Ask any Filipino what they would like to have for dessert and most of the time, they’ll easily quip: Halo-Halo!
A dessert that many Filipinos have grown together with and loved, the Halo-Halo has long been a staple dessert available from the streets of your kapitbahay who sells their own version for a living, to the high class restaurants that bring a gourmet styled halo-halo to the table.
The Halo-Halo will be one of the featured dishes on the buffet menu of the upcoming Filipino Food Festival happening this April 4-6 at the Rove Trade Centre Hotel in Dubai. Organized by the Philippine Consulate-General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and The Filipino Times, the festival will be featuring classic Filipino dishes with a modern twist at their lavish buffet for only Dh 79!
Here are some of the iconic Halo-Halo ingredients that most Filipinos love:
Bananas. Sliced bananas drenched in brown sugar form a syrupy goodness that adds on to the flavors of the halo-halo.
Gelatin. Its various colors add to the palatability of the halo-halo. It occasionally has flavors as well of melons, strawberries, and other fruity flavors to mix with the dessert.
Jackfruit strips. Popularly known as ‘langka’, small strips are added to the mix as another fruity flavor to each bite.
Tapioca. More known it its Tagalized version as ‘sago’, pieces of colorless tapioca add that juiciness with each scoop.
Macapuno. A must-have in each halo-halo dish, servings of young shredded, preserved sweet coconut strips add in to the overall sweetness of the halo-halo
Sweet Corn or Chick Peas. Or both! Sweet Corn and/or Chick Peas added to the halo-halo depends mostly on the person/restaurant serving the iconic dish.
Leche Flan. After putting the shaved ice and milk on the halo-halo, a slice of leche flan is then added to the top.
Ube. There’s a huge debate whether to add the actual Ube Halaya as per tradition or its more modern version – the Ube ice cream, but no worries – you can always add both!
Highlighting the Philippines’ rich culinary experience, the event coincides with the celebration of the Filipino Food Month this April, instituted by President Rodrigo Duterte through Presidential Proclamation no. 469 s. 2017.
Filipino Food Festival: All you need to know
What: Filipino Food Festival – a celebration of Philippine cuisine
Where: Rove Trade Centre Hotel, Dubai
When: April 4-6, 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Who: All Filipinos and expats are invited to attend. The festival is organized and spearheaded by The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and The Filipino Times, UAE’s biggest Filipino newspaper and the largest digital platform for Filipinos in the Region
Manila-based Chef Michelle Adrillana will be bringing signature Filipino dishes with some twists, along with a live cooking demo
Cost: Dh 79 for a complete Filipino buffet meal including soft beverages
