Midnight snacking with Mikael Daez

Doctors often advise us to refrain from eating late at night to avoid weight gain but what can one do when the midnight munchies strike?

A few years ago, GMA News and Public Affairs introduced a new segment, Midnight Snack hosted by Mikael Daez. As the title suggested, the segment that capped the late-night newscast was short and sweet, and featured him trying out different local dishes. It gradually caught the attention of viewers and as a result, Mikael  was given a five-minute segment, Midnight Express, at the end of Saksi.

The scope of this segment is wider, more informative.

“We try to feature dishes that are unique or historically/culturally relevant. Aside from raising awareness of the different kinds of dishes available, we want to be able to share relevant facts to our viewers about the food that we feature. So far, Midnight Express has been a surprise hit and we plan on exploring other ideas to expand our reach and coverage,” he said.

Mikael credits his parents for his openness to try new things. In fact, he has since gotten over his dislike for spicy food and tried balut soup and Soup No. 5, among many other dishes.

“Both my mom and dad were food lovers and they made a conscious effort to pass that on to me. I remember weekend dinners at different restaurants. At a time when the Internet was in its infancy, my parents became my most important info-resource,” added Mikael. “They taught me how to use chopsticks and eat Japanese food. They made me try real Italian pizza and not just the commercially available ones. I remember eating sharksfin soup in a classy Chinese dinner meeting with my dad and his business partners.” (That last item, however, has since been taken off the menus of restaurants that used to serve it.)

Even before he took on the job as host of these segments, Mikael has always been a foodie. He recalled how his castmates in his previous teleseryes nicknamed him “growing boy” because he always ate anything with gusto.

Despite his healthy appetite, he keeps fit by working out a lot and choosing to eat healthy during non-Midnight Express days. “That makes up for a lot because we only tape once a week lang naman.”

Aside from appearing on the nightly segment, Mikael  is also part of Bubble Gang and is gradually venturing into News and Public Affairs. Entertainment TV and News might seem like polar opposites but he has no problem switching caps.

“I don’t really distinguish between the two other than their names. I go into every project with the same focus and attention. If anything, it’s their style of production that differs. But that has helped me learn more things because they go about things differently,” he said.

At the moment, he enjoys sampling different types of Filipino food and learning about their origins. Here are five of his favorite dishes featured in Midnight Express:

•A&M’s Bulalo — Best bulalo ever! The meat of bulalo is so difficult to cook well but they managed to do it every time. The recipe wasn’t outrageous or bizarre but it’s a good example of an excellently cooked dish.

•Dong Bei Dumplings — It’s so easy to look for dumplings but difficult to find very good ones. Newly-cooked, Dong Bei dumplings are some of the best tasting dumplings. Tastes fresh and delicious.

•Boy Ching Woo Chicken — Such an unassuming resto yet the chicken was unforgettable. This was one of our first episodes but I will never forget how great their chicken was.

•Aling Lucing’s sisig with egg — This classic was heaven. It’s such a sinful dish but there’s something exciting about being able to feast on something that should be eaten in moderation.

•DEC Chicken Pie — Also one of our first episodes. I’ve never had a chicken pie so good! I was so surprised because my expectations were so low!