Bibingka in the Metro

Now that I am feeling that Christmas is around the corner mode I indulged and stuffed myself for the past days by eating bibingka. So why did I connect this with Christmas? Because the delicious smell of this sweet rice cake surrounds me during cold December nights, whenever I am in the Misa de Gallo (a.k.a. Simbang Gabi).

Basically this rice cake looks like the western’s version of pancake. But its taste is totally different because the ingredient and the way it was cooked are all different from the pancake. Traditional bibingka recipe is composed of galapong (glutinous rice). It is baked in clay pots lined with banana leaf and the heat comes from live coals placed on top and under the pot. To make it more special it is topped with cheese and salted egg then served hot with butter, sprinkled with some white sugar and grated coconut. I like eating my bibingka with hot strong coffee. Yummy comfort food

For the past days I made a restaurant hopping and splurged on bibingkas. First day in Via Mare at Bonifacio High Street, second day in TsokoNut SM Makati, third day at Nena’s Bibibinka in Cubao, and fourth day at Bibingkabon a kiosk inside Rustans grocery in Gateway Cubao. And the best one for me is Nena’s Bibingka they are famous since 1954.

Later I’ll look for another place that serves bibingka. I heard Café Adriatico’s has their version too…I will check it out, errr I mean taste it.

I’m open to your bibingka suggestions too.