06/11/2025
Aside from La Union’s famous surf spots and heartbreak-healing sunsets, there’s another compelling reason to visit the province. Tucked in Brgy. Biday, San Fernando City is Halo-Halo de Iloko, a restaurant that celebrates La Union’s diverse produce while supporting local farmers.
Behind this restaurant is Chef Xavier “Xave” Balangue Mercado, a Mass Communication graduate who never trained as a chef but saw food as a bridge between dreams and community. After college, he went to the United States not to work in kitchens, but to learn from them. “I visited different states and talked to janitors, waiters, waitresses, and cooks. I was doing a feasibility study because I was planning to open a restaurant or refreshment parlor here in La Union,” he said.
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