Rehashing Some Brews At Hashbrews Café Bistro

"Life's supposed to be an adventure, a surprise!" - Anton du Beke

I’ve been meaning to visit the place for a long time. I first noticed it when I was on my way to Cebu IT Park one evening. It looked like one of those American diner-type cafés in the 60s or 70s similar to the one we had here in Cebu back in the 90s. While I was able to have a bottle or two some time ago at the place, but I was really able to get the feel of the place. I finally got the chance one Friday evening, which is timely since I was craving a brew of a different kind.

Rehashing Some Brews At Hashbrews Café Bistro

Hashbrews Café Bistro

Hashbrews Café Bistro has been on my to-go-to list ever since I noticed it over a year ago. My curiosity was further piqued after I saw their Facebook Page. The pictures of their food, particularly their burgers had me salivating at the thought of taking a bite at them. My initial perception was an American diner-type of place. And when I first visited the place around a month ago, it had that diner vibe with the framed drawings and sculptures (not sure what you call them since I’m no artist). The bar also had a good inventory of drinks from whiskeys to rums and tequilas. But I’m more interested in their food, which was what attracted me to the place.

Hashbrews Café Bistro Coat of Arms

When I saw the pictures of their burgers posted on their Facebook Page, it not only piqued my interest, it also had me wanting to drop by the place. But as they say, fate had a different plan. When I got the chance to grab a bite at the place, I ordered something else . . . their Grilled Pork Belly with Rice.

Grilled Pork Belly with Rice

Food

While I was really looking forward to their burgers, their Grilled Pork Belly with Rice actually tasted great. In fact, I would have ordered an extra serving of rice if not for my so-called minimal-carb diet. But if I ate it at lunchtime I would likely order two extra servings of rice. So I guess fate was right to compel me (introvert mode activate) to ask for the house specialty rather than order the burgers, which I wanted in the first place. Aside from the burgers and Grilled Pork Chop, the place also offers a good variety of food items, including Beef with Onions, Beef with Broccoli, Fried Chicken (overheard someone saying this was good), Grilled Blue Marlin Steak, Sizzling Bangus, and everyone’s favorite, the Sizzling Sisig.

Grilled Pork Belly with Rice 

Appetizers while on a drinking binge aka pulutan, they Hashbrews offers Sauteed Hungarian Sausage and Mushrooms, Breaded Chicken Strips, Spring Rolls, and Bacon (who doesn’t love bacon?). The place also offers a good selection of soups and noodles, including the Chicken Mami, Cream of Chicken, Tinolang Isda, and Lomi, which I noted was served in a humongous bowl (I overheard the other table ordering this).

Interior of Hashbrews Café Bistro

If you are into vegetables, you may want to order the Ampalaya with Egg, Chao Pat Chin, or the Chopsuey. Their All-Day-Breakfast menu includes the Corned Beef, Beef Tapa, and Longaniza, all of which are served with two eggs and rice or bread. Pancake lovers will be keen on ordering their Classic Pancake with Butter and Maple Syrup or the Waffle with Bacon and Egg. For a taste of Italy, they also have the Spaghetti Bolognese, Creamy Pesto Pasta, and Carbonara. So Hashbrews offers everything for everybody.

Price

When it comes to prices, Hashbrews has a rather competitive price range. For their starters or appetizers, prices range from PhP99 for the Fried Pusit (Squid) Platter up to PhP205 for the Calamares. Their Main Courses have prices between PhP165 for the Sizzling Sisig and PhP450 for the Bagnet. The Soup and Noodles of the place have prices ranging from PhP135 for the Sweetcorn Soup up to PhP295 for the Sinigang Isda. Vegetable lovers can look forward to prices between PhP95 for the Ampalaya with Egg and PhP185 for the Chao Pat Chin. The price of the pasta at Hashbrews is from PhP165 for the Pasta Pomodoro up to PhP195 for the Spicy Danggit Pasta. Fruit Shakes are priced at PhP95 for the Banana Shake up to PhP145 for the Banana & Mango Shake, while sodas cost PhP55 each.

Menu of Hashbrews Café Bistro

If you want to have breakfast . . . in the evening, you can have them at PhP165 for the Corned Beef with rice and egg up to PhP175 for the Beef Tapa with rice and egg. Beer prices are between PhP50 for the Pale Pilsen and PhP75 for the Smirnoff Mule. And last but not the least, the price of their burgers and sandwiches are quite competitive from PhP125 for the Ham and Egg Sandwich up to PhP185 for their Hashbrew’s Cheese Burger.

Menu of Hashbrews Café Bistro

Location

Hashbrews Café Bistro is located on the ground floor of Northwinds Hotel along Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City. It’s a short walk away from the Cebu IT Park and close to some of the best restaurants the Lahug area has to offer.

Getting There

If you are coming from Ayala, you can get on a jeepney headed for Lahug (04M) and tell the driver to let you off at Northwinds Hotel. You can immediately see the place when you turn towards the hotel. You also have the option of getting on a Beep bus and get off at IT Park. You can ask any guard in the area to point you in the direction of the hotel. You can also ask the guard to point you to where Chikaan sa Cebu restaurant is located. You can either ride a jeepney or walk towards the place (it’s probably a five- to ten-minute walk away). The café bistro is right across the restaurant. If you are coming from SM City Cebu, you can get on a jeepney headed for the Cebu IT Park and tell the driver to let you off at Chikaan sa Cebu restaurant.

Interior of Hashbrews Café Bistro

While I was not able to take a bite off their burgers, Hashbrews is definitely one of the places I will not think twice of visiting on any given Friday night.

PS: The place has a live acoustic band playing on Friday and Saturday evenings. If you are overflowing with confidence in your bathroom voice, you can also ask if you can sing your heart’s out with the band.

See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

“You can never put too much pork in your mouth as far as I'm concerned.” - Lewis Black

It was all a stroke of luck (and a hungry stomach) that I discovered this quaint, little store selling the heart-stopping delicacy from Cebu somewhere in Mabolo. I was supposed to visit a different hole-in-the-wall resto in the same area, but I shied away from the place since I noticed it was rather full. Since Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal was still closed, I walked around the area looking for a place where I can feed myself. While walking around, an image of the pig in overalls on a window of one of the shops seemed to call out to me. With my stomach already grumbling, I went in to check out what they had to offer.

See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

Se Ben’s Lechon

Se Ben’s Lechon is a hole-in-the-wall resto offering the world-famous Cebu lechon. The branch I visited opened recently, while its Gaisano Country Mall branch has been open for some time already. I wasn’t able to ask more about the place since I was already famished and needed something to eat. But based on their Facebook Page, they have been in the lechon business for over a decade. They have a branch at the food court of Gaisano Country Mall and this branch in Mabolo only opened in August 2019. Aside from offering lechon on a per-kilo basis, they also offer whole lechon orders.

Interior of Se Ben’s Lechon

Food

I’ve been to a lot of lechon places in the city and most of them offer something unique to their customers. And this place is one of those places. One thing I liked the most was their crispy lechon skin. The pictures I took do not do justice to the delicacy, but believe me or not, the lechon skin was indeed as crunchy as it gets. They gave me the option of getting the regular lechon or the lechon belly. Since I’m more of a belly person, I opted for the latter. They have a budget meal size for their lechon belly, but I opted to get the 1/4-kilo serving of the dish. They have the regular and spicy variants of the lechon belly. Similarly, their whole lechon also comes in the regular and spicy variants.

Crispy lechon skin at Se Ben's Lechon

Price

Se Ben’s Lechon offers per kilo price and whole lechon price for their products. The price of a 1/4-kilo order of their classic lechon is PhP155. A 1/4-kilo order of their regular boneless lechon is priced at PhP175. On the other hand, a 1/4-kilo order of their spicy boneless lechon costs PhP190. These orders are good for one to two persons.

Boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

The prices of their classic whole lechon are between PhP5,500 for 15 persons and PhP8,500 for a lechon good for 30 to 40 persons. The price of the spicy variant of the lechon is from PhP6,000 for 15 persons up to PhP9,000 for 30 to 40 persons.

Lechon prices at Se Ben's Lechon

Their boneless lechon is available in family packs. The regular boneless lechon family pack costs between PhP2,200, which is good for 12 to 15 persons, and PhP3,600, which is good for 20 to 25 persons. In contrast, the price of the spicy boneless lechon family pack starts at PhP2,400, which is good for 12 to 15 persons, up to PhP3,800, which is good for 20 to 25 persons.

Lechon skin and boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

I was not able to take note of the price of their other products since the hunger pangs got the better of me. After eating the 1/4-kilo order of their lechon belly, I was already getting ready to go home and take the afternoon off. But this gives me another reason to visit the place to get the prices of their other products.

Boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

Location

The Se Ben’s Lechon branch I visited is located at GDN Arcade, Mabolo. It is located in the same area as Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal. They also have a branch located at the food court of Gaisano Country Mall.

Boneless lechon with puso at Se Ben's Lechon

Getting There

From Ayala Center Cebu, you can get to Se Ben’s Lechon by getting on a jeepney headed for Mabolo. Tell the driver to let you off at Ngohiong Express across PLDT. You need to cross to the side of PLDT and get on a jeepney marked 03A. You can get off in front of the gasoline station next to the GAGFA building. Se Ben’s Lechon is located at the GND Arcade, which is right across the gasoline station. You also have the option of walking to Skyrise Alpha where QBE is located and get on a Beep bus headed for Mabolo. The GAGFA building is one of the stops of the Beep bus.

See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

With the opening of Se Ben’s Lechon at the GDN Arcade, the Mabolo area is gradually cementing its position as one of the best foodie destinations of Cebu. The lechon belly of Se Ben’s Lechon ranks up there among the best inCebu, but their crispy lechon skin is probably the best I’ve tasted so far.

Bai Ron, Back Ribs Ta sa Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

“Good food is good food. It doesn't have to come with pretense.” - Christina Tosi

It’s been over a year since I last visited this blog. In fact, in four months it will be two years since I wrote something here. While I visited several hole-in-the-wall places here in Cebu, I haven’t really gotten to take pictures, let alone write about them. But my recent visit to a place I discovered recently encouraged me to write about it.

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille actually opened around three years ago, but I only got to try the place when I decided to take a trip to uptown Cebu. Several food bloggers already wrote about the place in the past. And they all agree that the place offers great-tasting baby back ribs.

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

Food

Yes, there are already several restaurants in the Queen City of the South offering baby back ribs. But Byron’s is Bacolod’s Best, and it has made its way to Cebu. This place uses their own barbecue sauce. And it’s not your run-of-the-mill barbecue sauce, it’s their own concoction that easily tickles your taste buds. I ordered the Backribs Jr. and I was in for a treat. 

Backribs Jr.

The meat was suitably tender and succulent. I could just put my finger on the taste of the sauce since it was a festival of flavors that took my tongue on an amazing ride. I wanted to order the Backribs Regular, but I am supposedly on a self-imposed diet. Well, more of an intermittent eating diet or something. If you are planning to visit the place with your family or group of friends, you can order the Family Platter or the half slab or whole slab of backribs.

Backribs Jr. 

Aside from the baby back ribs, the place also offers Grilled BBQ Chicken, which is one of the staples in Bacolod similar to Manong’s. They also have the Grilled Sizzling Bangus and Pork BBQ. Another item on their menu that I want to try soon is the Porksteak. All these items come with one cup of rice. If you are not keen on eating rice, you may want to try their Backribs Burger (I should try this the next time I visit the place). And last but not the least, they also have their own version of the Sizzling Pork Sisig.

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

Price

The price of their meals is quite affordable, especially since the place is located in one of the malls in the city. The Backribs Jr. is priced at PhP99 while the Backribs Regular costs PhP175. On the other hand, the Half Slab of Backribs and Whole Slab of Backribs are priced at PhP598 and PhP1,188, respectively. Their family platter costs PhP1,288. Of all the rib meals, only the Family Platter comes with two liters of iced tea or lemon juice. Their Grilled BBQ Chicken and Grilled Sizzling Bangus are priced at PhP128 and PhP178, respectively. The Pork BBQ meal costs PhP128 while the Sizzling Pork Sisig is priced at PhP138. Their Backribs Burger and Porksteak are both priced at PhP128.

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

For their drinks, a glass of either lemon juice or iced tea is priced at PhP45 while a pitcher costs PhP105. They also offer canned soft drinks at PhP55 each while their bottled water costs PhP25. If you want more rice, plain rice costs PhP20 while the garlic rice is priced at PhP25. On the other hand, if you want extra BBQ sauce, you can get it for PhP15.

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

Location

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille actually opened its first branch in Robinson’s Galleria at the North Reclamation Area. The branch I visited is located on the second floor of Robinson’s Cybergate Mall in Fuente Osmeña. It is just a few steps away from the Manga Café. So if you are looking for something sweet after chowing down on the baby back ribs, you may want to check out the Manga Café. It is open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM or based on the mall hours.

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

Getting There

If you are coming from Ayala Center Cebu, you can get on a jeepney marked 14D or the one headed for Ramos St. You can tell the driver to let you off at the jeepney stop close to Robinson’s Cybergate. It will likely be at the intersection close to the National Labor Relations Commission office or Anita’s Bakeshop. Robinson’s Cybergate is just several steps away from the jeepney stop. Just ask the driver or your friendly sidewalk vendor to point which direction you should head for. Once you get to the mall, just go up to the second floor. Like what I said earlier, it is just a few steps away from the Manga Café.

Byron’s Back Ribs Grille

Cebuanos got acquainted with the baby back ribs after a homegrown restaurant offered this meat dish nearly two decades ago. Since then people have been lining up to taste the best ones offered in the Queen City of the South.  With the opening of Byron’s Backribs Grille, the rib gurus of Cebu should step on their rib game.

Mangga Mo Bay Sa Mangga Cafe

“When life gives you lemons, throw it back and say I said I wanted a mango!” - unknown

The Queen City of the South may be home to the world-famous Cebu lechon, but this little island in the middle of the archipelago also offers some of the best mangos in the world. In fact, this has become a major industry in the island. Sometime last year, a college friend of mine invited me to the opening of a new café on the second floor of Robinson’s Cybergate Mall. The café is unlike other cafes in the city since it offers products using mango as one of its ingredients.

Mangga Cafe in Cebu

Mangga Café

The Mangga Café is a small, cozy place offering food and products made from mangos. When I went there, there was no other customer. One side of the store had a long table and four seats for customers who may want to have a bite at the place. The products offered by the café are displayed on racks on the other side of the place. Quaint and cozy were the two words that came to mind when I first visited the place.

Have a bite at the Mangga Cafe in Cebu

Food

While a good number of their products are bread made from mango flour, they also offer cookies, malunggay bread sticks, energy bars, mango jam, cakes, and pastries. In addition, Mangga Café also has a selection of sandwiches for their customers to choose from. But, choosing a sandwich is more than just pointing at what you want. You basically build your own sandwich.

Racks of mango goodies waiting for you to buy

Building Your Own Sandwich

1. The first thing you do is choose the filling you want in the sandwich. Their filling selection includes the Margherita, BLT, Pesto Chicken, Humba, and Tuna Salad Melt.

Build your own sandwich at Mangga Cafe

• Margherita – is made of marinara sauce, basil leaves, and Mozzarella cheese
• BLT – is your basic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
• Pesto Chicken – consists of seared chicken breast fillet, pesto sauce, and cheddar cheese
• Humba – is made of tender pork stew topped with a caramelized pineapple slice
• Tuna Salad Melt – consists of tuna, apples, mayonnaise, pickle relish, lettuce, and cheddar cheese

Margherita Sandwich using Whole Wheat Bread

2. You then choose the presentation of the sandwich. Your choices include the Tortilla Wrap, Whole Wheat Bread, Bagel, Focaccia, and Ciabatta.

Bread choices at Mangga Cafe

3. Wait for the sandwich to be assembled and viola, you have your sandwich

You can also order hot or cold drinks to quench your thirst after eating the sandwich. Hot drink options at the café include the Mango Mint Tea, Mango Ginger Tea, Mango Lemon Grass, Turmeric, and Calamansi, among others. On the other hand, their cold drink options include the Mango Minced Iced Tea, Mango Strawberry Iced Tea, Passion Fruit Drink, and Mango Juice in Can.

This sandwich goes well with a hot or cold drink

The bread options at Mangga Café include the Pesto Loaf, Ciabatta with mango flour, Focaccia with mango flour, and ensaymada. They also offer Tortilla Chips that you can dip in their Mango Jam. If you want to make your own bread at home, Mangga Café also sells all-natural, gluten-free, all-purpose Mango Flour. You can pair your bread with Mango Tea or Mango Coffee. Mangga Café also offers some cakes and pastries to satisfy your sweet tooth. Some of these delectable sweets include the Mango Tart, Mango Cheesecake, and the Mango Mousse.

A sandwich and drink combo is a perfect snack in the afternoon

Price

The prices of the products offered at the Mangga Café are friendly to your wallet. It is between PHP35 for the Ciabatta bread and PHP175 for their Go Healthy Bars. The sandwiches are priced at PHP99 for the Margherita and BLT while the Pesto Chicken, Humba, and Tuna Salad Melt are priced at PHP148 each. All their hot drinks cost PHP49 while their cold drinks are priced at PHP75 each.

Affordable goodies at Mangga Cafe

Location

Mangga Café is located on the second floor of Robinsons’ Cybergate Mall. It is situated close to the escalator. The place is open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. You have the option of eating what you bought at the café or simply take them out and enjoy them at home.

Eat healthy at Mangga Cafe

Getting to Mangga Cafe

Getting to the Mangga Café is rather easy since it is located inside a major mall at the Fuente Osmeña area. You simply have to get on a jeepney headed for Fuente Osmeña and get off at the jeepney stop close to the mall. If you live in the Lahug, Guadalupe, or Talamban area, you can actually reach the mall after getting a free tour of the city. You can do this by waiting for the free shuttle service of Robinsons to Robinsons Galleria Mall. From the Robinsons Galleria Mall, you can get on another bus headed for Robinsons Cybergate.  Well, this is probably for people who have a lot of time in their hands since these buses normally have a schedule to follow.

Mango flour offers a healthy option for diners

The Mangga Café is just one of the innovations in the food landscape of Cebu. Aside from showing the ingenuity of Cebuanos, the café also reflects the current trend towards a healthier lifestyle.

Mango chips at Mangga Cafe

Mango jamming at Mangga Cafe

Malunggay breadsticks at Mangga Cafe

Mango cakes and pastries are also available at Mangga Cafe

Mango flour at Mangga Cafe

If you have any leads on other hole-in-the-wall places in the Queen City of the South, do give me a heads up so I can visit the place and promote it to the world.

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.

There’s No Place Like Doming’s Ngohiong

It has been five months since I last posted something on this blog, and a lot has happened since then. While I may have taken a long respite from writing, I was still able to visit some hole-in-the-wall places here in Cebu. One of those places is a small eatery in the downtown area offering one of the more familiar comfort food of Cebuanos, Doming’s Ngohiong.

Doming's Ngohiong in Colon

Accidental Discovery

I actually discovered the place by accident. One afternoon, I wanted to get out of the house and clear my head of things that were bothering me at that time. So, I got on the first jeepney that passed by my place. Apparently, it was a jeepney headed for downtown Cebu, which I only realized when it reached the Capitol area. Anyway, since it was going to the downtown area, I decided to go to the row of fruit stands close to Gaisano Metro Colon. After reaching the place, none of the fruits I wanted to buy were available. So, I started walking towards Carbon Market passing through Osmeña Boulevard. As I was walking along V. Gullas Street, something caught my nose as I passed by a small eatery.  Ngohiong! I took a step back and checked the sign of the eatery. Lo and behold, the sign said Doming’s Ngohiong. So, I immediately walked in and ordered their ngohiong.

Scrumptiously delicious ngohiong

Doming’s Ngohiong

The place is similar to many eateries in the downtown area, but a way bit cleaner. It was simple with their monobloc tables and chairs. People go to this place not for the ambiance but for the ngohiong. I was pleasantly surprised that they were more systematic in the way they handled the orders. In addition, you do not have to wait for long to get your order. A few minutes after I sat down (after taking some pictures, of course), my order was ready. I also noted that they accept bulk orders for their ngohiong since there were some employees packing some of the ngohiong inside a plastic bag. These were apparently going to be picked up by a customer.

People go to Doming's for thei ngohiong

Food

While I have not been to the original location of Doming’s Ngohiong for a very long while, their ngohong still tasted scrumptiously delicious. It was still the same crunchy ngohiong I first tasted way back in college. Paired with puso or hanging rice, it was a meal that can easily fill your stomach at a very reasonable price. Aside from the ngohiong, they also offer Manok Bisaya (native chicken), Liog (chicken neck), and Atay-Batikon (chicken liver and gizzard), among others.  

Still the same ngohiong I came to love since college

Price

The ngohiong of Doming’s Ngohiong is quite cheap at PHP7 each while their puso is priced at PHP3 each. So a PHP30 budget can get you three pieces of ngohiong and three pieces of puso, which is enough to get you by for a few hours. The Manok Bisaya is priced at PHP45 while the Atay-Batikon costs PHP15 each. Their Liog is also priced at PHP15 each. For the drinks, the Pepsi, 7-Up, and Mirinda cost PHP12 each while the Mountain Dew and Bottled Water are priced at PHP15 each. Even as the place is incredibly affordable, their products are exceptionally appetizing.

Incredibly Cheap Yet Delicious Food

Location

The downtown branch of Doming’s Ngohiong is located at the ground floor of the M. Gotianoy Building, which is along V. Gullas Street. It is several meters away from Osmeña Boulevard.

The place is easy to find

Getting There

You can get to the downtown location of Doming’s Ngohiong by getting on a jeepney headed for Colon. If the jeepney passes through Osmeña Boulevard on the way to the Basilica del Santo Nino de Cebu, you can get off at the corner of V. Gullas Street. This is the second street to the right after passing Gaisano Metro Colon.   If the jeepney will not pass through this way, you can get off close to Gaisano Metro Colon and simply walk to the place. Just make sure you get off at a jeepney stop unless you want to play tag with some traffic enforcers in the area.

The Ngohiong is best paired with Puso

Cebu may be known for being the home of the “best pig in the world” according to Anthony Bourdain, but the Queen City of the South has a lot more to offer than the Cebu lechon. One of these delectable dishes that Cebuanos have grown to love through the years is the ngohiong. And when you talk about ngohiong to a Cebuano, the first place that normally pops into his or her head is Doming’s Ngohiong.

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.

Have A Taste Of Something Special At Monbis Halo-Halo

The halo-halo is the most popular Filipino dessert made from ice shavings, boiled sweetened beans, evaporated milk, different fruits, and gulaman. It is called halo-halo since you basically make “halo” or mix the ingredients used on the dish. Well, Cebu has a number of halo-halo places, ranging from your friendly neighborhood carenderia-cum-dessert place to big-name fast food restaurants located in major malls in the city. But, there are also some halo-halo places that have attracted the attention of locals and piqued the interest of visitors. One of these places is Monbis Halo-Halo in Tisa, Cebu City.

The Halo-Halo at Monbis

Monbis Halo-Halo

Monbis Halo-Halo is a hole-in-the-wall halo-halo place that has caught the interest of residents of Barangay Tisa. The place actually started out as your run-of-the-mill restaurant along Katipunan Street, Cebu City. Their halo-halo was just one of the items on their menu, which included beef stroganoff and siomai as well as sizzling dishes.

Rain or Shine, People Still Flock to Monbis Halo-Halo

But, as things would have it, the halo-halo was a runaway success as most of their customers ordered this popular Filipino dessert. The owners, Edmon and Bambi, decided to focus on offering halo-halo instead. And thus, Monbis Halo-Halo was born. The name of the store is a combination of the names of the owners. They just added a letter “s” at the end to make it sound good.

The Sign Leading to Something Good

Edmon is hands-on when it comes to making the halo-halo. You can see him at the store supervising or even assembling the halo-halo itself. On the other hand, Bambi takes care of cashiering duties at the store. They already have two branches of the store and both are located along the same road. Despite the close proximity of the two stores, they still attract customers like ants to sugar.

Halo-Halo Assembled and Ready to be Served

When I went to the place with a couple of friends, it was actually drizzling. But, after arriving at Monbis Halo-Halo, the place was teeming with people. Some were even standing waiting for a table to become vacant.  To keep things organized, they used priority numbers based on the orders of their customers.

Now Serving

The Halo-Halo

Now, let’s talk about the halo-halo of Monbis Halo-Halo. They only serve one type of halo-halo, the halo-halo special. And special it is. The ice they use on the dessert features fine granules that when mixed has a similar consistency as ice cream. In addition, they also add a number of real fruits, including jackfruit, mango, and bananas. Add the scoop of ice cream and crushed Graham crackers and topped with a good amount of Hershey’s choco syrup, the dish is definitely pleasing to the eyes. The whole dish also has a colorful wafer stick to complete the presentation.

My Halo-Halo Waiting to be Devoured

You can also try making your own halo-halo at home. Just make sure you have a good ice shaver to make the shaved ice. You can try this Kyowa KW-5100 Electric Ice Shaver or the heavy duty SS-11 Ice Cube Shaver. Then make sure you have all the other ingredients you can use to make your own version of the halo-halo.

The Kyowa Electric Ice Shaver

The Price

The halo-halo offered at Monbis Halo-Halo is priced at PHP75, which is rather reasonable since it has a good amount of ingredients on it. In addition, you will likely want to have more of it after consuming one serving.

Have You Tasted the Halo-Halo at Monbis Already?

The Location

We were only able to visit the second branch of Monbis Halo-Halo, which is located along Katipunan Street, Tisa, Cebu City. The first branch is located on the same street around a kilometer or two down the road.

Monbis Halo-Halo

Getting There

Getting to Monbis Halo-Halo is as easy as getting on a jeepney passing through Katipunan Street. Just look for the colorful sign of the place on the right side of the road. If you are coming from Ayala, you can get on a jeepney marked 12L and tell the driver or conductor that you want to get off at Monbis Halo-Halo. If you are taking a taxi to the place, just tell the driver you want to go to Monbis Halo-Halo. If the driver is unsure of its location, tell him to pass through Katipunan Street and simply look for a big crowd of people waiting for their orders or look for the sign on the right side of the road.

Look for the Crowd of People at Monbis Halo-Halo

Monbis Halo-Halo will be a fitting place for you to end the day after tasting the pochero at Gate 5 Pochero House or the chicken at the King of Chicken. It is just one of the many places in Tisa where you can find great-tasting dishes at a reasonable price. This hole-in-the-wall dessert place will definitely be on your list if you want to try the best halo-halo in town.

More Halo-Halo Waiting to be Served

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.