Traditionally a harvest festival celebrated in mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 24 September this year. The official snack is the mooncake, which is a sweet pastry shared between friends and family during a gathering. While mooncakes are traditionally baked with lotus seed or sweet bean paste, many shops have given their creative spin by launching unique flavours and variations. We round up our favourites!
Grand Hyatt Singapore
Look forward to four new snow-skin flavours including acai berry truffle and teh tarik with chocolate truffle, alongside the hotel’s classic concoctions, including champagne truffle and lychee martini truffle. Priced at $78 for a box of four traditional or eight snow-skin mooncakes; available online or at mezza9 until 24 September.
10 Scotts Road
store.grandhyattsingapore.com
Pan Pacific Singapore
Did someone say durian? Pan Pacific’s Mao Shan Wang durian snow-skin mooncakes ($88.80) are back by popular demand, alongside new, locally-inspired flavours like durian gula melaka, cempedak and lychee with soursop ($68.80). Collection is until 24 September, at the Mooncake Booth on Level 1, Pan Pacific Singapore.
7 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square
9009 5936 | mooncake.ppsin@panpacific.com
pacificmarketplace.sg
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Indulge in perennial favourites and three new mooncake creations: sea salt caramel with taro and shredded coconut, pandan with red bean and melon seeds, and mango puree with macadamia nuts. The traditional mooncakes are sold in two-piece boxes (priced from $38) and four-piece boxes (priced from $72), while the mini snow-skin mooncakes are eight pieces per box ($75). Available until 24 September.
5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square
6885 3081 | mosin-mooncakes@mohg.com
The St. Regis Singapore
Born from an exclusive collaboration with award-winning pâttisier Melissa Chou, the four new snow-skin mooncakes from Yan Ting are exquisite. Try the jasmine tea paste with salted egg yolk and melon seeds ($76 for eight) if you prefer traditional flavours, or the custard with macadamia nuts ($76 for eight) for something richer. Available at Yan Ting restaurant (Level 1) and La Pâtisserie (Lobby Level) until 24 September.
29 Tanglin Road
6506 6852 | festive.midautumn@stregis.com
yantingrestaurant.com/midautumn2018
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Made to be less sweet, and therefore healthier, the redefined chicken bak-kwa baked mooncakes with assorted nuts ($70) here is well-loved by many. Sesame paste and sweet rice flour are used to bind the medley of nutrient-rich, premium assorted nuts, melon candy, preserved kumquat and chicken bak-kwa (a Chinese salty-sweet dried meat similar to jerky). Online orders end on 21 September.
320 Orchard Road
6831 4708 | singaporemarriott.com
Bakerzin
Infused with popular liqueurs, Bakerzin’s Prestige Collection ($60 for eight) is a must-try if you’re into alcoholic mooncakes. Coffee lovers will enjoy the latte kahlua snow skin, but another all-time favourite is the butterscotch baileys snow skin: smooth and rich butterscotch with baileys, encased in a truffle shell. Online orders end on 22 September, 2pm.
Häagen-Dazs
A tried-and-tested favourite, these mochi mooncakes feature rich ice cream carefully wrapped with premium Japanese mochi skin. Sold as a set of four pieces ($75) in strawberry and mango ice-cream flavours, these goodies will please any unconventional mooncake fan. Available at Häagen-Dazs stores islandwide.
facebook.com/HaagenDazs.Singapore
Swensen’s
Another frozen rendition on mooncakes is Swensen’s six ice-cream variations ($39.80 for a box of four) – sticky chewy chocolate, cempedak, passionfruit, wild floral honey crumble, salted butterscotch crumble and Mao Shan Wang (durian). Each oval-shaped mooncake is filled with ice-cream, then wrapped in a unique pastry skin embossed with the restaurant’s iconic “sundae glass”. Available at all Swensen’s and Earle Swensen’s outlets until 24 September.
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