Kabigting's Halo-Halo: Try it before summer's gone!

It's mid-May and before you know it, rainy season's here. So enjoy summer while we can, won't we? And what better way is there to enjoy summer than to eat halo-halo - that favorite sweet cooler that could range from simple, with only three ingredients, to complex, with a dozen things on top of each other? During the summer months from March to May, halo-halo is sold in nearly every street corner. Some people including me, however, prefer to enjoy this summer goodness at "legitimate" restaurants (which also offer it all-year-round) just to make sure they're having it clean (the ice is what you watch out for), lest they end up with a bum tummy. Haha!

Recently, I found the No. 1 halo-halo in the metro, according to Spot.ph, for 2014  (I'm not sure if there's a 2015 edition already). It's at Kabigting's Halo-Halo - a dainty foodie place 
on Banawe St. in Quezon City. 
I was expecting to prove for myself whether this claim was true, but discovered another thing - durian coffee! Reading the menu, I found out Kabigting's offered food and drink coming as special products from different provinces around the Philippines. Durian coffee, for one, is from Davao. There's also Cebu liempo and lechon sisig, and longganisa from Tuguegarao,  Vigan, Calumpit, Lucban and Pampanga. Also available were "pasalubong treats" like silvanas from Dumaguete and frozen daing na bangus from Bonuan, Pangasinan. Needless to say, Kabigting's endeared itself to me at once. Haha! A few minutes after placing our orders, it was time to eat:

Halo-Halo, P90. 

Durian coffee, P90. 

Palabok, P90. 


Cebu Liempo, P115.

Tinapang Bangus, P125. 

Lumpiang Sariwa, P45.

The Tinapang Bangus was my order and I liked it very much. The smoked fish was delicious and meaty - the serving was big! Two thumbs up for this, which is my favorite all-day brekkie. I've eaten here at Kabigting's three times (after this first visit with my daughter, I went two more times with friends) 
and ordered the tinapang bangus twice. 
Anyway, my daughter ordered the Cebu Liempo which she liked as well. We shared the Palabok which was good, too, although I can't exactly recall the taste as I write this. The Halo-Halo, which is the "star" here, lived up to its reputation as the best in the metro. The pastillas made with carabao's milk, which is its crowning glory, was sinfully yummy! Too bad, I couldn't eat much of this as I couldn't let my blood sugar level shoot up. It was the durian coffee, which was, however, the one that's unforgettable for me. Imagine the taste of  brewed coffee blending so well with the distinct slightly sweet flavor of durian - that yellow, plump-fleshed fruit with a pungent smell - and your senses celebrate! What a taste and aroma! Truly, it was heavenly and awesome for me. I ordered durian coffee at each of my visits here at Kabigting's and now I look forward to having it again..soon, I hope!  As for the Lumpiang Sariwa, my friend ordered it on another visit and she said it was good - freshly prepared, saucy and delicious, and she was happy with it. 

A poster at the door 

Kabigting's Halo-Halo, by the way, is a Kapampangan original, having started in Arayat town in 1970. I have no information, however, how many and where are their branches here in Metro Manila. If you're on Banawe St. in Quezon City, drop by Kabigting's, folks, and stuff yourself silly 

with real good Pinoy food. Happy eating!