Cafe Via Mare

If you have never had Puto Bumbong, a glutinous rice (puto) cooked in bamboo (bumbong), you cannot leave the Philippines without trying it. It is made with a blend of black rice, sweet or regular plain rice. The puto is done once the steam passes through the tube. This delicacy is usually served around Christmas time but at Via Mare, it is served all year round.  Purple yam powder gives it the purple color. Toppings for the puto are butter, coconut, muscovado sugar and cheese. I only like the butter and the muscovado sugar.

While still in the Philippines, my mom and I were determined to have Sandi try another Philippine delicacy. We stopped by again at Via Mare to order the famous Bibingka which is another rice cake traditionally made with galapong(milled glutinous rice) coconut milk,eggs, margarine and sugar. The bibingka is cooked in clay pots lined in banana leaves. There are many varieties of bibingka toppings. 

Our favorite is the one with queso de bola (aged edam) and quesong puti (white cheese made from carabao's milk). It was delicious. We couldn't really indulge as we were on our way to a big luncheon with friends. 

There area multiple Via Mare's in and around Metro Manila in the Philippines.