Halo-Halo Haven: Razon’s
May 1, 2008 15 CommentsThe Filipino word “halo” means “mix” in English, so if we’re to be literal about it, “halo-halo” means “mix-mix”. But just like the interplay of the fully separate and completely distinguishable ingredients of halo-halo, it’s hardly possible to be literal about this food. The final product — the halo-halo — is way more than the sum of all its ingredients. It’s like carbon to diamond.
Halo-halo is a mixture of various ingredients, which could be as varied as langka (jackfruit), macapuno (young coconut), minatamis na saging (sweetened banana), various beans, sago (tapioca), gulaman (gelatin), pinipig (rice crispies), jalaya or ube (purple yam), leche flan, ice cream, milk and, of course, crushed ice. It’s amazing how you could simply throw all these ingredients in a container, add milk and ice, and voila! You have a food that gives you not only energy (or diabetes, whichever comes first), but also a sure-fire way of beating the heat of Philippine summer (or any ordinary humid tropical day).
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- Close up of Halo-halo, Razon’s
The halo-halo of Razon’s is highly recommended. Before Razon’s opened its branches in Makati City (Jupiter Street, at the end near EDSA) and Quezon City (Timog Avenue, at the end near Quezon Avenue, and another one at Banawe Street, near the Orthopoedic Hospital), we had to drive from Makati City all the way to San Fernando, Pampanga just to enjoy the renowned Razon’s halo-halo. Of course, since we’re hungry when we get there, we always order other items in the menu like dinuguan, pansit, ensaymada (left photo, below, labeled as enzaymada) and puto (right photo, below). We loved (it used to be “me”, then I converted so many souls to love Razon’s that it’s now a “we”) it so much we didn’t mind the long drive, even during the time when the NLEX was still being renovated.
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- Halo-halo served at Razon’s
I heard Razon’s has branches in the Mall of Asia, TriNoMa, Market! Market!, Robinson’s Galleria and Greenhills. I also noticed there’s a branch of Razon’s in Tagaytay City, at the Robinson’s supermarket in front of Josephine’s.
The remarkable thing about Razon’s halo-halo is this — it’s made up of just a small fraction of the ingredients listed above. Macapuno at the bottom, then minatamis na saging, then the finely-crushed ice permeated with milk, and topped with leche flan. Just a few ingredients, yet the halo-halo tastes heavenly.
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- Razon’s Halo-halo
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- Puto at Razon’s
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- Ensaymada at Razon’s
Before I discovered Razon’s halo-halo years back, my favorite halo-halo was Chowking. When I was living alone in the condominium, I ordered so much of Chowking halo-halo that I could rightly claim to be a part of that fastfood company’s growth. I’d eat Chowking halo-halo in every place I’d go, even in Baguio, something that my friends find weird (Baguio is cold. Halo-halo is cold. Are you out of your mind?). I still like Chowking halo-halo, of course, but I now consider it as the No. 2 of my new No. 1 of halo-halo, Razon’s (kudos to the management of Chowking for deciding to make the crushed ice a little bit finer, but it should be made finer, something that’s pretty close to that of Razon’s). Of course, there’s a 2007 survey result which says that Chowking is the preferred brand, but what I said is the opinion of my taste buds.
You should try halo-halo. It’s distinctly Filipino just like eating balut (boiled duck’s embryo), except that unlike balut, halo-halo will no way land in Fear Factor. Ok, enough of the talk. Go. Eat. Halo-halo.
[...] Kids love minatamis na saging (sweetened banana, saba). They love milk and leche flan. They like macapuno. Now, what if you add ice to those ingredients? You get Razon’s halo-halo. [...]
Sa tingin ko, walang comparison ang Razons sa Chowking. Di hamak naman na mas masarap talaga ang Razons, kahit na konte lang ang ingredients sa halo-halo nila. Tingnan lang siguro natin kung ma-maintain nila ang sarap ng halo-halo nila kapag dumadami ang branches. Dati kse, nung wala pa ang mga Metro Manila branches, pwede kaming mag-request ng extra leche flan na walang bayad. Ngayon hindi na pwede. Sana hindi magbago ang lasa ng kanilang halo-halo.
Sayesha, very true, we were able to order extra leche flan, but, as you said, that was before they expanded. I really don’t mind, considering that we don’t have to drive all the way to Pampanga just to enjoy the food (and as long as the taste of the halo-halo doesn’t change).
[...] the TechnoHUB. The other retaurants/shops (open or under construction) include Gerry’s Grill, Razon’s, KFC, Starbucks and Yellow [...]
[...] a Must be Mom’s shop since then (besides, I’m already happy with the enzaymada bites of Razon’s and [...]
[...] Razon’s, Reyes Barbeque, KFC, PizzaHut, Seafood Island, Le Cheng, The Old Spaghetti House. I heard FlapJack is there and I heard FlapJack has great breakfast food. We’ll try it out one of these days (just an update: we did try it already). This is a TechnoHub and it’s a shame if you can’t be online while sipping cofee at Starbucks or attacking the pizza at Yellow Cab. [...]
nung una me makatikim ng halo-halo sa razon nasabi ko na ito na ang pinakamasarap na halo-halo na natikman ko.dahil dumarami na ang branches niya mas marami at mas madali ko na maabot at matikman ang halo-halo na gusto ko.but i was dissapointed dun sa isa nilang branches sa alabang town center yung branch nila sa food court.alam niyo ba hindi siya mahalo at matunaw kasi kulang ang gatas. i ask the assistance of their crew to give me a small amount of milk. alam niyo sinabi.i have to pay P15.00 for the small drops of milk.Shit, i was very dissappointed for the gesture that they show us.akala ko lahat ng halo-halo nila pare-pareho ng kalidad.
Im calling the razon management to take a look of this simple predicament of your loyal customer.ang mahal na nga halo-halo niyo d pa niyo maibigay ang simpleng request ng inyong customer.baka ito ang ikasira niyo.
[...] prefer tasting the ensaymada first, so I could compare its taste with that of Must be Mom’s, Razon’s or Muhlach’s. But we don’t get to choose when we are the recipient of others’ [...]
[...] we take a dip. Some dip their spoons in cold halo-halo. Others take a dip in swimming pools and water slides, like in Splash Island. Some go to the beach [...]
Can I have the contact number of Razon’s Franchisee?
halos lahat ng branches ng Razon’ halo-halo nakainan ko na. sinubukan ko ngaun sa Razon’s BBB Valenzuela city. my comment is bakit maasim ang halohalo dun . ang sahog parang buko pero makunat a matigas tapos may saging. ang layo sa timpla ng tunay na razon. D na ako uulit sa branch na un. pls take some remedy. maybe nagtitipid cila kaya kahit kahapon pa sahog ginagamit pa ulit nila.
i’ll be back to other branches but definitely hindi na sa BBB valenzuela
I like it coz it’s simple…
I like my halo-halo just with saba, camote, sago/ gulaman, ube and leche flan. No beans please.
THUMBS UP!!! Razon’s HALO HALO ang talap talap.. hehehe
my favorite is halo-halo….but i dont knw RAZON’s, until i saw it on TV ( mel en Joey)…so hinanap ko agad ito…I tried in Razon’s BBB, Valenzuela Branch..WOW thumbs up ako sa halo-halo en shanghai lumpia….Maybe 6x na ako pumunta dun, w/ my friends en family..Xempre ipinagmalaki ko kasi ito sa aknila….Unfortunately, today after shopping in SM Marilao, i saw again another branch of Razon in Meycauayan Bulacan..Xempre excited ulit ako w/ my family na mag stop over…Same order, Halo-Halo en Shanghai…..OH MY GOD….nag served ba naman cla ng SUNOG NA SUNOG na shanghai….syempre sinabihan ko ung waitress, ganyan ba talaga ang sine served nyo na shanghai..sabi nya eh, opo…OH MY GOD ULIT…..sabi ko ikaw ba kaya mong kainin yan kako, e di sabi nya palitan na lang po…dapat lang kako…Mga wala silang modo, ano ang tingin nila sa amin, kumakain ng tutong…..ang yabang pa nila, pinapakita pa talaga na kinakain nila ung sunog ha..Then nung naubos na nga nmin ung order na shanghai, order pa ulit ako for take out naman…sabi ba naman eh, ay wala na po..OMG na naman..What a manner….ATTENTION: management or owner of RAZON MEYCAUAYAN BULACAN..No wonder kung bakit la kayo masyado benta sa branch na un…la modo mga staff nyo dun..I love Razons halo halo its jaz the staff whom i dont like….