The annual Mid-Autumn Festival is one Chinese festival in Singapore that we always look forward to. Falling on the 15th of the eighth lunar month, it is often celebrated at night when there is a bright full moon and is usually accompanied by the soft glow of paper lanterns, Chinese tea and mooncakes.

Without a doubt, mooncakes are the main highlight of the Mid-Autumn Festival and with each year that passes by, we are spoiled with even more innovative mooncake varieties. This year, you can expect some pretty strange yet tantalising mooncake flavours from tom yum to American Ginseng—boozy ones are also available for the grown-ups. And for those of you who prefer the traditional white lotus mooncake with egg yolk, we’ve also included a list of our favourite places.

From traditional to contemporary mooncakes, here is our guide to 9 places to buy the best mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival this 2017.

AWFULLY CHOCOLATE MOONCAKES

Highly regarded for their luxurious and high-quality chocolates, we were anticipating Awfully Chocolate Singapore’s gorgeous Blue Moon Chocolate Mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival this year. We expect nothing less from the expert chocolatiers at Awfully Chocolate who have been in the business for almost 20 years.

This year, they will be showcasing their stunning Blue Moon Chocolate Mooncakes that come in two variations—Dark Moon and White Moon. These mooncakes are like mini chocolate desserts that mimic an actual mooncake and they are all handmade using premium chocolate and natural ingredients with no added preservatives.

The former is made entirely of premium dark chocolate. The centre comprises a smooth nutty praline filling, chocolate cake and a white chocolate “yolk” centre. The Dark Moon mooncake is encased with a chocolate shell made from delicious 60% dark chocolate for a nice crunch and textural variation as you bite into it.

If dark chocolate is not your thing, the White Moon will be right up your alley. The centre is filled with premium white chocolate ganache infused with fresh vanilla bean, chocolate cake and a white chocolate “yolk” centre. To get the gorgeous white “casing”, quality white chocolate is used to surround it.

If you are looking to buy them from Awfully Chocolate’s stores, the set of 4 mooncakes is only available via pre-order (4 days in advance) at the Marina Bay Link Mall and McCallum St stores. For online purchases, you can choose either the box of 2 (S$38) or box of 4 (S$68) mooncakes.

BAKERZIN MOONCAKES

Be enchanted by Bakerzin’s Crème de la Crème Mooncake Collections! This year’s festive line-up features 8 stunning collections of beautifully handcrafted mooncakes—Bold Collection, Supreme Collection, Signature Collection, Premium Collection, Pure Divine Collection, Majestic Collection, Prestige Collection and Heavenly Collection.

The Signature Collection (S$62 per box of 4) features four Premium Egg Yolk Blend Mooncake, and the Premium Collection (S$60 per box of 4) features two Premium Egg Yolk Blend Mooncakes and two Classic Melon Seed Mooncakes.

Allow the sweet pastel gems of the Prestige Collection (S$60 per box of 8) and Pure Divine Collection (S$56 per box of 8) to invigorate you with their tangy exotic flavours. Booze lovers are in for a treat as these collections featuring liqueur infused white chocolate truffle ganache such as Butterscotch Baileys Snow Skin and Coconut Liqueur Snow Skin.

All mooncakes will be available for pre-orders from 07 August 2017 onwards at all Bakerzin and Nom La La by Bakerzin outlets in Singapore or via their website at www.bakerzin.com/mooncake

Bakerzin mooncakes are also available online on Qoo10, ezbuy, Fave, Redmart, as well as two O’Coffee Club outlets (Paragon and Raffles Place). You can also find them at the following mooncake fairs in Singapore—Takashimaya, NEX, North Point, Tampines1 and Hillion Mall.

GRAND HYATT SINGAPORE MOONCAKES

Every year, we look forward to our favourite snowskin mooncakes from Grand Hyatt Singapore which come in all sorts of interesting flavours. This year is no exception of course, and as with every Mid-Autumn Festival, we seek joy and comfort in indulging in the snowskin mooncakes with premium truffles. Trust us on this; Grand Hyatt Singapore’s snowskin mooncakes will have you falling head over heels in love.

For snowskin mooncakes (S$69 for eight) this year, Grand Hyatt Singapore is featuring two new flavours which are Violette & Gin and Chocolate-Mint Fondant. Violette & Gin is the beautiful purple piece which comes with floral flavours and is infused with Tanqueray No. TEN gin and crème de violette liqueur; the green one is Chocolate-Mint Fondant and it is a mixture of both white and dark chocolate with a mint fondant centre.

From 28 Aug to 15 Sep 2017, enjoy 15% discount when you pay with selected credit cards while Damai and Club at the Hyatt members are entitled to 20% off their bill.

Thereafter, those who make their purchase from 16 Sep to 04 Oct 2017 enjoy 10% discount with selected credit cards while Damai and Club at the Hyatt members get 15% off.

Find out more details of Grand Hyatt Singapore’s mooncakes at www.singapore.grand.hyattrestaurants.com/shopatmezza9.

HONG KONG MEI-XIN MOONCAKES

Year after year, Hong Kong’s Mei-Xin Mooncakes impress with the most authentic tastes of Mid-Autumn Festival coupled with innovative new flavours such as lava custard and lava chocolate flavours which performed exceptionally well in recent years.

This year, they aim to do no different with their traditional varieties, snow skin collection, the ever-popular lava custard mooncakes and even a superhero-themed mooncake collection featuring iconic Marvel characters Iron Man and Spider-Man.

This year, Mei-Xin Mooncakes launches the Lava Egg Yolk with White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake. In addition, their new Delicate Trio Mooncake offers you an assortment of Lava Custard Mooncake, Egg Custard Mooncake and Lava Egg Yolk with White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake—something to entice all salted egg yolk fans out there.

For the kids, consider their new line of superhero-themed gift boxes and mooncakes featuring iconic characters such as Iron Man and Spider-Man. The Spider-Man Egg Custard Mooncake gift box is designed with the iconic head portrait of Spider-Man in navy blue. Each box contains 4 Egg Custard Mooncakes bearing his iconic hand gesture. On the other hand, Iron Man shows up on the Iron Man Green Tea & Red Bean Mooncake gift box.

For more details, head over to www.sgmeixin.com.

INTERCONTINENTAL SINGAPORE MOONCAKES

This year, InterContinental Singapore’s award-winning restaurant Man Fu Yuan unveils a divine collection of handcrafted mooncakes featuring four new tantalising snowskin mooncakes that come in floral flavours, and a selection of six baked mooncakes handcrafted by Executive Chinese Chef Kwan Yiu Kan using time-honoured recipes.

Making its debut this year, the Garden Collection features four snowskin mooncake flavours that include Roselle and Red Date; Rosemary, Almond and Green Tea; Rose and Pistachio; and Pandan and Macadamia.

The Garden Collection (S$72 nett for a box of four) features a stellar line-up of innovative snowskin mooncake creations that incorporate the use of botanicals and floral flavours—think elegant aromas such as rose, pandan, and rosemary.

The Baked Mooncake selection is available in a variety of flavours to suit all palates, such as White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (S$68 nett for a box of four) and Double Yolks (S$72 nett for a box of four), Red Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (S$64 nett for a box of four) and Double Yolks (S$68 nett for a box of four), Assorted Nuts (S$66 nett for a box of four), and Low-Sugar White Lotus Paste with Macadamia Nuts (S$68 nett for a box of four) for a healthier indulgence this Mid-Autumn.

These dazzling mooncakes are all available online until 03 October 2017, and guests enjoy a 5% savings when they make their purchases at InterContinentalShoppe.sg.

If you prefer to make the trip down, you can also get them at the Man Fu Yuan Shoppe, located at the entrance of InterContinental Singapore from Bugis Junction until 04 October 2017.

For more information, you may visit ManFuYuan.sg, email sinhb-festive@ihg.com or call +65 6825 1131 or +65 6825 1132.

PAN PACIFIC SINGAPORE MOONCAKES

This year, a captivating ensemble of Mid-Autumn delights await at Pan Pacific Singapore’s Hai Tien Lo. Commemorate the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival with their stellar line-up of seven delicately handcrafted baked mooncakes such as Pandan Paste with Single Yolk and Caramel with Lotus Paste Single Yolk just to name a few.

New flavours this year include the Pandan Paste with Single Yolk (left), which features an aromatic blend of pandan-infused lotus paste and single egg yolk, elegantly cocooned within golden brown pastry. The Caramel with White Lotus Paste Single Yolk (right) features a seamless blend of rich caramel and fine textured egg that provides a charming contrast between sweet and salty.

For an unconventional option, savour the Mixed Nuts with Chicken Ham that boasts a combination of walnuts, almond, preserved melon, sesame seeds, melon seeds, olive seeds and macadamia nuts.

These exquisite mooncakes are available between 07 August and 04 October 2017. These seasonal treats may be purchased from Hai Tien Lo, by calling +65 6826 8240, emailing celebrate.sin@panpacific.com or via their website at pacificmarketplace.sg

SWATOW SEAFOOD RESTAURANT MOONCAKES

Die-hard fans of Teochew cuisine would know that Swatow Seafood Restaurant is one of the best when it comes to traditional Teochew dishes and handmade dim sum. For the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, it only makes sense to trust Swatow to delight our taste buds with their Traditional Teochew Mooncakes.

Yam is an essential ingredient in Teochew dishes and it is reflected in Swatow’s signature mooncake—Crispy Orh Nee with Single Yolk (4 for S$45). Think sweet yam paste moulded and encased in a flakey pastry; it is a classy mix of sweet and savoury notes. This is something the older folks would love!

If you are looking for another classic to please the Teochew cuisine loving folks, you cannot go wrong with the Traditional Teochew Baked Mixed Nuts (4 for S$62). The mooncake is infused with a mixture of wheat and healthy grain nuts. On top of that, the chefs are including bak kwa for the very first time too!

From now till 15 Sep 2017, Swatow is offering a 20% discount off their 4 and 8 pieces mooncake boxes. Now, this is an irresistible deal you must not skip.

Swatow’s mooncakes are available at all Swatow outlets and they come in boxes of two, four and eight to suit your needs—whether you are gifting them to families and clients or for your own personal indulgence.

THE RITZ-CARLTON, MILLENIA SINGAPORE MOONCAKES

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore’s premium mooncakes are sure to impress your family, friends and colleagues this Mid-Autumn Festival. Expect to choose between traditional baked mooncakes and the ever popular snowskin creations which come in intriguing flavours.

For baked mooncakes this year, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is introducing the new White Lotus Seed Paste with Five Grains (S$72 for 4 pieces). It is a healthier and nuttier version of your classic baked mooncake with the addition of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, oats and sesame seeds to the white lotus seed paste.

The Mini Lava Custard with Vanilla (S$78 for 8 pieces) and Mini Snowskin ‘Mao Shan Wang’ Durian mooncakes (S$78 for 8 pieces) make a comeback this year.

The former is a delectable combination of salted egg yolk and vanilla flavours while the latter boasts the bittersweet flavours of ‘Mao Shan Wang’.

Purchases for these stunning beauties can be made online at www.rcmooncake.com.sg. From 19 Sep to 01 Oct, simply use our code ‘LIC2017’ upon ordering to enjoy a 25% off Baked Mooncakes, as well as 15% off Mini Custard Lava with Vanilla & Snowskin mooncakes.

TUNGLOK GROUP MOONCAKES

This Mid-Autumn Festival 2017, indulge in TungLok Group’s new mooncake creations on top of the classics. The household brand is a well-loved name in Singapore and we are abashedly die-hard fans of all their gastronomic creations.

Newly introduced this year are the Petals Mochi Snowskin Mooncake, Sweet Hearts Mochi Snowskin Mooncake and Lava Custard & Matcha Oolong Mooncake. They are beautifully shaped into hearts and flowers, and are a treat to savour.

You can also look forward to TungLok Four Seasons, which includes the traditional quad of Egg Yolk White Lotus, Egg Yolk Red Lotus and Egg Yolk Pandan Lotus with Pistachios and Mixed Nuts. This old-school set will never go out of style.

TungLok mooncakes are available at all TungLok restaurants from 15 August to 04 October 2017, or whilst stocks last.

For enquiries and more information, call +65 9088 8008 or visit www.tunglok.com.

This post is brought to you by TungLok Group.

The annual Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore is a Chinese festival that we always look forward to—it is all about celebrating with family, lantern processions and oh-so-sweet mooncakes.

This year, a captivating ensemble of Mid-Autumn delights await at Pan Pacific Singapore’s Hai Tien Lo. Commemorate the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival with their stellar line-up of seven delicately handcrafted baked mooncakes such as Pandan Paste with Single Yolk and Caramel with Lotus Paste Single Yolk just to name a few.

These exquisite mooncakes are available between 07 August and 04 October 2017.

New flavours this year include the Pandan Paste with Single Yolk (left), which features an aromatic blend of pandan-infused lotus paste and single egg yolk, elegantly cocooned within golden brown pastry.

The Caramel with White Lotus Paste Single Yolk (right) features a seamless blend of rich caramel and fine textured egg that provides a charming contrast between sweet and salty.

The newly launched Low Sugar Purple Sweet Potato with White Lotus Paste Single Yolk (left) will ensure that the health conscious can still snack without the immense guilt. Anti-oxidant-rich purple sweet potato is injected into the lotus paste to provide a healthier alternative.

For an unconventional option, savour the Mixed Nuts with Chicken Ham (right) that boasts a combination of walnuts, almond, preserved melon, sesame seeds, melon seeds, olive seeds and macadamia nuts.

The remaining varieties include the Traditional White Lotus Seed Paste with your choice of either single or double yolk and White Lotus Seed Paste with Macadamia Nuts—all of which come presented in a beautifully designed box that looks so elegant.

As mentioned, these exquisite mooncakes are available between 07 August and 04 October 2017. These seasonal treats may be purchased from Hai Tien Lo, by calling +65 6826 8240, emailing celebrate.sin@panpacific.com or via their website at pacificmarketplace.sg

Hai Tien Lo
Pan Pacific Singapore, Level 3
7 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039595
Orders: +65 6826 8240 / celebrate.sin@panpacific.com / pacificmarketplace.sg
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Promenade

This post is brought to you by Pan Pacific Singapore.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most popular lunar festivals, and it is always a great time to spread the love by sending mooncakes to family, friends and business associates. Every year, we go on a hunt for the tastiest mooncakes with the prettiest packaging. And because they make such elegant gifts, we Chinese place a lot of attention and emphasis on our mooncake tradition.

Whether you are buying them as gifts or treating your family to a indulgence, here is our guide to the mooncakes that you must try for Mid-Autumn Festival 2013.

InterContinental Singapore, Man Fu Yuan

For Mid-Autumn Festival 2013, Man Fu Yuan collaborated with the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) to launch a competition for the design of its mooncake packaging. The winning design is an interpretation of ancient legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Man Fu Yuan’s Snowskin Mooncake Collection (S$53.80 for a box of 4) comprises unique flavour combinations like the Green Tea Paste with Dragonball Jasmine Tea Infused Snowskin, White Lotus with Macadamia Nuts, Sesame Paste with White Sesame Seeds, and its much-lauded Pulot Hitam. Be prepared for a sensational journey to excite your taste buds!

With InterContinental Singapore being known for its strong Peranakan roots, the iconic Peranakan dessert inspires its newest creation – Pulot Hitam Mooncake. The snowskin mooncake is filled with goodness of black glutinous rice pudding infused with gula melaka. Fans of the Peranakan dessert will fall head over heels in love with this.

Its traditional baked mooncake collection consists of not only the usual favourites, but also a new range of low sugar White Lotus Paste Mooncakes – choose from either salted egg yolk (S54.80 for a box of 4) or macadamia nuts (S$52.80 for a box of 4) – that are made with 50 percent less sugar and with all natural ingredients.

Man Fu Yuan mooncakes are available for online purchase at www.facebook.com/ICSingapore. From now till 12 Aug, they are offering a pre-sale offer of 30% off total purchase price when you place your orders online. You can also get the mooncakes at Tea Hut (at the entrance of InterContinental Singapore), Junction 8, IMM, Jcube, Nex, VivoCity, Change Alley, Century Square, AMK Hub, Square 2, Takashimaya Square, and Alexandra Retail Centre. For more information, please call 6820 8519 / 8520 or email sinhb-festive@ihg.com

TungLok Group

The TungLok Group is synonymous with high quality and consistently good food, and is a household favourite for all who have a fine taste palate. This year, with TungLok’s Double Yolk White and Red Lotus Mooncakes (S$60 for a box of 4) in their specially-designed box, they are the best gifts to get for business partners and relatives.

The equally popular Shanghai Dream collection includes Double Yolk White Lotus (S$52 for a box of 4), Egg Yolk White Lotus (S$50 for a box of 4), Macademia Nuts White Lotus (S$50 for a box of 4), and Egg Yolk Pandan Lotus with Pistachios (S$50 for a box of 4). Together, they are an elegant indulgence and this is just the right touch for the oriental occasion.

Photo credit: Tunglok Group

If you are a fan of snowskin mooncakes, you cannot miss out on TungLok’s Mini Snowskin Mooncakes (S$52 for a box of 8). Other than the must-have classic favourite of white lotus and egg yolk, TungLok also has its ‘Tutti Frutti’ range with flavours of Durian paired with Chestnut, Honeydew with Tropical Fruits, Mango Apricot, and Passionfruit with Strawberry. That is not all. Health-conscious folks can opt for TungLok’s ‘New & Nourishing’ collection which comes in healthy alternatives like Chrysanthemum, Grains with Brown Sugar, Black Sesame, and Red Dates with Longan. There is definitely an option for everyone and every taste bud.

TungLok mooncakes are available at all TungLok restaurants as well as the following locations: Takashimaya B2 Square, all Fairprice Xpress and Cheers at Esso Stations, and selected Cheers stores. For general enquiries, please call the TungLok Mooncake hotline at 9088 8008, or visit Tunglok.com

Fairmont Singapore, Szechuan Court

There are several reasons why you should go to Fairmont Singapore to buy mooncakes from Szechuan Court. Firstly, Szechuan Court’s mooncakes come in beautiful peach shapes, which make them stand out from the crowd. Secondly, they come in familiar flavours like mango, Baileys, Rum & Raisin with Chocolate Truffle, but the highlight for me, is the Champagne Truffle with Chocolate Ganach; such a perfect combination for that yearly indulgence.

Lastly, Szechuan Court is having a 20% early bird special if you purchase before 19 Aug. And if you are a FAR Card member, there is an incredible 35% discount for purchase before 25 Aug. More details can be found on fsfestiveorders.com

Besides the mooncake booth at Szechuan Court, the mooncakes are also available at Bugis Junction, Funan Digitalife Mall, Junction 8, Nex, Takashimaya Square, VivoCity, Chevron House, J Cube, Lot 1, Parkway Parade, and Tampines Mall.

Photo Credit: ABR Holdings

Jewels of the Moon

Swensen’s is a household name in Singapore, and their ice cream mooncakes (S$29.80 for a box of 4) are a good treat for people of all ages. In addition to its all-time favourites such as Durian Royale, Sticky Chewy Chocolate and Strawberry Fields Forever, Swensen’s Jewels of the Moon collection for Mid-Autumn 2013 also features new flavours – Chempedak Bliss, Hazelnut Almond Delight, and Cappuccino Cookies Crunch. With these new exciting flavours, mid-autumn festival 2013 will surely be memorable.

Swensen’s ice cream mooncakes are available at all Swensen’s and Earle Swensen’s outlets from 1 Aug to 19 Sep 2013. For those of you who cannot wait till Mid-Autumn Festival to eat mooncakes, you get to enjoy an early bird special of 15% when you purchase before 5 Sep. There is also a 10% discount thereafter when you pay with selected credit cards. For more details, please visit Swensens.com.sg.

Marina Mandarin, Peach Blossoms

Peach Blossoms at Marina Mandarin Singapore offers the classic baked mooncakes like Double Yolk with White Lotus Paste (S$59 for a box of 4), Pine Nut with White Lotus Paste (S$53 for a box of 4), but the star of its Mid-Autumn creations for 2013 is the gigantic 6 1/2 inch big 8 Treasures (8-yolk) Baked Mooncake with White Lotus Paste (S$68). It is by far, the largest mooncake I have ever had in my life. It is not only good for sharing, but it also makes a terrific gift as everyone will definitely be amazed by the sheer size of the mooncake.

The mooncakes from Peach Blossoms are available from 12 Aug to 19 Sep 2013, and you can buy them from Marina Mandarin’s hotel lobby, Bishan Junction 8 Level 2 Atrium, and Bugis Junction Level 1. Click here for the order form, and for enquiries, call 6845 1118 or email peachblossoms.marina@meritushotels.com

Photo Credit: Pan Pacific Singapore

Pan Pacific Singapore, Hai Tien Lo

Over at Pan Pacific Singapore, Hai Tien Lo’s Executive Chef Lai Tong Ping and his team proudly presents an assortment of petite snowskin mooncakes. What I love about Hai Tien Lo’s mooncakes is their take on interesting flavours with a twist. Just imagine: White Coffee with Red Bean Paste, Oolong and Chrysanthemum Paste, Golden Corn Seaweed, and Guihua Seaweed – flavours you would not otherwise associate with mooncakes. They are perfect for those with a more adventurous palate.

With a contemporary and elegant multi-layered red box with Chinese motifs in black, Hai Tian Lo’s mooncakes make an excellent gift for corporate clients, friends and relatives. The mooncakes will be available for sale at Hai Tien Lo (Level 3) and Pacific Marketplace (Level 1) from 19 Aug to 19 Sep 2013. For more details, please contact +6826 8240 or email celebrate.sin@panpacific.com