SHANGRI-LA KUALA LUMPUR UNVEILS 2025 MID-AUTUMN COLLECTION

The graceful peony flower is the key inspiration for Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur’s Mid-Autumn Festival (MAF) Collection this year. Emblematic of prosperity, honour and enduring relationships, it graces the refined MAF gift boxes and even appear in the special MAF celebratory menu (more on this later) by Executive Chinese Chef Keith Yeap.

Available now until 6 October, the Mid-Autumn Festival collection is designed for celebrants to show appreciation to those near and dear to them, and cherishing familial reunion.

 
According to Chef Keith Yeap, “Each mooncake is a gesture of heartfelt giving, whether for family, friends or business partners. It’s the sentiment behind the gift that’s meaningful. I wanted to craft flavours honouring heritage balanced by a sense of warmth and connection.”

 
Presented in striking turquoise blue and ruby red, the square, book-style Imperial Lunar Luxe Gift Set is adorned with intricately embossed floral motifs. Accented with gold detailing and a metallic nameplate, select any four full-sized baked mooncakes (160g each from RM42 per piece) from traditional and premium flavour mooncakes.

The Red Bean Paste with 40-Year-Old Dried Tangerine Skin stands out for its mellow sweetness and distinct aged citrus aroma. Purists will adore the classic White Lotus Seed Paste or more indulgent Lotus Seed Paste with Double Yolk.

 
More contemporary riffs evoke by Yuzu Lotus Seed Paste with Bird’s Nest and Osmanthus White Lotus Paste with Yolk strike a modern, beguiling chord.

Nut fiends will find much to like in the Assorted Nuts and Sun-Dried Fruits variant whilst the vanilla-like scent and taste of locally inspired Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk proves winsome too.

 
Level up your grand gifting gesture with Celestial Grace Gift Set (RM538), a luxe fuchsia-red double-drawer chest bearing eight classic baked mooncakes (160g each) in classic and premium flavours: Red Bean Paste with 40-Year-Old Dried Tangerine Peel, Lotus Seed Paste with Double Yolk, White Lotus Seed Paste (with or without yolk), and Assorted Nuts with Sun-Dried Fruits. Also included are Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk, Yuzu Lotus Seed Paste with Bird’s Nest, and Osmanthus White Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk.

 
A limited-edition Decade of Harmony Gift Set (RM338) also debuts in conjunction with Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur’s 40th anniversary. It’s a striking ruby red fine crocodile leather textured chest with a stacked four-drawer design accented with gilt corners and dainty drawer knobs.
 
Refined finishing touches include brushed metal plaque bearing the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur logo and commemorative 40th anniversary tag. Inside four artisanal mooncakes (160g each): the savoury XO Sauce Mung Bean, the indulgent, molten centre Custard Lava, the nourishing Lotus Seed Paste with Red Dates & Bird’s Nest, and the delicately floral White Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk & Rose beckon.

 
Clad in soft ivory hue with delicate pink floral motifs, a brushed gold clasp and wooden base, the keepsake worthy Moonlit Bloom Gift Set (RM338) features eight petite mooncakes (60g each): rich caramelly Toffee Butterscotch, exquisite Yuzu Lotus Seed Paste with Bird’s Nest, delicately creamy Custard Lava and fragrant Osmanthus White Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk.

 
The floral themed Blossom Gift Set (RM318) with eight petite mooncakes (60g each) of bold, creative flavours such as creamy-rich Musang King, sweet-tart burst of Mixed Berries, premium and tropical Bird’s Nest & Coconut, and the earthy with choco-nuttiness combo of Black Sesame & Nutella is conceived to appeal to the modern palate.

Die-hard durian lovers will be smitten by the Celestial Gold Musang King Treasure Gift Set (RM528) with eight snow skin mooncakes (60g each) filled with premium Musang King durian.

 
Ideal for personal and corporate gifting, Shangri-La KL’s 2025 Mid-Autumn Collection can be customised with company logos on the mooncake boxes for orders of 100 boxes and above, with minimum prior notice of seven working days.

 

Corporate clients enjoy exclusive bulk purchase benefits:
•            15% off for 200–599 boxes
•            20% off for 600 boxes and above (All discounts applicable on a single receipt).
 
Shangri-La Circle members will also enjoy 10% off purchases via Shangri-La Boutique from now until 6 October 2025, using the promo code SLCMAF25.
 

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.

NICE RICE AND MORE AT SPICED PUMPKIN CAFÉ

Nasi Maqlubah, Nasi Mandy and Lontong Kering are the ‘must eat’ dishes at Spiced Pumpkin Café.

Derived from the word maqlu which means upside down in Arabic, café owner Mas Zuhairin Zubir explains the maqlubah rice recipe came from her ex-business partner’s husband of Palestinian descent. 

 

According to Mas, “Our Nasi Maqlubah has to be pre-ordered as it takes time to prepare. Firstly, onion and garlic are sautéed with 14 herbs and spices such as nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon stick among others to flavour the rice. Then we layer vegetables and protein (lamb or chicken) onto the rice. The whole pot is cooked over an open fire. Once ready, the pot is upended onto a plate – that’s why it’s known as ‘upside down’ rice.”

 

For the lamb version, the meat is roasted before it’s added to the rice whilst the chicken is spice-marinated. The original version uses cauliflower but to suit local tastebuds, eggplant, potatoes and carrots are used instead. Raisins, peanuts and almonds are included as well.  

Aside from mixed salad, Nasi Maqlubah also comes with house hot sauce (concocted with chilli, salt, sugar and pepper) and ‘daqqus’ (a mixture of lemon juice, Chinese celery stalks, mint and pepper) for those who like extra heat and piquancy. A mini pot of Maqlubah Lamb (enough for 3-4 persons) is priced at RM95 while a mini pot of Maqlubah Chicken costs RM65.

Formerly a trainer for the housekeeping department at Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Mas first ventured into the food business by serving mostly healthy salads, soup and sandwiches out of a rented kitchen in an old bungalow, for patrons of a yoga studio in the same premise.

 

Then she ran a small café at SACC Mall’s indoor kids’ playground before partnering with another home-based caterer to open Spiced Pumpkin Café in 2016.

 

Now she is the sole proprietor after her business partner opted out due to unforeseen circumstances. “I’ve maintained her husband’s Middle Eastern recipes such as Nasi Maqlubah and Nasi Mandy but I’ve also added some Malay specialities into the menu.”

 

Mas says Spiced Pumpkin’s Nasi Arab Mandy Chicken (RM21) stands out from the competition as she infused the rice with charcoal smoke before serving. Tinged with the aroma and colour of saffron, the fluffy long grain rice has an enticing, subtly sweet smokiness to it. We enjoyed every mouthful accompanied by the tender, lightly spiced chicken.

 

The other show-stealer has to be Lontong Kering Rendang Daging (RM14.50). Mas explains it’s a Johorean way of serving lontong, with cubes of nasi impit stir-fried with her signature serunding kelapa (fried and spiced coconut floss), sambal tumis, peanut sauce, fried shallots and hardboiled egg halves.

 

Eaten together, the dish is akin to a flavoursome party in one’s mouth. Other variations of it include dendeng paru (dry curried beef lungs) and beef, chicken or fish serunding.

Signature light bites such as Pita Nachos Cheese (RM16.50) and Tres Quesos PJBB (RM17.90) are also available to tease the tastebuds of peckish diners. Here, pita bread is cut into triangular pieces then fried until crisp to resemble nachos.

The former comes laden with the house special sauce, melted cheese, hot sauce and chilli flakes. Cheese lovers can relish the latter as the nibbles are topped with three types of melted cheese, beef bacon bits and chopped jalapeño.

 

To please the younger set, Creamy Pumpkin with Pasta and Beef Bacon (RM17.00), and Spaghetti with Butter Salmon in Salted Egg Yolk Sauce (RM28.90) are among the crowd-pleasing selection featured here. All the sauces are made on-premise by Mas so her extra efforts help to dial up the appeal of her pasta offerings.

Having gone viral on social media, kunafa – a popular Middle Eastern treat made from finely spun phyllo threads drenched with syrup and crushed pistachios – proves to be a compelling dessert at this outpost.

 

Mas levels up her Kunafa with Tres Leches (RM16.50): mozzarella and cream, orange blossom syrup, dried rose petals and crushed pistachios. The whole ensemble is creamy, mildly sweet and nutty; with pleasing whiffs of orange blossom and rose.

She also bestows similar treatment to Kuih Lopes with Tres Leches and Ice Cream (RM9.50). Coated in coconut flakes, the wedge of pandan-infused glutinous rice pairs marvellously with gula Melaka, cream and vanilla ice cream. Ditto for the Sago Pudding with Tres Leche and Gula Melaka (RM7.50).

 

Somehow, we couldn’t wrap our head around the South American-inspired Tres Leches Cake (RM15). Dry sponge cake is traditionally soaked in cream, milk and fruits, but Mas improvises hers slightly by immersing the sponge cake into milk prior to serving. Topped with canned fruit, this dessert fails to hit the spot for us.

For reservations at Spiced Pumpkin Café, call hp no:019 2728317. Address: Lot 291, Kompleks KPPMS, 2, Jalan RU 3/9a, Shah Alam, Selangor. Business hours: Mon-Thurs 12 pm –7 pm, Sat 12 pm – 930 pm. Closed on Sun.