The heat in the Philippines lately has been intense! With the combination of El Niño and peak dry season, it's no wonder people are feeling drained.
The irritation feeling under the scorching sun isn't just in your head. Heat can mess with our mood and patience levels.
Under the scorching sun, when sweat trickles down your back, and everything feels heavy, suddenly thinking of an ice-cold dessert or your favorite childhood snack feels like a mini-vacation. It could be a chilled halo-halo, a bite of sweet pastillas, or even a cold Coke with ice—just the thought of it cools you down and brings this warm, happy nostalgia.
My and my friends, half-melting under the brutal summer sun, suddenly all light up at the mention of halo-halo. It's not just about the cold dessert—the shared memory, the laugh, the imagined relief of that first icy spoonful hitting our tongue. We all forget the heat, lost in the thought of crushed ice, sweet beans, leche flan, and purple ube melting together for a moment.
Halo-halo is a popular Filipino cold dessert that means "mix-mix" in Tagalog. It's a colorful and refreshing treat that combines various sweet ingredients, crushed ice, and evaporated milk, then topped with goodies like leche flan (caramel custard), ube halaya (purple yam jam), and sometimes even ice cream.
Common Halo-Halo Ingredients:
Sweetened saba bananas
Sweetened red and green mung beans
Macapuno (coconut sport)
Nata de coco (coconut jelly)
Jackfruit strips
Ube halaya
Leche flan
Crushed ice
Evaporated or condensed milk
Ube ice cream (optional but popular)
You mix everything before eating—hence the name "halo-halo." It's especially popular during the hot summer months in the Philippines, and you'll find it served in restaurants, fast food chains, or street stalls.
It's magical but straightforward—a moment of joy from shared heat and hunger.
So we ate Halo-Halo in Bon's Restaurant and Take-Out in Iba, Zambales.
Bons Restaurant in Iba, Zambales, is a well-regarded dining spot known for its authentic Filipino cuisine and warm hospitality. Among its offerings, the halo-halo stands out as a must-try dessert, especially popular during the hot summer months.
Halo-Halo at Bons Restaurant
While specific details about the halo-halo at Bons are limited, it's recognized as one of their signature desserts. Given the restaurant's emphasis on traditional Filipino dishes, it's likely that their halo-halo features the classic mix of shaved ice, sweetened fruits, jellies, leche flan, and ube, topped with evaporated milk, and possibly a scoop of ice cream. This dessert is a favorite among locals and visitors, offering a refreshing treat to cap off a hearty meal.
That satisfaction is pure bliss. Imagine it: the sun's blazing, your skin's sticky, and everything feels too hot to handle—then we take that first cold, crunchy spoonful of halo-halo. The crushed ice melts on our tongue, the sweetness of the leche flan, ube, and condensed milk hits just right, and for a moment, the heat disappears. It's like relief and happiness mixed into one cup. Every bite feels like a small victory against the sun.
