JOYOUS MID-AUTUMN FEST WITH FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KL

 

Covered in gold brocade on top and crimson print on the lower tiers, the limited edition mooncake gift box from Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur can be used as a beautiful jewellery box after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Meticulously crafted by award-winning dim sum maestro Chef Ng Meng Loong who has over two decades of culinary expertise, the Four Seasons’ mooncakes mirror a full moon – symbolising unity and completeness – come in a sumptuous array of baked and snowskin variants.

This year’s most outstanding snowskin creation has to be the Black Truffle Lotus Seed Paste with Pine Nuts and Kelulut Honey (RM68 each) mooncake. The chef has ensured a harmonious blend of flavours especially with the bold inclusion of black truffle into the snowskin mooncakes. We love the distinct pine nut and kelulut honey combo with lotus seed paste.

Returning snowskin favourites include luscious Musang King Durian (RM80 each), exquisite Bird's Nest with Black Sesame and Almond (RM58 each) and White Lotus Seed Paste with Seaweed, Black Sugar and Macadamia (RM50 each).

For those partial to classic baked mooncakes, satisfy your cravings with delectable Red Bean Paste with Almond Flakes (RM44), Traditional Mixed Nuts (RM44), Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM44), and White Lotus Seed Paste (RM44).

Ideal as gifts for family, friends and business associates, this year’s elegant Mid-Autumn Fest gift boxes are available from MYR288+ up to MYR388+ per set.

To place orders for Yun House mooncakes, please call Four Seasons Hotel KL, tel: 03 2382 8602 or drop an email to: yunhouse.kualalumpur@fourseasons.com.

 

 

SPLENDID MOONCAKES FROM DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

Handcrafted by resident chefs of The Emperor restaurant, both baked and snowskin mooncakes make perfect gifts this Mid-Autumn Festival.

I like the design simplicity of the Celestial Gift Set. Clad in red with the hotel name hot stamped in gold, each gift box can hold a set of four mooncakes.

TBH, these baked variants comprising White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM46), Pandan Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM46), Pure Red Bean Paste (RM38) and Six Coarse Grains Paste (RM46) exceeded my expectations.

Their nice, glossy sheen once I cut into them bears testament to good ‘yau sui’, that slick slight oiliness all notable mooncakes is judged by. According to experienced Chinese chefs, it’s a sign of well-made mooncakes with ample time to rest post-baking, resulting in their deliciousness.

Proof of that is truly in the eating. The red bean paste blows me away with its just-right sweetness. Between the pandan-flavoured and regular white lotus paste, I find the former coming up trumps thanks to its enticing aroma and appealing vanilla-like flavour.

Only the nutty variant seems a little dry and underwhelming. Overall, I’d recommend mooncakes from The Emperor as gifts this Mid-Autumn Festival. They are Halal-certified too.
 
To order Dorsett Grand Subang’s mooncakes, call The Emperor restaurant, tel: 03-5031 6060 ext 1912 or email: bookfnb.subang@dorsetthotels.com

OVER THE MOON WITH ORIENTAL GROUP’S MOONCAKES

Moonlight and love converge this Mid-Autumn Festival when you celebrate with delicious mooncakes from Oriental Group of Restaurants.

A vibrant red oblong gift box adorned with pretty blossoms and a pair of birds can be filled with your choice of baked or snowskin mooncakes from the restaurant group.

My favourite is the old-school Baked Mixed Nuts (RM30) mooncake. Packed with almonds, sesame seeds, walnuts, sunflower and melon seeds, the mooncake’s subtly sweet and nutty filling has a subtle whiff and taste of kaffir lime leaf too.

More unusual is the Black Sesame with White Lotus Snowskin (RM24) variant which boasts a rich nuttiness complemented by the delicate sweetness of white lotus.

 

Fans of classic mooncakes may prefer the buttery crumb texture of the Single Egg Yolk Shanghai Style (RM37) mooncake or the Baked Single Yolk with White Lotus Paste (RM34) mooncake.

To order Oriental Group’s mooncakes, kindly WhatsApp: 012 811 8812.

EXQUISITE, TIMELESS MOONCAKES FROM SHANGRI-LA KL

 

Available now until 17 September 2024, an exquisite range of timeless mooncakes is available from Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

My Blossom Bliss Gift Set in a pretty pink gift box contained a set of four baked mooncakes. The auspicious gift box of Snowskin Indulgence set came with 8 snowskin mooncakes.

Priced at RM288 for the latter, the 60g snow skin creations feature Musang King, Butterfly Pea Flower Skin with Coconut, Mango & Passion Fruit and Yuzu & Cheese variants.

Delicately crafted, you’d know the luscious Musang King filling from the ripe aroma alone. Since I’m an avid durian fan, I adore the creamy richness enfolded within the delicate layer of mochi-like snow skin.

Light and fruity with refreshing tanginess denotes the Mango & Passion Fruit variant whilst the Yuzu & Cheese filling exuded a delightful pairing of citrusy and savoury accents. For a touch of local flavour, the subtly sweet Pea Flower Snowskin with Coconut filling proved enticingly on-point.

Purists may prefer the baked Red Bean Paste with 30-year Dried Tangerine Peel (RM41). This was one of my favourites too as the dried tangerine peel imbued the red bean paste mooncake with a mellow sweet tangerine nuance.

The Black Truffle Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM46) turned out to be a dark horse; a thoroughbred creation that romped home a winner. Unconventional but I found myself liking how the musky-earthy truffle aroma was amplified by the savoury yolk.

Likewise, the distinctly heady floral scent of osmanthus was noticeable when I sampled the Osmanthus Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM42) mooncake. Another outstanding pairing worth savouring if you’re looking for a new twist to old-school baked mooncakes.

Of course, you can always return to classic Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM42) if you’re a stickler for tradition. The sweetness level is just nice with the jade-green filling exuding a nice vanilla-like aroma.

The Blossom Bliss or Snowskin Indulgence gift sets from Shangri-La KL will make impressive gifts for family and friends to celebrate this Mid-Autumn Festival.

For more information, call Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03 2786 2378 or email: festive.KL@shangri-la.com

 

EQ PRESENTS CELESTIAL TREASURES FOR MID-AUTUMN FEST

Rabbit motifs take pride of place on EQ mooncake gift boxes this year. Referencing the Chinese folklore where the rabbit was immortalised by the Emperor of Heaven for its selfless act, the rabbit once again was the icon of choice for EQ's Mid-Autumn Fest gift packaging.

Origami-style rabbit motif hot-stamped in gold played a central role in my Longevity Collection gift box in vibrant red. Inside, I found 4 traditional baked mooncakes (RM198). Should you prefer snowskin, a set of 6 snowskin mooncakes (RM228) is available too.

Featuring blind-embossed elements of the moon and other decorative motifs, the understated gift box can be repurposed into a keepsake or jewellery box post-celebration.

Headlining the array of baked classic mooncakes is EQ’s Signature Pearl of Harmony. Featuring a combination of black sesame paste, mung bean paste and salted egg yolk, it was meant to resemble a full moon glowing against a night sky. The delicate nutty sweetness of black sesame was balanced by the savoury richness of the salted egg yolk.  

 
We also like the mildly sweet Low Sugar White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk. Equally agreeable was the Pandan Lotus variant with a discernible fragrance of pandan whilst the perennial Red Bean filling proved on-point.

 
Visit https://www.eqkualalumpur.equatorial.com/celestial-treasures-mooncakes/ for more details on EQ’s other Mid-Autumn Festival gift boxes and mooncake selection. Otherwise, drop by EQ Kuala Lumpur, Kampachi and IPPUDO restaurants, Pavilion KL Centre Court or Thyme Out Café, AICB Building to purchase and view the Celestial Treasures available.

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