Halo Halo Filipino Food: Feeding the Soul
- Danie
- Aug 6, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 6, 2019
It was all over town.
"A Filipino restaurant is opening up!"
"We should go!"
"Ah finally, for the times I can't cook at home."
After hearing about this place for a few weeks, I decided to finally drop by with my family. The smell of Filipino food wafted through the parking lot. Ah...felt like home again.
We went inside to see a line full of hungry El Pasoans, waiting for their next bite of a homemade meal.
To keep it short, the meal was out of this world. We had the adobo (pork marinated with soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic), lumpia (fried spring rolls), and pancit (rice noodles with an assortment of vegetables). A little side note- the adobo was possibly the best I've ever had. Everything tasted so filling and homey, it was like I was visiting my Tita's house for dinner.
I needed to blog about this STAT!
A few days later I got in contact the place and decided to head on down. Everyone was so welcoming, with stories to share and smiles all around. The owners of Halo Halo Filipino Food are Angelica, Cory, Mike, and Jimboy; they run the establishment alongside their family. Even their sixty-year old mother (affectionately known as "Mamita") taking charge of the kitchen alongside James! This restaurant is so intensely Filipino- with their family-centric style of management and the homemade, quality cuisine that they offer.
Their story on how this restaurant came to be resonates with hard-work, dedication, and perseverance. Cory and Mike even moved back from the Philippines to El Paso to work again and set up the restaurant. The entire family became involved to make this happen as well. The original idea was to have a "dessert-only" area, much like a cafe (hence the name "Halo-Halo") they decided to stick with the name and widen the range of the menu. The name "Halo-Halo" is synonymous with Filipino cuisne- it was a perfect name for the establishment.
The concept of serving the customers their food is much like an "al la carte," way of dining, pick and choose if you will. In the Philippines, we refer to this as "turo-turo," which is like the street food you find walking through stalls in the market places.
The most inspiring part of their story is that two of the owners, (Cory and Angelica) are full time nurses! But even at the end of their shift, they come back to the restaurant to lend a hand. To me, this was outstanding- it really displayed how dedicated they are to having their restaurant succeed.
The owners preceded to tell me about the growing popularity of Filipino food. The first two days of their restaurant were hectic. A line out the door, orders rushing left and right. As the weeks went on, they observed that many Filipinos from different parts of the country would stop by on the weekends just for their food. Their restaurant was bringing Filipinos together.
Their family's recipes were the highlight of this restaurant. According to the owners, their mother's ability to cook- a natural chef instinct- is the one thing that makes the food so good. It's just "in her blood" according to Angelica.
It is one of the things that keeps people coming back. The food is truly made with love and hard-work, and you can taste it.
Before ordering, I had asked what their specialty was here, "Everything here is the specialty," Cory said, "but people really like to order the Barbecue." Apparently, this barbecue recipe is their mother's secret marinade. People have tried to even buy it from her to no avail.
Once trying the barbecue at home- my mind was blown. It was sweet, yet with a perfect bite of savoriness. The meat was so tender, it complemented the rice well. It tasted just like it came off the grill. This is something I will keep coming back for. It is a very special recipe that I highly recommend trying.
Another favorite of mine is their pancit. It is well seasoned, with the slight hit of the soy sauce, and a perfect crunch of the vegetables. They also add a good bit of pepper, which gives it the distinct flavor and a good bite. For people beginning to try Filipino food, this is a great way to start out.
My last recommendation is the lumpia. Their meat is perfectly juicy, and the way it is flavored is phenomenal. Too many times, lumpia can be made too greasy or overly salty. Halo Halo Restaurant's is a perfect balance. And yes, it's amazing with rice.
But let's talk about the namesake of the place. Halo-Halo.
I will say this- it is the best Halo-Halo I've had ever. Period. Even in the Philippines I couldn't find such good Halo-Halo as this one. They choose all the classic ingredients, sweet beans, nata de coco, leche flan, ube, kaong, and ube ice cream. They top it all off with corn cereal, more flan, and a Philippine flag. It's truly a textural adventure.
It's just...so good!
The family made it clear that their staff is the main driving force of the success of their restaurant. They stated, "they are like our family." From the chefs to the management, they all work together to make deliciousness happen.
This was surely one of my favorite places to blog about! I will be coming back for more than just the food. The friendly staff, the atmosphere, and the sense of home.
Check out their Facebook page here!
12135 Montwood Dr. Ste 106 El Paso, Texas Get Directions m.me/HaloHaloFilipinoFood Call (915) 304-6603
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