It started with Lola Bebang.
Her granddaughter Mae grew up in a family that made its halo-halo with frozen milk instead of shaved ice. During the pandemic she made it at home and sold cups to the neighbors, sari-sari style. The line down the street said everything.
Five years later the recipe hasn't changed. The kitchens are just bigger.
- Frozen milk We freeze and shave full cream milk instead of ice. Nothing dilutes as it melts, so the last spoonful is as rich as the first.
- Flan at the bottom You don't mix it. You excavate it. The leche flan sits at the base of the cup, so the best part is the reward for finishing.
- The original Premium halo-halo started with this cup in 2021. Everything since gets compared to it, imitations included. That's what creating a category means.