Clear skies and radiant sunshine call for exciting outdoor activities. From island hopping and surfing at tropical getaways, to picnics and urban adventures all over the city, fun in the sun just hits different when you’re running on summer’s sizzling energy.
There's just something about the heat that also awakens a different side of food cravings: restaurants break out summer menus with their style of halo-halo and inihaw; sari-sari stores start selling every flavor of ice candy while more sorbetes street vendors do rounds around the neighborhood. These are some of the foods that just taste better on sun-soaked days, and every bite makes you think, “Ah, this is what Filipino summer tastes like.”
Whet your appetite for this vibrant season with these Filipino foods that taste like summer:
Savory grilled sizzlers
Inihaw or grilled dishes never go out of style, especially during summer. While everyone has their own approach—different grilling techniques, meat cuts, or the flavors of the marinade—really, there’s no right or wrong way about it. They’re all deliciously sizzling meals that will power you through your summer adventures. Here are a few grilled dishes that define a Filipino summer:
- Inihaw na liempo - When you hear inihaw, the first thing that comes to mind is grilled pork belly. Its signature savory-sweetness comes from a marinade of soy sauce, calamansi, garlic, and brown sugar or banana ketchup.
- Inihaw na isda - A simple yet timeless favorite best served after a long day at the pool or the beach. Opt for fish that are firm and meaty. Some great choices are tilapia, bangus (milkfish), hito (catfish), maya-maya (red snapper), pompano, and even pusit (squid). Stuff it with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger for extra flavor.
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Chicken inasal - A beloved grilled chicken dish from Western Visayas, particularly in Bacolod and Iloilo. Tangy and savory, it’s steeped in a marinade of calamansi, coconut vinegar, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. Traditional inasal doesn't use soy sauce, unlike other Filipino inihaw, allowing the vinegar and calamansi to shine. It's basted in orange annatto oil, typically made from chicken fat and achuete seeds, adding another dimension to its vibrant flavor.
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Sinuglaw - This popular appetizer and pulutan from Visayas and Mindanao is a fusion of sinugba (grilled pork belly) and kinilaw (fresh fish marinated in vinegar). Smoky, savory sinugba is marinated in soy sauce, garlic, and calamansi before grilling, while kinilaw gets its refreshing tang from vinegar, ginger, onions, chili, and citrus. They’re combined right before serving for the fullest experience of the unique contrast and balance of their flavors.
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Barbecue - Considered as an ulam and a street food, it’s thin slices of pork, usually shoulder or belly, skewered on bamboo sticks for easy grilling and eating. Its thinly cut meat allows the marinade to absorb quickly and deeply, and also cooks the meat faster for a tender bite and slight char.
Must-try at Joel's Place:
There’s no season like summer when it comes to excitement and adventure! Joel’s Place helps keep those energy levels high with these hot picks packed with flavor and protein:
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Grilled Breakfast Bowl - Fuel your summer with this satisfying all-day bowl packed with garlic brown rice, grilled savory tapa (cured meat), a perfectly cooked egg, tangy atchara (pickled mango), and sautéed spinach, drizzled with vinegar.
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Adlai Seafood Paella - Yearning for a taste of the sea? Get your seafood fix with this adlai-based paella simmered in tomato sauce and layered with flavorful mussels, clams, shrimp, and salmon.
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Lemongrass Chicken Grain Bowl - Hearty and healthy, this is a wholesome grain bowl of quinoa and brown rice topped with lemongrass chicken, garlic bok choy, and red cabbage slaw, served with calamansi gravy.
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Pork Belly with Okra Skewer - Add satisfying protein to any meal with skewered grilled pork belly slices rolled around okra pieces, and served with rich sesame soy sauce.
- Grilled Zucchini Skewer - A refreshing, plant-based option, it’s grilled zucchini slices on a skewer, served with sesame soy sauce for a kick of savory richness.
Sweet, icy coolers
As gorgeous as summer days are, cloudless skies mean there’s barely a break from the sun. Thankfully, there are plenty of creative ways to stay cool and hydrated during hot outings—the best involving sweet icy treats and the coolest summer drinks. Refresh through hot summer days with these Filipino favorites:
- Halo-halo - The most iconic of Filipino summertime snacks. It truly lives up to its name as a colorful medley of ingredients. On top of crushed ice and evaporated milk, you can toss in langka (jackfruit), saba (plantains), nata de coco, ube halaya, sweet beans, chickpeas, pinipig (toasted rice), leche flan, macapuno, kaong nata, ice cream, and more!
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Guinumis - A simpler version of halo-halo, this cool dessert features coconut milk and arnibal (brown sugar syrup) over crushed ice, mixed with pinipig, sago (tapioca pearls), and gulaman (gelatin). Though it has fewer ingredients, guinumis is creamier and richer than halo-halo thanks to the thick coconut milk used instead of evaporated milk.
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Saba con yelo - Another deliciously cold sweet made with crushed ice, this time layered with sago and saba cooked in brown sugar syrup, poured over with evaporated milk. Fancy another flavor? Mais con yelo is a similar icy layered treat, except with creamed corn and sugar instead of saba and syrup. Add cornflakes or ice cream—or both!—to make it extra special.
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Sago’t gulaman - A classic samalamig drink you can find sold by almost any street vendor year-round, but it definitely gets more popular once the summer heat sinks in. It’s made of arnibal diluted in water, with chunky, chewy sago and gulaman as an added treat.
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Buko juice - Coconut juice with shredded coconut meat, plain and simple, yet oh so satisfying. This natural refreshment is nutrient-dense and rich in electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, and sodium, making it a great choice for hydration.
Must-try at Joel’s Place:
From The Juicer and The Gelateria, Joel’s Place brings you cool, tasty concoctions inspired by traditional Filipino desserts and drinks. Keep temperatures low and spirits high through the summer heat with these refreshing picks:
- Lakatan Smoothie - Can’t decide between dessert or drink? Enjoy both with our Lakatan Smoothie made of sweet lakatan bananas blended into a thick, creamy smoothie. Cooling and filling!
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Mais Con Yelo Smoothie - The distinct sweetness and flavor of the traditional mais con yelo are captured in this cool and creamy dessert drink.
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Ube Basque Burnt Cheesecake Gelato - The classic ube and cheese sorbetes flavors come together in an elevated gelato fusion. It’s made with creamy Bukidnon milk, baked Spanish cheesecake, and rich ube halaya. Grab a cone from The Gelateria in Joel’s Place Proscenium.
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Skramble Gelato - Another Filipino-inspired flavor from The Gelateria, reminiscent of ice skrambol. This whimsical treat is made with Valrhona strawberry inspiration, velvety chocolate sauce, and fluffy marshmallows.
- Canned Four Seasons Juice - A refreshing can of juice that blends the perfect fresh fruits for summer: mango, orange, pineapple, and watermelon.
As lechon is to fiestas and bibingka is to simbang gabi, there are just certain foods and flavors that go well with summer. And true to the Filipino palate, these cravings are as vibrant as the cuisine we enjoy day to day, season to season.
This summer, indulge yourself—grill up inihaw just the way you like it, or pile your halo-halo high with your favorite ingredients. You’ll remember the satisfaction not just because it filled your stomach or scratched an itch, but because it made a sunny day feel like the best summer ever.
