00:00 Fusing his love for art and baking, a Filipino in New York clinched the first runner-up spot
00:05 in the second season of Netflix's reality baking competition, Is It Cake?
00:10 And we have him joining us this morning all the way from New York, Mico Cau.
00:14 Good morning, Mico, and welcome to New Day.
00:17 Hi, Paolo.
00:19 Good morning.
00:20 How are you?
00:21 It's such a treat to have you.
00:22 I'm great.
00:23 Listen, Mico, your talent is being recognized everywhere.
00:25 You were on Netflix's Is It Cake 2.
00:28 And you also did a Disney+ show called Foodtastic.
00:31 And that's just, well, that's really just scratching the surface.
00:34 Take us back to the beginning.
00:37 How did you first discover your love for art and baking?
00:40 And of course, how did your Filipino roots play a part in shaping that passion?
00:45 So basically, I started art at a very early age, at the age of four.
00:54 And then after that one, I never missed a summer.
00:57 I attended art workshops until I graduated high school.
01:00 And then after that, I took up fine arts against the will, against the decision of my parents
01:07 because they wanted me to take up something related to like, something like medicine or
01:13 courses like business courses.
01:17 But I really wanted to take up fine arts because it's my passion.
01:20 It's my love.
01:22 And so after that, I worked as a teacher for five years, three years in the Philippines
01:26 and two years in China.
01:28 But then my passion in cake decorating is very strong.
01:33 So I decided to quit my job as a teacher and go back to the Philippines to study baking
01:38 and pastry arts.
01:39 And then that's how I ended up here in the States because I was given an opportunity
01:45 to do an internship at Mason-Kweiser, where I worked for two years.
01:49 And then I had another internship at Ron Ben Israel's.
01:51 Okay, well, you have quite a bit of experience under your belt.
01:56 And this was your passion that really sort of drove you on a road towards where you are
02:03 now.
02:04 But you did, as I understand it, have your hesitations in doing your audition for "Is
02:11 It Cake?"
02:12 What was that about?
02:13 And why did you finally decide to give it a try?
02:17 Because basically, I am more of a wedding cake decorator.
02:23 And then when they called me, when one of the casting producers reached out to me, she
02:28 asked me if I want to audition for the show.
02:31 I was kind of hesitant because, first of all, I don't do a lot of three-dimensional cakes,
02:36 like sculpted cakes.
02:39 But then I was like, "Okay, let me...
02:41 Why not give it a try?"
02:42 You know, I mean, I have a background in arts.
02:45 I did some sculpting before.
02:47 I was like, "I'm pretty sure I'm going to nail this one."
02:49 But it was not an easy decision.
02:53 I had to think several times before I said yes to it.
02:57 And look where it got you.
02:58 I mean, you were all the way pretty darn close to the top.
03:03 And I think people, I consider you the winner of the show.
03:07 As far as I'm concerned, with your Mona Lisa piece, it really was mind-blowing how you
03:12 put that all together.
03:13 Mika, do you consider yourself an artist first and a baker second?
03:18 Are those two things...
03:19 Can you separate those things?
03:20 Or is that part of the whole package for you?
03:24 I was an artist first.
03:26 You know, it's just that I was exposed to the baking world because of my aunt, because
03:31 she's also a cake decorator.
03:32 That was, I think, in my third year or fourth year high school.
03:37 And then...
03:38 So I was like, "Oh my God, this is kind of fun to do."
03:42 And at the same time, it's basically the same.
03:44 Because cake decorating is basically the same as painting on canvas or sculpting three-dimensional
03:50 objects.
03:52 So I was like, "Okay, why not give it a try?"
03:55 You make it sound easy.
03:56 Look at just...
03:57 Look at that.
03:58 I think people should realize the level of skill and really the scale of your creations.
04:03 It really is mind-blowing and amazing.
04:05 Mika, listen, how has life changed since you did "Is It Cake?"
04:09 I'm sure doors have been opening.
04:10 I'm sure you've got opportunities, people trying to break down your door and all kinds
04:18 of offers coming your way.
04:19 Is that what it's like now?
04:20 Kind of, kind of.
04:24 But not really crazy.
04:27 But one thing for sure that I find really weird is that before, I'm just an ordinary
04:34 person walking on the street.
04:35 And then after the show aired, people would stop you.
04:38 People recognize you.
04:39 Yeah.
04:40 Because they're like, "Oh my God, you are Mika on 'Is It Cake?'"
04:43 And I was like, "Oh my God, people recognize me now."
04:46 In a city as big as New York, really?
04:48 I've been receiving a lot of offers.
04:52 People are sending me messages if I could make them cakes and things like that.
04:56 So yeah, it has been crazy.
04:58 And actually, my Instagram blew up after the show aired.
05:03 I've been receiving a lot of direct messages, private messages from people.
05:09 It was more than 400, 500 private messages.
05:13 Well, I've read everything, but I try my best to respond to them, to reach out to them.
05:19 But it's just that it's too much for one person to handle.
05:23 But then rest assured, I was able to read all of their messages.
05:26 Okay.
05:27 Well, aside from answering all of your DMs, what's next for you as far as your career
05:33 goes?
05:34 I'm sure there are many things you still want to do.
05:36 What's on the horizon for Mico Uy?
05:40 This coming November, I'll be in the Philippines.
05:42 I will be visiting the Philippines because I'll be attending a cake show.
05:48 It's the Cake Fiesta Manila.
05:50 But aside from that one, I'm planning to start my business here in the States, here in New
05:57 York.
05:58 So I'm crossing my fingers.
05:59 It's not going to be easy, but big things start with small steps.
06:07 Okay.
06:08 Well, this is definitely a step in the right direction.
06:10 And I think you are going to be the exception to the case.
06:12 You can actually have your cake and eat it too, Mico.
06:15 Thank you so much for joining us here on New Day.
06:16 (laughing)
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