka, cornflakes, red banana and ice cream on top. It is also praised for its finely shaved ice and creamy milk. Price is at Php50 to Php60

Photo Credit : Booming Bacolod
Dana Buko Cocktail of Bacolod
Nothing can be more exciting than eating your refreshing halo halo in a fresh coconut shell! Dana Buko Cocktail is a business that caters everything related to buko (coconut). Among all the dessert options they offer, the Buko Halo Halo truly stands out. The freshly chopped coconut is filled with an overwhelming amount of ingredients including sweet beans, banana, coconut shavings, macapuno, ube and more. It is topped with a large scoop of ube ice cream and sprinkled with crushed cornflakes. Price is from Php59 to Php69.

Photo Credit : I Love Davao
Aling Foping’s Halo halo of Davao
Established in 2003, Aling Foping’s Halo Halo eventually grew into a bigger business expanding to various stalls and kiosks all over Davao. One thing that makes Aling Foping’s halo halo special is the fact that you can select your own ingredients for your halo halo. You can pick 6 among the tons of ingredients offered or better yet have them all for Php150. Aside from the unique concept of customizing your own halo halo, Aling Foping is best known for its Durian. You can either have a Durian ice cream on top or taste that delightful Durian jam on the mix. A nice twist indeed! The Price is Php100 to Php150

All About Esperanza Sultan Kudarat
Esperanza’s Halo Halo of Sultan Kudarat
Last but certainly not the least. Esperanza is not a business name but a town in Sultan Kudarat which is known for not just one but more than 30 halo halo stalls. You can spot most of these halo halo stalls near the public market. The ingredients for their halo halo is mostly composed with shaved ice, evaporated milk, boiled sweet beans, banana, dried and fresh fruits, ube jam, leche flan and other ingredients. In fact, the province of Sultan Kudarat is so proud of their Halo Halo that they recently launched their first ever Halo Halo Festival establishing Esperanza as the Halo halo Capital of Sultan Kudarat.

Which of these halo halo is your favorite?