#halang-halang

Long rainy days of the typhoon season means it’s also time for our local SOUPer heroes. Here are 6 soup suggestions to help fight colds, wet commutes, or to help melt the clouds away in our own minds.

Bisaya halang-halang brings spice, lemongrass, and coconut milk to our lives. Batsoy from Iloilo and Kinalas from Bicol brings us rich, meaty, noodle soups. Tiyula itum from Tausug and Muslim cooks brings us unique flavors from Southern Mindanao, while Luzon’s Tinola and Sinigang make a vegetable-rich soup duo, full of varying shades of green and spice. The names of these soups are illustrated with their names either in Badlit from the Visayas, Basahan from Bicol, or Tagalog Baybayin.

Wherever you are never forget: rain or shine, its sabaw time.

Located along the highway, in very close proximity to Iligan's Gaisano Mall, you really can't possibly miss Meong's Bulalo and Kambingan.

If you're not comfortable eating along the highway in a shack, then this eatery is definitely not for you.

From across the street, that is how it looks like on any regular day...

And like that during a Pacquiao fight!

No surprise there. Every time there's a Pacquiao fight, it seems like it's Jesus' second coming already and a pre-tribulation rapture is taking place (at least here in the Philippines that is).

My personal favorite from their menu is "Halang-halang". When literally translated, "halang-halang" means "spicy-spicy".

It's nothing fancy really. It's simply a spicy beef broth with chunky bits of beef.

Now what I like about their "Halang-halang" is that I can add more stuff to it according to my taste. I personally love my "halang-halang" with lots of crushed chili, some calamansi extract, a pinch of ground black pepper and a fistful of chopped spring onions. This definitely goes best with a lump of rice and a refreshing bottle of ice-cold Coca-cola.

Eaten best on cold rainy days.