Midnight Express: Simbang Gabi faves puto bumbong, bibingka get modern upgrade

Christmas is truly in the air with the commencement of the nine days of Simbang Gabi. All-time favorite Christmas kakanin puto bumbong and bibingka are here to bring the traditional Paskong Pinoy spirit to your taste buds.

But two restaurants in Metro Manila gave these Simbang Gabi staples an update to please the palates of today's breakfast lovers.

Puto bumbong pancakes at Early Bird Breakfast Club



Early Bird Breakfast Club's puto bumbong pancake is simply a fusion of all of the usual puto bumbong and pancake ingredients, topped with cheese in lieu of butter or margarine and generously spread with coconut cream instead of the usual grated coconut and sugar.

The all-day breakfast restaurant's Chef Matthew Bates thought that the fluffiness of the pancake might go well with the chewiness of the puto.

"It was a case of looking for what is local at Christmas time in the Philippines and finding a way to fuse it with something within the breakfast concept," he said.

During the taste test, Midnight Express' host Mikael Daez, who admittedly loves kakanin, said that the puto bumbong pancake stayed true to the rice cake's flavors.

"Mukha siyang pancake, pero 'pag pinikit mo 'yung mata mo at pinakain sa iyo ito, una mong maiisip hindi pancake. Una mong maiisip, talaga puto bumbong. Gusto ko 'yung cream, bumabagay siya. 'Yung cheese pampadagdag lang sa flavor at texture, pero overall, ok siya," he said.
 
Bibingka waffle at Egg It



The usual bibingka you can find outside the church after Simbang Gabi is currently made of glutinous rice, milk, salted eggs, and cheese. These are commonly cooked using palayok or a clay pot covered with coals.

But Egg It in Pasig City updated the bibingka's preparation and turned it into waffles with crispy bacon and fillings.

"Hong Kong style waffle siya with a twist... yung typical bibingka, may salted egg and cheese, tapos kami, nilagyan namin ng crispy bacon," Egg It owner Jay Isais said.

Instead of using clay pots and coals, they make their special bibinga in waffle pan that looks like an egg tray.

"Hindi nga talaga siya mukhang bibingka, pero bibingkang-bibingka ang lasa niya," Daez exclaimed. — Trisha Macas/VC, GMA News


Catch Midnight Express hosted by Mikael Daez on GMA 7's Saksi from Monday to Thursday.