Mid-Autumn Festival is just a month away, and if you are looking to get the best traditional mooncakes, whether for yourself, your family or as gifts for loved ones, we have the best recommendations here
Text: Sean Tan
Consisting of Red Date Longan Mooncake, XO Scallop Mooncake, Taiwan Assam Tea Kumquat Mooncake and Lychee Rose Mooncake, this special box set is great for the more adventurous baked mooncake lovers. It’s also limited to only 1,000 boxes, so hurry If you want to get it! At $66, from Bakerzin outlets and booths, and www.bakerzin.com.
Choose from three classic variations: White Lotus Paste with Double Egg Yolk, White Lotus Paste with Single Egg Yolk and White Lotus Paste with Melon Seeds. The lotus paste in these is smooth and luscious, really tasty without being too sweet. At $62 for a box of four, from Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. Visit www.crowneplazadining.com for more information.
Even if you are watching your weight or sugar intake, you can still indulge in this low-sugar option by Crystal Jade which is just as delicious as the normal ones. The skin on these mooncakes is really thin and the filling of premium lotus paste is generous, so every bite is a treat. From $30 for a box of two, from selected Crystal Jade outlets. Visit www.crystaljade.com for more information.
This one will be appreciated by all true blue mooncake purists as it’s based on a traditional recipe from old. Each bite of the Assorted Nuts with Ham (‘Kum Toy’) Mooncake is packed with “Yunnan” Ham, BBQ Pork, Walnut, Sesame Seed, Almond Flakes, Melon Seed, Cashew Nuts and Candied Dried Fruit Peel, giving you a satisfying mouthful. At $42 for two, from Goodwood Park Hotel. Visit www.goodwoodparkhotel.com for more information.
There’s nothing we love more than tradition with a twist, and this unexpected new pairing from Cherry Garden works well as the luscious lotus paste blend perfectly with caramel and aromatic sea salt into one delectable delicacy. At $37.45 for two, from Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental. Visit www.mandarinoriental.com/singapore/fine-dining/cherry-garden/ for more information.
There is single yolk, double yolk and even four yolk, but this one takes the cake (or the mooncake) for having eight yolk! Definitely one for yolk lovers, this 6.5 inch beauty filled with smooth white lotus paste makes an impressive gift. At $72.80 for one, from Peach Blossoms at Marina Mandarin Singapore. Visit www.marinamandarin.com.sg/dining for more information.
Traditional recipes are most treasured when it comes to baked mooncakes, and that is why baker extraordinaire Daniel Tay created these for Old Seng Choong. “We are taking our customers back to a time when it was customary for the family to make and bake traditional lotus paste mooncakes together and to share the labour of their love with one another at one table. This ritual should be shared and preserved, and I hope this collection will strengthen the love for tradition and family,” says Daniel. From $52 for a box of four, from www.oldsengchoong.com.
This box contains a perfect selection of four classic baked mooncakes, consisting of four different flavours of Hai Tien Lo’s new and signature offerings: White Lotus Seed Paste with Double Yolk, Black Sesame with Single Yolk, Green Tea Paste with Single Yolk and Vegetarian Mixed Nuts. Great as a gift for your parents or mother-in-law. At $72, from Hai Tien Lo at Pan Pacific Singapore. Visit www.pacificmarketplace.sg for more information.
The hotel might be better known for their Champagne Truffle snowskin mooncake, but did you know that their traditional baked mooncakes are just as great? Go for the one with double yolk and macadamia nuts, it impressed us with its full-on nutty flavour and texture. At $72 for four, from Raffles Singapore. Visit www.rafflesmooncake.com for more information.
Perfect as gifts, this box contains two each of TungLok’s all-time faves Double Yolk White Lotus and Double Yolk Red Lotus. Each mooncake is filled with velvety lotus seed paste and guaranteed to satisfy even the most demanding mooncake connoisseur. At $62, from various TungLok restaurants. Visit www.tunglok.com for more information.