Top 10 Mooncakes for 2014

Mooncakes are all the rage, around this time of year. And we have seen the craze morph from the traditional icon of the Mid Autumn Festival, to more contemporary forms, such as jelly mooncakes, innovative snow skin flavours and the like. Even the packaging has gone from simple, to extravagant boxes that house these festive treats.

And for the sake of our awesome readers, whom we have had many requests from, we made our Top 10 Mooncakes, that we like – where to go, to buy what kind of flavours and for how much.

What ever rocks your boat, from the traditional lotus seed paste, red bean paste and assorted nuts and fruits, to the more exciting new flavours such as Ping-Pei or Snow Skin Musang King, Custard, Chocolate or even Bird’s Nest flavored, you know you are in for a real treat.

Here are out Top 10 Mooncakes FY 2014 not to be missed !

If like me, you just die a little each time for the White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncakes, then we have to say that it’s hard to beat those from Chef Choi. I love the ones with the salted egg yolk because it strikes a balance between the salty and the sweet. The Snow Skins at Chef Choi are delicate and supple, with a lovely wispy, almost cling to the mouth texture of white lotus seed paste. The best part is that the filling is not too sweet. In fact, the white lotus seed paste is sublime on its own.. even without the yolk.

The Snow skin white lotus paste is priced at RM20, with one yolk – RM22  (both snow skin and baked skin), Double yolk RM23 (but 5 days advanced notice required).

Add:Restaurant Chef Choi,159, Jalan Ampang,Kuala Lumpur.Tel: 03-21635866

Many places are riding the famed Musang King Snow Skin Mooncake wave this year, but none does it better than Elegant Inn.

Made using only the finest and sweetest of the King of Fruits, the Musang King mooncake is just one lovely burst of pure, unadulterated, tantalizing flavour, once you sink your teeth into that soft and creamy snow skin pastry. Its rich, smooth, heavenly texture has been perfected by the team at Elegant Inn, to mimic as close as possible, the real thing. Served super chilled, you only need to take one bite  to be a convert. Both me and Cumi are not huge durian fans but we gobbled up this mooncake in 5 seconds flat.

Other tantalizing Snow Skin flavours include, the Cordon Bleu Golden Raisin – this one reminds me of a luxury version of the rum and raisin, with a deep, mellow aroma of Cognac i.e. the Cordon Bleu that envelopes your tastebuds the minute you take a bite. Then there’s the Red Bean, Black Sesame and Chia Seeds that’s a mélange of textures – crunchy chia seeds really crackle and pop as you bite into the Red bean – the black sesame changes up the red bean so it is not a boring, monochromatic kind of sweet and finally the Pandan Sunflower seeds is great for the health conscious.

Apart form these amazing Ping Pei flavours, Elegant Inn is also selling Maxim Hong Kong’s Baked Skin Mooncakes in gorgeous packaging – prices ranging from RM86.00 – RM198.00.  Prices for the Snow Skins are – Musang King RM18.80, Cordon Bleu Golden Raisin RM8.80, The Pandan & Red Bean at RM7.50. These come in boxes of 6 and you may mix your flavours.

 

Depending on which version of the story you may have heard, mooncakes might have been instrumental in the Chinese’s overthrow of the Mongols but here at Shangri-la KL, they can only be classified as works of art. Dimsum Chef, Chef Loh Kien Fatt creates classic mooncake varieties according to traditional recipes but we are really most gaga over the four latest flavors – the Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk (RM29), Mini Black Sesame with Yolk (RM19), Mini Ping Pei with Avocado Custard Cream (RM19) and the Mini Ping Pei Snow White Chocolate with Honeycomb (RM20).

In Shang palace, the lotus paste is all made in-house and has a light, loose, airy texture when you bite into it, simply because it is compacted by hand, and not by machine. As such the lotus paste mooncakes are just super delicious – there’s the Lotus Seed Paste, White Lotus Seed Paste and Red Bean Paste, with or without egg yolks, and Assorted Nuts and Sun-Dried Fruits. Note that there are two shades of lotus paste – a darker one is when the lotus paste is made from lotus seed with its skin intact, and the lighter one is when the skin has been removed. I fell in love with the darker one – a strong flavour which was a great complement to the fatty, moist salted egg yolk.

All-time favourites such as the Mini Ping Pei Durian (RM23), made from the Musang King, is super fragrant and has a nice custard like texture, that does not fall apart at room temperature. For those wishing to wet their mouths with something even more luxurious, go for the Mini Ping Pei with Custard and Bird’s Nest (RM27).

The Avocado custard cream is one of the nicest flavors for me, this particular season, as I am not that huge a fan of the Durian. And another incredibly satin smooth experience would be the white chocolate snow skin moon cake. It has flecks of honeycomb in it, that melts at room temperature – great for those with a sweet tooth! The gift boxes are also gorgeous and double up as fabulous jewelry boxes once you are done eating the mooncakes. Check out their snap and share contest here.

Every year, the Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur does one of my all time favorite mooncakes. It’s the super bubbly Dom Pérignon Rosé Champagne flavoured mooncake that’s as effervescently pretty as it is delectable! Some say that packaging is everything, and the Ritz KL thinks so too, and that is why this year, they are collaborating with the talented Malaysian fashion designer, Khoon Hooi to create an exclusive jewellery case made from leather and silk.

The limited edition Dom Pérignon Rosé Champagne flavoured mooncake is contemporary & summery, while retaining traditional ingredients. The tender snow skin is light, fruity and though the trace of champagne is not a strong as I would like, it definitely would make many fans happy. Alongside the exclusively flavoured mooncake, the hotel will be offering 13 other different varieties, including the traditional single or double egg yolk, lotus paste, red bean, durian and many more. Ping Pei mooncakes will be also available in durian and white lotus paste flavours. A box of 8 mini mooncakes is priced from RM 80++ and individual pieces are priced from RM 10++.

Again, in line with the fad this year, the Musang King mooncake takes the limelight. Durian addicts, rejoice! The Heavenly Gold mooncake is so pure that the only added element is the delicate snow skin that envelopes the delicious, bitter sweet, thick like clotted cream, durian filling resulting in a mouthful of heavenly bliss in every bite. You better eat it quick in Malaysian weather, before it becomes a mushy heap. One whole Musang King Durian fruit will produce only two Heavenly Gold mooncakes! Good lord.. how decadent can you get.

If you’re adventurous, a fresh flavour with pandan and parmesan cheese with mandarin orange infused chocolate soft centre, the all-new Autumn Jade gives an exciting infusion of the modern palate. Hilton Kuala Lumpur’s mooncakes come in eleven varieties, including traditional baked and snowskin. For the purists, there are options for traditional baked mooncakes with popular fillings like white lotus paste, red bean paste and almond flakes.

For modern flavours, snow skin mooncakes include favourites like the Flower Drum (Snow Skin Lotus Paste with Soft Custard Egg Yolk) and Blue Moon (Snow Skin Amaretto Lotus Paste with Blueberry Cheese Feuillantine).

The mooncake price starts from RM22+ per piece. Ideal for gifting during the Mid-Autumn festival, guests can also purchase a ‘Prestige Box of 4’ at RM88+ while the Heavenly Gold mooncakes come in ‘Premium Box of 4’ and ‘Premium Box of 6’ at RM198+ and RM276+ respectively. Discounts for purchases of 50 boxes and above.

Five Senses always thrills my tastebuds with their nutty mooncakes, as well as their healthy selections of green tea with single yolk and black sesame with white lotus paste. If you are looking for specialty mooncakes to spice up your Mid-Autumn Festival, then the golden jade pandan with single yolk and Shanghainese-style lotus paste with single yolk should rock your boat.

My favourite of these is the Shanghainese style lotus paste with single yolk mooncake.  Texture-wise, it is more crumbly and flaky than the normal texture of mooncake skin, but it has a lovely butteriness about it, that I find irresistible!

This year the mooncakes are available in 2 different designs, The Full Moon Box (set of 4 mooncakes) where you can choose 4 flavours out of the available 8 varieties of mooncakes, priced at RM 108+ per box, or The Harmonious Moon Box (set of 6 mooncakes) allows guests to choose 6 flavours of the available 8 varieties of mooncakes and it’s priced at  RM 158+ per box. Alternatively, all baked skin mooncakes can be purchased individually in their basic wrapping for RM25+ per piece.

I love it when mooncakes are made into bite size treats, especially like the Mini Snow Skin Chocolate and Whisky ones from Prince hotel.

The Mini snow skin chocolate whisky is absolutely fabulous for chocolate lovers – imagine chocolate, laced with aromatic whisky wrapped in a white delicate snow skin – it all works together to enhance the eating pleasure, of sinking your teeth into this dessert.

A modern twist to the traditional mooncake, Chef Chin did well to create a bitter-sweet chocolate paste with chopped walnuts,  that’s a lot like a cross between truffles and brownies.. well a little more decadent due to the dash of whisky if you ask me!These pretty little chocolate mooncakes are best eaten chilled.

Mini Snow Skin are priced at RM11+ per piece (sold individually), regular mooncakes RM54+ per box of 4 pieces & RM68+ per box of 6 pieces.

Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s signature Ti Chen Mooncakes will have you spoilt for choice. Not just a couple, but nine flavourful varieties in gorgeous packaging as well.

The highlights are all the new snowskin flavours that are made in-house –  mini snow skin collections of Almond with Black Sesame paste, Green Tea with Citrus Red Bean, and the Durian Custard. Other novel moon cakes include, the Low Sugar White Lotus, Low Sugar White Lotus (with Single Yolk), Jade Custard, Golden Mixed Nut or the baked skin, “German Black Forest and Azuki Milk“. Prices range from RM 19 – RM 23 each for baked skin and RM 18 – RM 22 each for snow skin. Available 8th July to 8th September 2014. Early birds (by 15th August 2014) will get a discount.

Limited edition gift box available in 2 collectable designs, sees delicately crafted mini snow skin mooncakes that represent 3 unique symbolic shapes in accordance to Chinese folklore – the heart, the oval, and the round. The heart mooncake represents the myth of The Old Man of the Moon (Yueh Lao Yeh), the oval mooncake denotes the legend of The Lady of the Moon (Chang Oh), and the traditional round mooncake signifying the time when the Chinese overthrew the Mongol dynasty.

Tao’s mooncakes this year, are a sight for sore eyes. Those with a penchant for traditional baked mooncake, the Glory of Moon Collection priced at RM118+ comes with new choices of White Lotus Paste with Single Egg Yolk, Pure White Lotus Paste with Nuts, Almond Skin with Pandan Paste and Single Yolk and Black Sesame Paste, and Assorted Seeds packed in a mesmerising cherry blossom wooden box.

The snowskin this year, is incredibly colourful – mix and match from the eight variants starting from RM20+ per piece with choices of Mini Snow Skin with Pandan Paste with Single Yolk, Mini Beet Root Snow Skin with Red Date Paste and Egg Cream, Mini Peanut Butter Snow Skin with Salted Bean Paste, Rice Crunch and Pistachio, Mini Blueberry Snow Skin with Kiwi Bean Paste and Dried Mix Fruits, Mini Dark Chocolate Snow Skin with White Chocolate Paste and Nut, Mini Green Tea Paste with Single Egg Yolk, Mini Snow Skin Durian Moon Cake, Mini Snow Skin with Ginseng Mixed Nuts Paste and Bird’s Nest. Wow, now that’s a lot of flavors if you ask me!

To make the selection easier, consider the Blossom of Autumn Collection priced at RM198+ features eight exotic flavours of each snowskin variety all boxed and ready for you to take home. Finally, if you what to go big, or have a large family to feed, check out the 7 Star Premium Collection priced at RM298+ per box. This colossal mooncake of Baked Egg Yolk Cream with Black Sesame Salted Bean Paste surrounded by seven tantalising mini mooncakes will definitely do the job of feeding a huge company!

For those who don’t like their mooncakes too sweet, consider Grand Hyatt’s selection of low sugar mooncakes.

JP teres this year has come up with some excellent traditional-flavoured mooncakes that comes in four varieties – Red Bean, Low Sugar White Lotus, Low Sugar White Lotus Single Yolk and Lotus Double Yolk. Not neglecting the Snow Skin mooncakes – Black Sesame, Green Tea, Pandan and Lotus flavoured are our top picks. I personally love the low sugar options that don’t compromise on taste but still have a delicious sweetness to it. The mooncake price starts from MYR26++ per piece, and costs MYR102++ per box.

 

OK.. so actually there’s a +1 .. a bonus to the Top 10 as we just could not fit all our favourites in… so here’s last, but not least! 

 

Apart form the usual suspects of baked skin moon cakes, Mandarin Oriental’s Medium Mooncakes selection (6 pieces per box) to look out for include, the White lotus paste (low sugar), Dragon fruit lotus paste, Durian paste and melon seed, Dark chocolate with green tea ganache and crunchy macaroon, White chocolate with lychee filling and chocolate caviar and Dark 24 K chocolate with passion fruit and caramelized banana. Some might say that there’s too much going on in one moon cake and they might not be far from the truth.

I prefer MO’s Mini Mooncakes (6 pieces per box) which has a nice selection on Mini snow skin with “kuaci” in pandan flavour, Mini snow skin with almond and tiramisu lotus paste or the famed Mini snow skin with durian paste. The Ping Pei Durian here is smooth and creamy, but I still prefer the Musang King from Elegant Inn, Shangri-La & KL Hilton best!