Flan and ube ice cream make it extra special.

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?

Dig deep to find jackfruit and young coconut.

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