- Nicholas Yong
11 Best Mooncakes in Singapore to Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is upon us once again, which means it’s time for mooncakes! Like every year, all the hotels, restaurants and shops are trying to outdo each other in a battle for the most creative mooncakes and outlandish packaging possible. From the timeless classics to the innovative creations, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite places to get your mooncakes from this year.
Old Seng Choong
For baked mooncakes, there’s two new flavours to savour — the Red Lotus Paste with Bakwa and the Chilled Yam with Pumpkin Snowskin, should be on top of your shopping list. The old favourite Wu Ren with Bakwa also returns by popular demand. Get the Four Heavenly Kings - Premium box ($168.80). Inside this tiffany blue faux leather case are four assorted mooncakes and four canisters of tea (choose between Red Tea or Da Hong Pao blends).
On the snowskin mooncake side, there’s two new flavours as well, the Yam with Pumpkin Snowskin and one that’s truly enticing, the Pandan with Gula Melaka Snowskin. You can get two mini mooncakes of each, along with two Rum & Raisin with Dark Chocolate Pearl Snowskin and Yuzu Martini Snowskin mini mooncakes in a Heavenly Beauties box ($68.80).
Those who can’t get enough of durian have the Mao Shan Wang Durian Snowskin to indulge in ($88.80 for eight mini mooncakes).
Order at
Yàn
Yàn at the National Gallery Singapore’s White Lotus Paste and Thousand Layer Yam mooncakes are ready to order for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival. The former has whole pure lotus seeds with single/double salted egg yolks or macadamia nuts, while the latter is sweet yam paste encased within thin, crispy folds of pastry ($64-$68 per box). You can create your own box of four flavour combinations too ($64-$68 per box). Remember to order a day ahead for the Thousand Layer Yam Mooncakes.
Joining the time honoured favourites is the Mao Shan Wang Durian Snowskin mooncake ($98 per box), with plenty of the Mao Shan Wang durian pulp.
Order at
https://www.yan.com.sg/mooncakes/
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
Two new selections take centre stage from this year’s JW Marriott Singapore South Beach offerings — a sweet Blueberry mooncake ($74 per box of 4) and a Premium Mixed Nuts mooncake ($82 per box of 4) made with pecans, almonds, lotus paste and scented with cinnamon. The hotel’s evergreen flavours, Double Yolk Lotus Paste ($82 per box of 4) and Signature Pu’er Tea mooncakes ($74 per box of 4) are not to be missed either, with the chia seeds added to the Pu’er flavour to amplify the tea’s mellow sweetness. Grab an assorted box with one of each flavour at $78 per box.
Another welcomed addition is the all-new signature Tian Mi Mi snowskin mini mooncake ($76 per box of 8) inspired by a well-loved cocktail from the hotel’s Madame Fan Bar. Also among the snowskin offerings are the Chestnut, Chendol, Osmanthus and Mao Shan Wang mini mooncake flavours ($72, $72, $72 and $82 per box of 8 respectively). The Chendol mooncake has an Insta-worthy unique marbling stain on its skin that makes it look like jade. One box of all the snowskin flavours (2 pieces each without Mao Shan Wang) is $74.
Order at
https://festive-jwmarriottsingapore.oddle.me/en_SG/
Mariott Singapore Tang Plaza
Luxurious mooncakes go one step beyond with the Wan Hao Premium Gift Set ($238 per box of 4) at the Mariott Singapore Tang Plaza — the debutant Golden Red Date Baked Mooncakes with Pistachio, Jambon de Bayonne, Sesame & Salted Egg comes packaged alongside a bottle of Château Rieussec Cru Classé Sauternes, France 2015. Talk about making a gift giving impression. Red date paste with Jambon de Bayonne, a French cured ham, gives this mooncake a delectable savoury taste.
Also sharing the stage is another new creation, the White Lotus Seed Paste Baked Mooncakes with Jambon de Bayonne, Lavender & Pistachio, along with the White Lotus Seed Paste with Single/Double Yolk ($74/$76 per box of 4) or Macadamia Nuts ($70 per box of 4) as well as Chicken-Bak Kwa with Assorted Nuts ($72 per box of 4).
Snowskin flavours are more experimental here, with new Raspberry Yoghurt Snowskin Mooncake with Rosemary Honey Praline ($70 per box of 8), Mocha Snowskin Mooncake with Rose Liqueur Praline ($70 per box of 8) and Coconut Snowskin Mooncake with Champagne Praline ($72 per box of 8) taking the spotlight. Of course, the hotel’s best selling Pure ‘Mao Shan Wang’ Premium Grade Durian Snowskin Mooncakes ($82 per box of 8) are available too.
Order at
http://www.singaporemarriott.com/mooncakes/_orders
Kam’s Roast
Yes, Kam’s Roast has mooncakes. And yes, it also comes in duck flavour. A Singapore first, the Kam’s Roast Assorted Nuts with Roast Duck Mooncake ($68+ per box of 4) has walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, olive seeds and melon seeds with savoury roast duck in midlly sweet paste.
Also available at the Michelin starred restaurant is the Kam’s Roast Red Bean Orange Peel Mooncake (S$68+ per box of 4). 23-year old aged premium orange peels are layered over red bean paste, giving it a sweet citrusy taste.
Order at
Grand Hyatt Singapore
The Grand Hyatt brings a modern spin to its Snowskin mooncake selections this year, beginning with the Champagne Truffle and Lychee Martini Truffle flavours, inspired by the Grand Hyatt’s famous martini bar. Die-hard boba fans will surely want to try the Brown Sugar Milk Tea Truffle, and the Matcha with Red Bean Truffle makes a perfect gift for green tea afficianados. Last year best-sellers Black Sesame Walnut Truffle and Acai Berry Truffle also make an encore appearance. Mix and match any at $52 for a box of 8.
Not forgetting the classics, the hotel also has traditional handmade mooncakes like the Sesame Lotus Double-Yolk with Roasted Melon Seeds, Red Lotus Double-Yolk with Roasted Melon Seeds, White Lotus Double-Yolk with Roasted Melon Seed and White Lotus with Roasted Melon Seeds mooncake. Choose any of these variants at $52 for a box of 4.
Order at
https://www.singapore.grand.hyattrestaurants.com/mid-autumn-festival.html
Regent Singapore
For those with truly adventurous mooncake palates, let the Regent Singapore fulfil your cravings. Their snowskin Mooncake flavours — the Pandan and Hazelnut ($81.30 per box of 8), Basilico Truffle Carbonara ($81.30 per box of 8), Osmanthus Tea and Purple Cauliflower ($81.30 per box of 8), the sugar-free Tea Lounge Yuzu Strawberry Cheesecake ($81.30 per box of 8) plus the Manhattan Hanky Panky ($81.30 per box of 8) mooncakes were crafted especially by its award-winning restaurants and bars. It all comes in a box packaged like the hotel’s distinctive bubble lifts.
For the traditionalists, baked mooncakes at the Regent include the Parma Ham and Pork Floss with Assorted Nuts ($85.60 per box of 4), White Lotus Paste with either Double Yolk, Single Yolk or No Egg, all with Melon Seeds ($85.60, $81.30 and $78.10 per box of 4).
Order at
https://www.regenthotels.com/regent-singapore/overview/news-events/mid-autumn-2019
Mandarin Orchard Singapore
The top pick from the Mandarin Orchard Singapore is the Limited Edition Piglet-shaped Mooncake filled with either Azuki Red Bean Paste or Low Sugar White Lotus Paste ($32 each). Joining the hotel’s centrepiece is the Duo Collection — Cempedak with Low Sugar Pandan Paste and Charcoal-baked Yuzu and Mixed Nuts with Black Sesame Paste ($45 food 2 pieces). The signature Mixed Nuts and Jamón Ibérico ($76 per box of 4) also make a return. All baked mooncakes are presented in a turquoise tower box with Mandarin Orchard’s signature lattice pattern. Also comes in a two-piece smaller box.
The hotel’s snowskin selection include Lychee Martini and Chocolate ($70 per box of 8), and Red Wine Cranberry Paste with Japanese Yuzu and Lemongrass ($70 per box of 8).
Order at
https://shop-orchard.meritushotels.com/en_SG/
Pan Pacific Hotel
Hai Tien Lo at Pan Pacific Hotel is introducing four snowskin mooncake flavours for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, the Gianduja and Yuzu, Earl Grey and Cherry, Coconut and Pineapple and Passionfruit and Mango (each $68.80 per box of 4). Try them all in an assorted Four Treasures Snowskin Mooncake box ($68.80). Tagging along is the ever-popular Mao Shan Wang Durian Snowskin ($88.80).
As for traditional baked mooncakes, the Signature White Lotus Seed Paste with Double and Single Yolk (each $73.80 and $69.80) per box of 4) has a halal-certified option. Health-watchers can opt for the Low-sugar Jade Paste and Melon Seeds and Low-sugar White Lotus Seed Paste with Macadamia Nuts.
As for the packaging, they have collaborated with gifted alumni autism artists from the Artist Development Programme by Pathlight School. The pictured mooncake tin, “Bird and the Blosssom” is illustrated by Selena Seow, and the limited edition tote bag, “Botanical” ($15) is drawn by Nurul Amirah Binte Zain. $1 for every mooncake box and $10 from every tote bag sale goes to the Singapore Autism Resource Centre.
Order at
SunnyHills
Pineapple fans rejoice! SunnyHills surprises with its limited-edition Pineapple Custard ($45 per box of 6) mooncakes, concocted as part of its 10th anniversary. It’s a little smaller than your average baked mooncake, and the pineapple fillings are covered with a layer of salted egg for a less sweet, tangy flavour. No artificial preservatives and additives.
Order at
Bakerzin
Those who live the boba life, look no further than Bakerzin's boba-inspired snowskin mooncakes. The Bobba Love Collection ($70 per box of 8) includes the Pearl Latte Snowskin Mooncake, Pearl Yuan Yang Snowskin Mooncake (coffee mixed with tea), Kanten Passion Fruit Mango Grains Snowskin Mooncake and Kanten Matcha Red Bean Pomelo Snowskin Mooncake, all inspired by your favourite boba flavours. Bakerzin is also bringing back its collection of boozy mooncakes. The snowskin mooncakes from the Tipsy Treats Collection ($70 per box of 8) are the Apple Vodka Truffle Snowskin Mooncake, Baileys Butterscotch Truffle Snowskin Mooncake, Coconut Liqueur Truffle Snowskin Mooncake and Latte Kahlua Truffle Snowskin Mooncake.
Order at