Best of Mooncakes - 2013
(Read our 2014 Mooncake article here: http://bit.ly/BestMooncakes2014)
Hate it or love it; once again, the Mid-Autumn Festival draws upon us. It’s the time of the year where shopping atriums are filled with those sinfully delectable mooncakes from various hotels. To make the most out of your extra hours on the treadmill, Six&Seven has taken the liberty to sift through hundreds of mooncakes to bring you its top choices for this year.
For the traditional
Jiang-Nan Chun – Four Seasons
When it comes to Chinese traditions, Jiang-Nan Chun remains as one of Six&Seven’s all time favourite place to be; it is no surprise that Chef Alan Chan’s traditionally baked mooncakes ranked as one of our favourites this year.
Perennial favourites such as the lotus paste mooncakes are one of the best. The lotus paste is of fine consistency, and the skin of the right thickness. Chef Alan also experiments with new varities such as the Pandan and White Lotus Seed Paste with Melon Seeds ($58 for a box of 4) and the Silver Lotus Paste with Cassia Flowers, Oolong Tea and Melon Seeds ($58 for a box of 4), which are a delightful twist to the baked mooncakes.
Sze-Chuan Court – Fairmont Hotel
After sampling hundreds of mooncakes, Sze-Chuan Court’s selection of traditionally baked mooncakes etched on our tastebuds. Their Double Yolk in White Lotus Paste ($62 for a box of 4) hinges just on the right amount of sweetness. Other favourites include their Roasted Pine Nuts in White Lotus Paste ($58 for a box of 4), which is great for all the baked mooncakes aficionados out there.
Additionally, Sze-Chuan Court’s mooncake boxes come with a photo frame for you to frame up that special mooncake indulgent festival with your families. From now until 19 August, you get to enjoy a 20% off their mooncake selections. FAR (Feed At Raffles) card members will be delighted to know that they are entitled to a 35% discount when purchasing before 25 August.
For the snow-skin lovers
Raffles Hotel
In my books, Raffles Hotel has always made one of the better snowskin mooncakes in the markets. Their Snow-skin Mooncake with Champagne Truffle and Ganache ($68 for a box of 8) takes the cake for exquisiteness, and yet again it had me at its first bite. Other all-time favourites include their Snow-skin Mooncakes with Raffles Cognac Truffles ($64 for a box of 8).
For the teochews
Golden Peony – Conrad Hotel
Baked and snow-skin mooncakes are almost on every hotel’s menu, but only a selected few do serve up the Teochew style crispy skin mooncakes. Paying homage to my heritage, I do enjoy the cispy texture on the outside paired with the molten paste and yolk within. Golden Peony’s Sweet Potato in Filo Pastry ($56 for a box of 8) is the one to choose if you’re to entertain your Teochew friends.
For the durian lovers
Goodwood Park Hotel
Durians – you either hate it or love it. I myself am an ardent durian fan, but only if I do not intend to meet anyone for the next 24 hours. Goodwood Park Hotel has always been famous for their selection of durian creations, and it comes as no surprise that they have wowed the Six&Seven team with their durian creations.
Durian lovers would rejoice in Goodwood Park Hotel’s Premium Durian Snow-skin Combo ($66 for a box of 4), which includes a D88, Red Prawn, Mao Shan Wang and Butter Durian flavoured mooncakes. Those who demand only the “caviar” of durians, indulge in the Durian Snow-skin Twin Treasures ($80 for a 12cm D88 and Mao Shan Wang), a combination of the best Durian flavours found in a mooncake.
For the novelty
Goods of Desire – Butt Mooncakes
Not the best of corporate gifts, the mooncakes from Goods of Desire’s butt mooncakes is a novel gift to friends. Playing on the pun of the lunar calendar, the auspicious mid-autumn festival date translates to buttocks. Produced by Mei-Xin Fine Goods, the butt mooncakes are as delicious as they are alluring. Enjoy a 15% discount when you order the butt mooncakes ($52 for a box of four) before the 31st of August.
For the packaging
Silk Road – Amara Hotel
“It’s all about the packaging”. And as seen from the Japanese culture, at times the packaging could cost more than the item itself. For this year’s mid-autumn festival, Silk Road presents its mooncakes in an elegant gift box with enchanting floral motifs, making it a perfect giveaway for both colleagues and friends.
Traditional baked mooncakes include the Double Yolk with White Lotus Paste ($64 for a box of 4) and the Single Yolk with White Lotus Paste ($62 for a box of 4). Silk Road also serves a selection of mini snow-skin mooncakes – Mao Shan Wang Durian ($59 for a box of 8) and Yuzu Vodka Cello Truffle ($55 for a box of 8)
Man Fu Yuan – Intercontinental Singapore
For this year mid-autumn festival, Man Fu Yuan collaborated with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) to produce a simple yet elegant box to present the mooncakes. The elongated box covered in bright gold is a medley of charm and tradition. The artistically drawn Chinese character is a representation of the Chinese folklore of the Jade Rabbit and the Moon Goddess Chang Er.
Well known for their Peranakan heritage, Man Fu Yuan’s introduces the Pulot Hitam Mooncake ($53.80 for a box of 4), which has black glutinous rice filling in the centre. The snow-skin mooncake selection also includes their signature White Lotus Seed Paste with Macadamia Nuts and Sesame Paste with White Sesame Seeds.
Photo credit from Shutterstock.com