My love of Filipino breakfast—garlic fried rice, eggs, a buttery toasted pan de sal, and any of several proteins, including dried milkfish—is no secret to readers of this blog. I am especially fond of getting my log on at Manny’s Bake Shop. That’s because the good ladies at Manny’s serve the most important meal of the day with a slice of cake for dessert. One day it might be purple ube cake and the next it might be an exquisite slice of brazo de Mercedes.
About a month ago I noticed a sign on the door advertising halo halo, the psychedelic Filipino snow cone. I couldn’t possibly have the mixture of shaved ice, young coconut, jackfruit, palm fruit, and ruby and emerald cubes of gelatin for breakfast. Or could I?
One humid morning I threw caution to the wind and decided to have a frosty dessert for breakfast. I ordered halo halo especial ($5.25). Apparently the extra buck buys two scoops of ube ice cream and a wobbly block of flan. Especial, indeed. Given that breakfast at Manny’s is usually fat laden and always ends with cake, I didn’t see the halo halo as such an unhealthy alternative.
Manny’s Bake Shop, 161-18 Union Turnpike, Flushing, 718-380-0802