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

 

NEW MENU ITEMS YOU'D LOVE AT AN VIET

 

Bánh Khọt (RM14.90), scrumptious Vietnamese mini savoury coconut pancakes laden with minced pork, chopped shrimps, mung beans and sautéed spring onions transported us to Vietnam briefly.

The serving of moreish pancakes was one of the new items launched by An Viet recently. Slightly crisp on the outer edges segueing into spongier texture towards the centre, we savoured them wrapped in fresh lettuce and herbs. Nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce) with pickled radish and carrot strips boosted the overall taste.

We also sampled several other new dishes at the latest outlet at Pavilion Bukit Jalil recently. The show-stealer was Crispy Rice Noodle Pillows with Sautéed Pork/Beef (a la carte: RM22.90 pork/RM23.90 beef; set RM27.90 pork/RM28.90 beef).

According to restaurateur Caren Poon, the dish is a tricky one to prepare. “The flat rice noodles needs to be of a certain thickness so that they can be layered, cut into squares then deep-fried to puff them up. If the noodles are too thick, the resultant ‘pillows’ will be hard. It cannot be too thin either as they may break during the frying process.”

Taste-wise, the noodle ‘pillows’ combined with the stir-fried greens and sliced beef/pork bore some similarities with Cantonese fried noodles. We like the cohesive textures and enticing smoky aroma emanating from the dish.

Besides the prawn version, An Viet now features Gỏi Cuốn (RM10.90), fresh spring rolls with grilled pork belly in addition to fillings of rice vermicelli, fresh lettuce, radish and carrot julienne and basil.

Dunked into sweet-savoury-tangy nuoc cham, the gamut of harmonious flavours and disparate yet complementary textures scored well with us.  
 

Evoking the comforting warmth of hearth and home, we couldn’t resist sampling the soulful Stewed Chestnut Pork Belly (RM24.90 with rice; RM29.90 set). Think tau ew bak (braised pork in soy sauce) Vietnamese-style, albeit shades lighter due to a mixture of coconut water, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar used to braise the pork.

Succulent black mushrooms and powdery-soft chestnuts dialled up the speciality’s appeal. We slurped up the rich, flavourful gravy to the last drop.

For our quota of greens, we opted for Gong Cai Crunchy “Sound Vegetable” Salad with Tiger Prawns (RM18.90). Black sesame seed-flecked crackers and toasted peanuts played key supporting roles, tastefully backing up a trio of sautéed sliced celtuce, carrot julienne and poached tiger prawns.

The entire delicious medley not only proved on-song but also rendered delightful ‘sound bites’ to the ears.

No visit to An Viet is complete without pho. The newly included Sautéed Beef Noodle Soup (a la carte RM24.90, set RM29.90) was the satisfying solution; a splendid pairing of silky smooth noodles with gently sautéed beef slices.

Chè Ba Màu (RM8.90), Vietnamese 3 Colour Dessert capped off our culinary sojourn. Similar to ice kacang, this refreshing shaved ice treat atop soft red and mung beans, pandan-green jelly strips, and lightly sweetened coconut milk was the perfect ending to our marvellous Vietnamese dining experience.

 
For more information and reservations at An Viet, visit: https://www.facebook.com/anviet.my
 

CONCORDE HOTEL KL’S MID-AUTUMN ELEGANCE

Bold red and classy orange hues reign in Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s elegantly handcrafted Mid-Autumn Elegance mooncake gift boxes this year.

The square and rectangular lacquer boxes in multiple layers of vibrant high-gloss finishing, come adorned with a dainty LED touch sensor light decorative panel. These gift boxes can be transformed into elegant storage boxes or repurposed as light-up displays in the home post-Mid-Autumn Festival.

In celebration of familial reunions and communal togetherness, Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s Mid-Autumn Elegance gift boxes come with a set of 4 x 180g mooncakes (RM188 nett per set). Take your pick from different mooncake variants to suit your tastebuds.

My red lacquer square box contains Set A consisting of Pure Lotus Double Yolk, Pure Lotus Paste, Pandan Pure Lotus and  Japanese Red Bean – classic baked variants ideal for the traditionalist in me. I’m happy to note the mooncake fillings aren’t overly sweet; the smooth paste with the requisite taste of red bean, pandan-infused lotus and classic lotus pleasantly delicate.

 

Should you lean towards the Lacquer Rectangular (RM188 nett per set), each box will come with 5 Mooncakes (1 x 180gm & 4 x 120gm).

Visit Concorde kiosks now to purchase those Mid-Autumn Elegance gift boxes:

Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur (Lobby) until 29 Sept, 10am – 8pm

·  1 Utama Shopping Centre (Centre Court, Ground Floor) until 1 October, 10am – 10pm (Sun – Thurs) and 10am – 10.30 pm (Fri & Sat)

Enjoy 20% Discount for CIMB, Citibank, HLB, MBB, OCBC, PB, RHB, SCB, UOB cardholders.

For more information, call/WhatsApp: 012 399 5021 or email to fbkl@concorde.net