This has to be something of a watershed year for the mooncake scene. The average buyer is going to be spoilt for choice considering the unprecedented gamut of flavours (root beer and ondeh-ondeh snowskins can only coexist in Singapore), coupled with a staggering variety of box designs. The Peak‘s tackled the latter category for you.
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel’s premium two-tier gold satin box is stocked with four gold-dusted single-yolk baked mooncakes filled with salted lotus seed paste with parma ham, accompanied with a bottle of Perrier Jouët Champagne.
What we love about it is it’s multifunctionality: the top of the chest doubles up as a photo frame. There’s only 200 of these limited edition boxes.
Sure to win over that friend that adores vintage items, Crowne Plaza Hotel’s baked mooncakes come in an orange suitcase complete with brown trimming, working clasps, and a hinged handle that comes with a luggage tag.
The compartmentalised inserts can be removed, leaving a hardy case that looks comfortable to hand-carry.
This is one for Disney fans. Crystal Jade’s Mickey and Minnie snow-skin mooncake collection comes in a black and red lacquer box, inspired by the characters’ iconic outfits.
When opened, the box unveils intricate laser-cut backdrops of the couple against a full moon. Another thing we like about this sturdy piece are the drawer handles, taken from the signature white buttons on Mickey’s shorts.
Resembling oriental jewellery boxes, Shangri-la’s mooncake boxes are elegant, tasteful touches for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Each of the four-tiered mooncake boxes are adorned faux pearl button handles and flanked by chinoiserie of birds, willows and cherry blossoms.
The boxes come in three colours: soft pink for snow-skin, crimson for baked mooncakes and celadon for smaller baked versions.
For those who favour a more durable leather case, Fairmont’s jewellery box design sports a tray with a lift-to-open lid and two drawers, the latter which contain mooncakes boxed individually in bamboo, and surrounded by a fragrant smattering of tea leaves.
These dainty mooncake boxes from Mandarin Oriental take on traditional Chinese aesthetics in a sophisticated way.
The mint-blue chest, covered with textured cloth prints (resembling oil paintings) of cherry blossoms and butterflies, holds either two or three drawers with oriental gold handles. This elegant piece would feel right at home on the dressing table for keeping trinkets – keep it well!
Pan Pacific Hotel offers a contemporary take on the mooncake box with bright red and turquoise. The red flap is adorned with a velvet floral brocade and a Chinese love knot.
There’s also a ‘secret’ pull-out compartment under the first box for two more mooncakes – a welcome surprise for mooncake-lovers.
If you’re not into shouty designs, this cerulean satin-clad box top with an inset brushed metal badge will hit the mark.
Take our advice and grab the snowskin box – the JW Marriott rendition of local favourite ondeh-ondeh floored even the sceptics in our office with its well-balanced textures and masterful contrast of light and heavy flavours.
Yan Ting’s premium boxes are aptly named “lavish”. A variegated cyan box with a heavy-duty gold clasp (which can be padlocked) holds up to eight mooncakes in two drawers.
The gift set includes a teapot set with premium Pu Erh tea, or you could opt for a 375ml bottle of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut and two flutes for small premium.
For the more conventional gifters looking for a simple gift case, Goodwood Park offers understated elegance with a frills-free flip-up box, adorned with a simple watercolour painting depicting peonies and palatial structures.
Text: Jasmine Tay and Liao Xiang Jun/The Peak
