SWEET, SWEET MID-AUTUMN FEST

CONCORDE KL LIGHTS UP THE SWEET LIFE

This year's 'it' item for Mid-Autumn Festival which falls on 8 September...Concorde Hotel KL's ingenious mooncake box which can be upcycled into a table lantern lamp! Available in a range of pretty eye-catching colours and a choice of tall vertical or square box-style, the ornate table lights are definitely going like hot cakes!

Pretty lanterns cum mooncake boxes all in a row...photo courtesy of Concorde Hotel KL

This pix of Concorde's durian mooncakes don't do the taste justice...eating is believing. Photo courtesy of Concorde KL

The hotel's scrumptious Musang King snowskin durian is another winner in the mooncake stakes. Packed with rich, creamy Musang King durian pulp and its unmistakably pungent aroma, no die-hard durian fans can resist this heavenly treat. If you want to a sample, you'd better hurry before stock runs out...

Of course, there's different mooncake varieties available to please the palate. My choice is the classic lotus paste with single yolk and pandan lotus paste with single yolk - both decent varieties that aren't too sweet. Priced from RM108 onwards per box, the selection can be viewed at this link:
http://goo.gl/j9sVd8

Sneak peek of the lotus paste with single yolk mooncake from Concorde KL

Pandan lotus paste with single yolk

Mooncake with Japanese red bean filling

Concorde KL's mooncakes are sold at the hotel lobby from 11am-8pm until 8 September (while stocks last). Call tel: 2144 8750 for information and placement of orders.

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HILTON KL'S CLASSY CARRIER

Creative carriers...Hilton KL's mooncake boxes can be turned into a wine carrier

Upping the ante on their luxe boxes of past Mid-Autumn Fests, Hilton KL has also drawn much interest with their classy mooncake boxes that look like tiffin carriers. Once the mooncake box insert is removed, it turns into a nifty wine carrier! You can tell a lot of thought has gone into the design thanks to the flow of creative juices from the in-house graphics team.

The hotel also shows its Midas touch with opulent boxes to present its famed snowskin durian mooncakes. Taste-wise, the exquisitely indulgent snowskin with pure premium Musang King durian  creation is neck-to-neck with Concorde's. Billed as Heavenly Gold, it is available in a box of 4 or 6 at RM198 and RM276 respectively.

Close-up of the exquisite snowskin durian mooncake

The other popular variant that piques our interest is Blue Moon, a bright blue snowskin mooncake with amaretto lotus paste and blueberry cheese feuillantine filling. There's something about that sweet-salty balance that tickles the tastebuds, leaving behind an urge to eat more of it.

 

This traditionalist is equally besotted by this year's signature offering of Autumn Jade - a snowskin pandan mooncake with parmesan cheese and a praline-like mandarin orange-infused chocolate centre. Incorporating the citrusy accent was a brilliant move as the refreshing aroma and nuance help to balance the sweet and rich profile of the mooncake.

 

Another new variant to sample is Flower Drum - a snowskin lotus paste mooncake with soft custard egg yolk. After savouring the more distinctive flavours, the subtle delicacy of this creation is somewhat eclipsed by its counterparts but it should appeal to those who are partial to subtler tastes.

 

Purists need not worry as the hotel's baked selection is guaranteed to delight. Our top pick has to be the white lotus paste with single yolk which comes in an impossibly thin baked skin. If you prefer nuttier and crunchier overtones, the baked mooncake with five nuts would be ideal.

Luscious lotus paste with single yolk from Chynna, Hilton KL

 

Go nuts with this traditional offering from Chynna

The Hilton KL's mooncake selection is available at RM88 per box of 4. For enquiries, call 03-2264 2405.

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CLASSIC WESTIN

The Westin KL also has its own range of mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Among the baked variants available are pure lotus paste with single yolk, healthy black sesame with lotus paste filling and golden emerald (pandan) paste with single yolk. 

The health-conscious choice...healthy black sesame paired with lotus paste for that subtly rich accent

Most of the mooncakes we sampled from The Westin KL are mildly sweet with a smooth, slightly nutty texture from the inclusion of sunflower seeds in them.

The emerald paste with single yolk mooncake

One advantage of buying mooncakes from The Westin KL is these are produced in-house by the Five Sen5es team so the treats are preservative-free. The crumbly Shanghainese mooncake is one that's rarely seen nowadays but if you like cookie-like skin for your mooncakes, this would go down well.

Crumbly coating for the Shanghai mooncake

Packed in a cheery purple and silver box with blind embossed pattern, the mooncakes are sold at The Westin KL from now until 8 September.

Call Five Sen5es, The Westin KL for more information. Tel: 03-2773 8338.

'MUST HAVES' FOR MID-AUTUMN FEST

Instead of the moon, choose mooncakes to represent your heart this Mid-Autumn Festival. With a mind-boggling array in the market, the sweet confectionery is selling like hot cakes (well, cold cakes if you prefer the snowskin version…LOL) from now until 8 September.

Crystal Durian Paste Mooncakes are one of the hot hits at Eastin

True to tradition, Ee Cuisine offers more than 15 flavours to entice mooncake lovers this year. Besides baked and snowskin versions, the mooncakes come in regular and mini sizes. The latter feature distinct fillings of durian, corn with custard and blueberry to tease modern tastebuds. Health-conscious folks can even opt for the low-sugar white lotus paste with single yolk variant.

Naturally the classics such as mixed nuts, lotus paste with single or double yolks, and pandan-infused lotus paste are perennial best-sellers. You can buy them individually from RM11+ each or in tastefully designed gift boxes of four (regular size mooncakes) and eight (mini mooncakes).

Families looking to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together can look forward to sampling Chef Yong Kam Wah's special dishes created just for the occasion. I can vouch for the scrumptious Gratinated Canadian Oyster with Lemon Cheese Sauce – an exquisite West meets East appetiser that marries the mollusk's inherent succulence with a mildly tangy yet creamy sauce that enhances its natural sweetness. The second morsel of Deep-fried Stuffed Prawn Dumpling is a surprise in itself; biting into the crisp exterior, the superior broth within is released in a delicious squirt that amplifies the crustacean's flavour. 

 The Fish Broth with Mushroom, Lotus Root and Fish Mousse in mini claypot treads that fine line between East-West borders again. Slightly unctuous and creamy on the palate, the broth yields slippery smooth glass noodles, springy-soft fish paste quenelles, wolfberries and toasted garlic flakes. A daring, unusual combination that piques one's interest.

Taking a retro turn, the chef proffers Baked Stuffed Chicken Wing with Savoury Sauce. Generously stuffed with squid paste, the plump chicken wing came sheathed in a sweet-tangy-umami-accented lacquer-like sauce that will leave you licking your fingers and plate clean. Crunchy pickled papaya slices and a sole lychee complemented the dish, to add subtle bursts of flavour and to temper any overly cloying aftertaste.

Delicate nuances prevail in the Charcoal Beancurd with Crispy Enoki; a clever intergration of soft and crunchy textures with simpler, low-key tastes that totter close to blandness. Again it's a dish that should have everyone Instagramming it at once.

If you aren't a big eater, you'd be hard pressed to find tummy space for the Baked Cod with Garlic Fried Rice. Such an indulgent dish is hard to appreciate after the earlier succession of rich, big-flavoured offerings. I suspect some rice lovers would beg to differ though ;)

For a sweet conclusion to your celebratory meal, the Eight Treasure Broth is light enough to please or you can always sample the restaurant's mooncakes to wrap things up. The special menu is available with prior reservations only. Price: RM150++ per person

 

For further information or reservations, call Ee Chinese Cuisine, tel: 03-7628 7338 or visit www.eastin.com

OKAYAMA SUMMER FESTIVAL AT KAMPACHI

 Okayama is a prefecture in the Chugoku region on Honshu Island. Rich in history and culture, Okayama is known as The Sunny Land of Japan. Popular tourist sites range from temples and art museums to gardens and onsen (hot springs). The prefecture's mild climate also makes it ideal for the cultivation of rice, fruits and vegetables, as well as seasonal fishes and marine products.

From 22 August to 5 September, the Okayama Summer Food Fest at Kampachi will showcase Okayama's bountiful offerings where patrons can savour special a la carte (RM25++ to RM65++) items and kaiseki set menu (RM250++ per person) featuring the prefecture's abundant produce.

A recent sneak preview gave us a taste of Okayama's choice produce starting with Kampachi's multi-course menu – Nama Gaki Ponzu as the star of the show. The pair of huge, fresh raw oyster are the biggest I had ever savoured! Their smooth, succulent flesh are thicker with a richer body than that of Kansai's which made it a sensuous delight to eat. The shellfish's oceanic sweet-briny nuance was enhanced by a dash of tart yet faintly fruity Japanese citrus vinaigrette to balance its voluptuous richness.

 

 

Coming in at a close second at stealing the show is Togan no Ebi Soboro Ankake (RM32++), Okayama wax gourd and minced prawn with a thick sauce known as ankake. According to Chef Koji Tamaru, the clear, viscous broth – a concoction of dashi, mirin, shoyu and starch – amplifies the dish's delicate accents while fine slivers of kinusaya (boiled snow pea) add crunch and minced prawns, hints of sweetness.

Even vegetables were accorded reverential respect as shown in the Okayama Yasai Salad Goma Dressing (RM35++). The Okayama vegetable salad came presented in a thick and surprisingly sweet tomato 'cup' holding tender green asparagus, kinira (yellow leek), itouri (spaghetti squash) and endaibu (endive) served with sesame dressing. Pay close attention and you'd detect a subtle oniony sharpness to the crunchy yet firm yellow leek and the pasta-like 'al dente' texture of the spaghetti squash. Do you know that the fully ripe winter melon actually breaks apart into long, thin spaghetti-like strips when boiled? These splendid vegetables were accompanied by some tender shimeiji mushrooms drizzled with toasty sesame dressing.

The trinity of Okayama tomato, asparagus and yellow leek made another appearance in the Salmon Carpaccio Roll. Served with wasabi dressing, the raw slices of salmon are rolled with asparagus and leek in a shoyu-wasabi dressing that I thought was a tad too overwhelming. A scattering of avocado dices, globules of salmon roe and crisp fried garlic flakes gave the dish extra colour and textural interest.

Our just dessert came in the form of Pione (RM38++), imported Okayama seedless Pione grapes that were large (almost the size or even bigger than quail's egg) and bursting with juicy sweetness that has the barest splash of boozy finish to it.

 

Other air-flown produce available during the promotion period will be Okayama Melon, hakuto (Okayama White Peach) and mushrooms (shimeiji and shiitake).

The Okayama Kaiseki menu will only be served at the following Kampachi restaurants on these dates:

August 25@Troika

August 29@Plaza 33, PJ 

Sep 1@Pavillion and Johor Premium Outlet

For more details and reservations, visit: www.kampachi.com.my