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.
 

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

GIFTS OF MID-AUTUMN BLOOMS AT CONCORDE HOTEL KL

Pretty Mid-Autumn Blooms adorn glass-topped jewellery boxes in baby blue and pastel pink from Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur to celebrate this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival.

Adorned with magnolia blooms, butterflies and birds, the beautifully designed gift boxes come with a choice of 4 mooncakes (180g each).

Priced at RM118 nett per set, take your pick from 3 different sets:

A.             Pure Lotus Double Yolk, White Pure Lotus, Lotus Paste Single Yolk & White Lotus Black Sesame

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

C.             Snowskin with Red Bean Paste, Snowskin with White Lotus, Snowskin with Pandan Lotus Single Yolk & Snowskin with Yam Lotus Paste Single Yolk

Set D priced at RM158 nett consists of 4 pcs of Snowskin Musang King Durian Mooncakes. The delicate filling is handmade with pure musang king durian flesh hence the mooncakes come in a separate cooler bag (while stocks last) to keep them chilled. Also, it’s best to refrigerate the mooncakes to maintain their freshness.

These luscious treats are strictly for durian fans as the rich, sweet filling is simply the next best thing to eating the actual king of fruits. They’re decadent but so irresistible, you’d find it hard to stop after the first mouthful. 

Hailed as the best snowskin durian mooncake in town by The Star newspaper in 2019, it’s a much s0ught-after delight during the Mid-Autumn Festival so be sure to pre-order your share in advance.

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. Delivery service is available (subject to charges and prevailing terms & conditions).

Pix courtesy of Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur

For more information, call Xin Cuisine, tel: 03-2144 8750 or WhatsApp +6 012 399 5021 or email: fbkl@concorde.net Address: Lobby Level, 2, Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. 

ADD SHINE TO MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL WITH LE MEI ’S MOONCAKES

New and classic mooncake variants by Chef Yau Fong Peng and his team at Le Mei Chinese Restaurant, Le Meridien Putrajaya will add shine to this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival.

 

Available now until 21 September, I received a set of four mooncakes attractively packed in a specially designed Mid-Autumn Festival gift box: a sturdy magnetic flap carryall adorned with colourful mosaic and rabbit motifs.

Nestled within were four smaller boxes replicating the same design. The Mini Snow Skin with Cheese and Cashew Nuts piqued our interest thanks to its mildly savoury accent amidst the anticipated sweetness.

Mini Snow Skin with Cheese & Cashew Nuts

Mini Snow Skin with Red Bean Paste & Walnuts

Purists and traditionalists at heart may prefer the Mini Snow Skin Red Bean Paste with Walnuts. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel with such a classic, crowd-pleasing flavour.

Baked Mooncake with White Lotus Paste & Single Egg Yolk

Likewise, the Baked White Lotus Paste with Single Egg Yolk and Pandan Paste with Melon Seeds Mooncake belong to this ‘old is gold’ school of thought. The only concession made is possibly the reduction in the amount of sugar, as the mooncakes’ subtle sweetness was noticeable on the palate.

Baked Mooncake with Pandan Paste & Melon Seeds

We also like the liberal sprinkling of melon seeds embedded within the Pandan Paste Mooncake. It was reminiscent of the mooncakes of yore when fanciful fillings were unheard of then.

Priced at RM18 upwards, Le Mei’s mooncakes can be purchased from the mooncake counter of Le Meridien Putrajaya from 12noon to 8pm daily or from Le Mei restaurant. Enjoy 20% discount for purchases made using credit card from CIMB, Maybank, Hong Leong Bank, Citibank, HSBC, UOB, Standard Chartered and Affin Bank. 

For more information, takeaway or delivery, please call Le Meridien Putrajaya, tel: 03 8689 6888 or email: dining.lmputrajaya@lemeridien.com

 

ZUAN YUAN TOUTS LOW SUGAR MOONCAKES

Melon seeds embedded within the Snow Skin Mooncake with Red Bean Paste with Melon Seed (RM21.50 per piece) from One World Hotel are evocative of the traditional versions I ate as a child. It’s a nice touch as the seeds are noticeably missing in many of this Mid-Autumn Festival treat lately.

 

Another recommended snowskin variant is Durian Lotus Paste (RM23 per piece) – the durian aroma is discernible in the lotus paste; its subtle sweetness a perfect balance to complement the astringency of Chinese tea. Other snow skin, low sugar variants available include White Lotus Paste (RM23), Pandan Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM25) and White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM25).

 
This year, One World Hotel Dim Sum Chef Jordan Chin Chee Hong has decided on 12 varieties of mooncakes to offer for the traditional celebration. Available now until 1^st October, Chef Chin said “A good mooncake will not stick to the teeth”. Having travelled to many Asian countries to taste different mooncakes, Chin is adamant Malaysia’s is the best.

 

He also offers a classic Deep Fried Teo Chew Yam Paste with Single Yolk (RM26 per piece), a tricky to make but scrumptious creation for the occasion. The crisp, swirly pastry is airy-light and generously filled with a savoury-sweet yam paste and salted egg yolk.

The mooncakes come in an Oriental themed gift box with a magnetic flap. Maroon with floral and lantern motifs, it holds four boxes of your choice of baked or snow skin mooncakes snugly.

 

As for the baked versions, the mooncakes are low sugar to cater to health-conscious market demand. We can vouch for the White Lotus Paste with Double Yolks (RM26) which taste great despite the reduced sweetness. Other enticing flavours in the selection include White Lotus Paste, Red Bean Paste, Pandan Lotus Paste and Supreme Mixed Nuts.

For further enquiries or orders, please call Zuan Yuan at 603 7681 1159 or email: zuanyuan@oneworldhotel.com.my