(Chicago) – I live in the city but for many good reasons, I find myself hanging out more in the suburbs. I actually prefer going to the less crowded malls outside the city, rather than in downtown Chicago, where tourists mob the restaurants and stores, and parking is just annoyingly difficult and unreasonably expensive if you plan to get a secure spot. End of ranting, I’m supposed to share my fun, laid-back weekend discovery in Niles, a suburb northwest of the City of Chicago. Here it goes.
I was just driving around this area with a friend and we chanced upon a familiar ice cream store in the corner of a main crossroad. Another friend mentioned to me before that this place is Filipino owned but I was not completely sure. I saw no signs of anything Filipino from the outside. Perhaps, I needed to get inside. And yes, it is very Filipino indeed. The pictures of “halo-halo”, “palabok”, empanada and other popular Filipino snacks are all over the place. Exciting!
Village Creamery is famous in the neighborhood for its desserts like the homemade ice cream and “halo-halo”. These are the basic sweets that every Filipino grew up loving and this place will not disappoint. I really like the slightly coarse texture of the “ube” (taro) ice cream I ordered. I find it better than Magnolia or Selecta brands.
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And the “halo-halo” (direct English translation is “mix-mix”) is satisfyingly cool. I am used to excessive Manila Peninsula “halo-halo”, dubbed as the best dessert in Asia by Time magazine years ago. The Village version is petite, yet well composed. Each component like the tapioca, ice cream, caramelized banana, is just toothsome. All the more when you mix them all together, you get the most refreshing Filipino dessert called “halo-halo”.
Don’t miss out on “palabok”. It is not freshly prepared onsite but I found all the familiar flavors that made me love this noodle dish, in it. Although, the wait till microwave completes the cooking is just a plain turn off. But I shouldn’t complain. This joint is an ice cream parlor in the first place.
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8000 N Waukegan Rd
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 965-9805
www.villagecreamery.com
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