Philippines Shines with Halo-Halo at the 2025 ASEAN Food Festival in Nairobi
NAIROBI, 29 April 2025 — The halo-halo took center stage at the 2025 ASEAN Food Festival, held at the Village Market in Nairobi on 26 April 2025.
Its vibrant colors and refreshing taste quickly became a festival favorite, drawing in a diverse crowd of Kenyans, expatriates, and diplomats.
Alongside the halo-halo, the Philippine booth showcased an array of beloved Filipino dishes, including chicken adobo, lumpiang shanghai, pansit, chicken inasal, pork barbecue, and popular street foods like fish balls and squid balls.
The Filipino community in Kenya played a vital role in preparing and presenting the dishes, ensuring an authentic taste of the Philippines, contributing to a timely celebration of Filipino Food Month in April.
Organized by the ASEAN Committee in Nairobi (ACN), which includes the diplomatic missions of the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the eagerly-anticipated annual festival offered ASEAN regional favorites such as Indonesia’s bakso, Malaysia’s rendang, Thailand’s pad kra pao. This year, the Vietnamese community in Nairobi also participated in the festival.
The event included live cooking demonstrations and raffle prizes sponsored by Air Asia, Indomie, and Golden Africa, creating a festive atmosphere.
Philippine Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang emphasized the event’s significance in fostering cultural and economic diplomacy, strengthening people-to-people ties, raising the profile of ASEAN in Kenya, and enhancing ASEAN-Kenya partnerships.END
The halo-halo highlighted the Philippine booth at the 2025 ASEAN Food Festival in Nairobi.
The ASEAN Handshake. From left to right: Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Danny Rahdiansyah (Indonesia), Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang (The Philippines), High Commissioner Ruzaimi Mohamad (Malaysia), Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Deputy Director General for Asia Pacific Henry Wambuma (Kenya), and Ambassador Morakot Janemathukorn (Thailand)
Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang presents the dishes at the Philippine booth.
Members of the Filipino community in Kenya with their culinary creations at the ASEAN Food Festival
