Laszlo was hankering for dessert yesterday so we hopped off to Crystal’s Cafe in Jackson Heights and tried Halo-Halo, a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold in a tall glass or bowl. I was going to insist that the kitchen staff crush the ice using the Original Snoopy Sno-Cone machine but Lay-Z, in a rare moment of canine hostility, berated me for suggesting something egregiously un-P.C.
The ingredients of Halo-Halo, which translates to “mix-mix” in Tagalog, are a literal garden of exotic delights — and quite the perfect summer dessert for the melting pot that is New York City, no? — from boiled red mung beans, tapioca, sugar palm fruit and coconut sport to jackfruit, nata de coco, and custard. Other fruits, such as papayas, avocados, kiwifruit, bananas or cherries, may also be added.
In terms of arrangement, most of the ingredients (fruits, beans, and other sweets) are first placed inside the tall glass, followed by the shaved ice. This is then sprinkled with sugar, and topped with either (or a combination of) leche flan, or ice cream. Condensed milk is poured into the mixture upon serving.
To make the serving extra special, one can import a 23-year-old Czech medical student/lifeguard/violinist/hottie to feed Laszlo, whose snout was watering over the creamy concoction. (He even swallowed.) My new friend, J.D. (who had serious reservations about the existence of things BTS), offered me dessert but I politely — yet regretfully — declined while secretly loathing Laszlo for enjoying every lick, the furry little Jezebel!
Better Than Sex 