CONCORDE HOTEL KL LIGHTS UP MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

The LED lid lights up when you switch it on after charging

Lifelike 3D images with LED backlight adorned circular mooncake boxes from Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur for Mid-Autumn Festival this year.

Photo courtesy of Concorde Hotel KL

Choose from four eye-catching designs: a pink crescent moon with pretty blossoms, a goldfish frolicking amidst lotus flowers, a pair of birds perched on delicate floral branches, or a lotus flower in full bloom with a pair of gold fishes adorning the lids of the gift boxes.

Priced at RM168 nett per set with 4 x 180g mooncakes, take your pick from these sets available:

A.             Pure Lotus Double Yolk, White Pure Lotus, Pandan Pure Lotus, Green Tea Red Bean Paste

B.            Golden Pandan Pure Lotus Single Yolk, Japanese Red Bean, Assorted Fruit Nuts & White Pure Lotus Paste

C.             Snowskin with Red Bean Paste, Snowskin with Green Tea, Snowskin with Pure Lotus Single Yolk & Snowskin with Yam Paste Single Yolk

Mine was Set B and the batch of baked mooncakes seemed on-point: the knife came away cleanly after I cut into each mooncake – an indication of the good quality paste and crust. 

The red bean paste was deliciously rich with that irresistibly sweet ‘beany’ taste I love. For savoury-sweet variant with vanilla-like fragrance, the golden pandan pure lotus single yolk won't disappoint.

Since I’m partial to fruits & nuts, the slightly chewy, nutty filling scored with me too. TBH, I know some folks may eschew this variant altogether. The white pure lotus paste should please purists as it left no room for complaint.

Handmade with pure musang king durian flesh, the Hotel's yearly best-selling Snowskin Musang King Durian Mooncakes (RM198 nett for a set of 4 pcs) again proved winsome. A cooler bag (while stocks last) is provided to keep the mooncakes chilled upon collection. Remember, the delicate mooncakes are best kept in the fridge to maintain their freshness and should be enjoyed soonest possible.

Once hailed as the best snowskin durian mooncake in town by a major newspaper, it’s the next best thing to eating the actual king of fruits. They’re decadent and you’d find it hard to stop after the first mouthful.

Credit cardholders of CIMB, Citibank, Hong Leong Bank, Maybank, OCBC, Public Bank, RHB, SCB and UOB are entitled to 20% discount for mooncakes under Set A-C.

For more information, WhatsApp +6 012 399 5021 (office hours) or email: fbkl@concorde.net

DATUK JIMMY CHOO X FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KL FOR MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

Legendary designer Datuk Jimmy Choo has stepped up to this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, by collaborating with Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur to design an exclusive mooncake gift box.

Available from 1^st July 2022, the stylish round totem box in vibrant pink and muted lavender hues, and peacock origami pattern expresses the traditional Chinese custom of a family admiring the full moon while enjoying delicious mooncakes together. Tucked inside each gift box are four smaller individual boxes boasting stylish high-heel designs by Jimmy Choo.

(Left-right) Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts regional marketing director Nelson Hilton with Datuk Jimmy Choo and Four Seasons Hotel KL Director of PR Dato' Rosemarie Wee 

Datuk Jimmy Choo elaborates, “In Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn full moon represents completeness and good luck. On this joyful occasion, we are reunited with our beloved family and friends. My design for the Four Seasons Hotel mooncake gift box represents happiness, good fortune and abundance.”

According to Four Seasons Hotel's regional marketing director Nelson Hilton (left), only a thousand of the limited edition Mid-Autumn Festival gift boxes will be available effective 1st July 2022. He thanked the renowned designer for agreeing to step up in collaborating with the hotel on the project.

At the launch, we were also treated to baked and snow skin mooncakes handcrafted by Chef Jimmy Wong of Yun House. The most outstanding variant that left an indelible impression is White Lotus Paste with Seaweed and Macadamia Nuts Snow Skin Mooncake. We attribute it to the seaweed’s subtle savouriness and macadamia’s inherent richness lending a nice balance to the overall sweetness.

 
Another winsome salty-sweet creation is the Valrhona Chocolate with Himalayan Salt and Egg Yolk Snow Skin Mooncake. Some chocolate mooncake could be too cloying and heavy on the palate but in this instance, the dark chocolate bittersweetness spiked with Himalayan salt strikes just the right chord.

 
Cocktail connoisseurs may be intrigued by the Trigona Rum Ki Tiki, an edible signature mooncake crafted in collaboration with the award-wining Bar Trigona. While we reckon the snow skin mooncake could do with a little more of rum (the Rum Ki Tiki cocktail recipe is concocted with aged rum, whisky, lime, trigona honey, and milk), the peanuts in the lotus paste filling seem to eclipse everything else.

Die-hard durian fans will find love at first bite once they savour the luscious Musang King Durian Snow Skin Mooncake. This perennial favourite has always been a runaway best-seller with the fans of the King of Fruits so it needs no further introduction.

 
Also on the menu are Baked Mooncakes with four different fillings: Pu Er Tea Paste with Tangerine Skin, White Lotus Seed Paste, Pandan Paste with Single Yolk and Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk.

Lotus Paste with Single Yolk

Pandan Paste with Single Yolk

Pu Er Tea Paste with Tangerine Skin

The limited edition mooncake gift boxes are priced between RM488 and RM588.
 
Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur will start taking orders from July 1, 2022. To place orders, visit the Shopify page here.
 

A ZINGY TWIST TO MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR

“Szechuan” Ma La Mung Bean mooncake anyone? Or perhaps a summer-inspired Mango with Lotus Seed Paste variant? These inventive conversation stoppers along with baked and snowskin creations form part and parcel of Yun House’s Mid-Autumn Festival cachet this year.

Trust Chef Jimmy Wong to imbue the traditional mooncake with a core of zingy-hot ‘ma la’ filling. When you bite into a wedge of his “Szechuan” Ma La Mung Bean (RM42), your tastebuds will tingle pleasantly when the sensation of burning heat blooms on your tongue before the confection's sweetness gradually creeps in.

Since gifting and sharing mooncakes is a beloved Malaysian tradition, Chef Jimmy has taken great pains to craft a variety of inventive and timeless selection for the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“This year, the ritual has taken on added importance, since many of us haven’t been able to meet loved ones and close colleagues for a long time”, said Chef Jimmy Wong. “Sending and gifting mooncakes expresses our good wishes, to remind people we care about them and a gesture to value their presence in our lives.”

His Baked Mooncakes with luxurious fillings include Pu Er Tea Paste with Tangerine Skin (RM42) and the summer-inspired Mango with Lotus Seed Paste (RM42). The former is subtly sweet with the citrus peel lending it a nice ‘bite’ while the latter yields a sublime candy-sweetness, remarkably similar to the fruit itself.

 According to the chef, mooncakes with egg yolk are symbolic of the harvest moon and good luck hence his Pandan Paste with Single Yolk (RM42), and Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk (RM42) offerings. For purists, there’s White Lotus Seed Paste (RM42).

 

Overall, the timeless selection are on-point and should please sticklers for tradition.

The mooncakes come packed in the Four Seasons gift box. Clad in theatrical red with a magnetic gilt clasp, the oblong box is embossed with the floral outlines of lotus leaves and butterflies, evoking feelings of joy and harmony with nature.

For more information, contact Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur: https://www.fourseasons.com/kualalumpur/dining/restaurants/yun-house/

CELESTIAL TREASURES FROM EQ KUALA LUMPUR

As far as I’m concerned, old is still gold when it comes to mooncakes. While the local Mid-Autumn Festival market is fixated on packaging, the sweet-toothed glutton in me reckon the traditional speciality should taste as good, if not better than an impressive-looking box.

Hence, I was pleased as punch when the Pure Lotus Double Yolk mooncake from EQ Kuala Lumpur ticked all the right boxes at first bite. Not only did the lotus paste boast a nice ‘oily’ sheen, but the slightly sweet floral scent of lotus seed paste was discernible. The sweetness was to my personal liking too, offset by the savouriness of salted egg yolks.

It’s one of the four traditional baked mooncakes under EQ’s Celestial Treasures collection priced at RM188 per box of 4 (180g each). Crafted by EQ’s mooncake master, Chef Lai Wee Hong, the Low Sugar White Lotus Single Yolk followed a similar palate-pleasing approach.

The Traditional Cantonese Mixed Nuts is a bound to make people who are partial to nuts go nutty. Amidst the tasty mouthfuls of walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds and melon seeds, I detected hints of kaffir lime leaf, five spice powder and candied citrus peel.

Sweet and savoury came into play again in the EQ Signature Pearl of Harmony mooncake. Cut in half, the baked mooncake with black sesame paste, mung bean paste and salted egg yolk resembled a full moon aglow against a night sky. The black sesame’s delicate nutty sweetness is balanced by the salted egg yolk’s rich savouriness.  

My set of Celestial Treasures came in a specially designed Autumn Box; drawing inspiration from the Mid-Autumn season itself. Boasting natural elements and shades of coral of the autumn season to represent the warmth of a family reunion, the Autumn Box can be repurposed into a keepsake or jewellery box.

Inspired by the Legend of the Jade Rabbit, the Longevity Box features a Jade Rabbit silhouette – a symbol of longevity – in vibrant blue, symbolising optimism, serenity, and health.

EQ also offers Snowskin Skin Mooncakes at RM228 for a set of 6 pcs (80g each).

For more information, please WhatsApp EQ Kuala Lumpur: +60 12 278 9239 or email: dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com