10 unique mooncake flavours try this Mid-Autumn Festival
From nasi lemak to apple strudel and pina colada, these are the mooncakes to try this year
By Michelle Lee -
The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming around on Sep 17 and if you’re already on the lookout for the mooncakes available this year (especially with all the early bird specials you can snag), we’ve got a round-up of unique mooncakes to whet your appetite.
These little parcels packed with appealing fillings aren’t your traditional treats. Going beyond classics like lotus root paste with egg yolk and custard, hotels and bakeries alike have come up with the most delectable and novel confections to savour or gift your loved ones.
Here’s a novel take on the usually sweet mixed nuts mooncake — a savoury version laced with nasi lemak sambal for a hint of spiciness. The nutty interior is also imbued with subtle notes of ikan billis for a savoury treat.
It’s available as a box of four baked mooncakes, with three other flavours. Two interesting new flavours include the Sweet Potato with Taro Coconut, and the Matcha Red Bean with Rose. And if you or your folks prefer a less sweet version, it has the classic Low Sugar White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk.
$98 nett for a box of four mooncakes. Enjoy super early bird savings of 30% from 1 June to 21 July 2024. From 22 July 2024 onwards, enjoy 20% early bird savings until Aug 31, 2024. Visit The Westin’s e-shop to order or for more information.
Cinnamon Apple Strudel with Cream Cheese mooncake (Crowne Plaza Changi Airport)
Creme brulee, apple strudel and matcha — classic sweet treats and flavours from around the globe have been turned into intriguing snowskin mooncake creations at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport.
A nod to Italy is the Pistachio with Hazelnut Truffle mooncake. Or have a taste of Austria through the Cinnamon Apple Strudel with Cream Cheese and Apple Truffle concoction. Then be whisked away to Japan with Matcha with Sakura Truffle mooncake and finally, there’s the Creme Brulee with Vanilla Truffle that draws on the French custard dessert.
$83 for a box of four unique flavours in a limited edition Sky Blossom box. Use code EARLYMOON to enjoy 35%+5% off, for a limited time only. Visit Crowne Plaza Changi Airport’s e-store to order or for more information.
Yuzu Osmanthus Mini Snowskin Mooncakes, The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
Whether you’re in the mood for something refreshing or a richer treat, The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore has two new flavours that’ll suit your preference.
The Yuzu Osmanthus Mini Snowskin Mooncakes offer a fragrant blend of tangy citrus and mildly sweet osmanthus blossoms. Othewise, there’s the Mocha Baileys Mini Snowskin Mooncake with a mocha Baileys truffle encased in soft chewy snowskin, for a blend of rich coffee and creamy liqueur notes.
The mini mooncakes come in sets of eight, in a premium turquoise-hued box available in two- or three-tier options. Each flavour is available individually or can be mixed and matched based on preferences.
From $98 for a two-tier box. Visit website to order or for more information.
Guojiao 1573 Baijiu Black Sesame Truffle Snow-Skin Mooncake (Raffles Hotel Singapore)
You’re in for a boozy treat with Raffles Hotel Singapore’s three new snowskin mooncakes.
The limited-edition Guojiao 1573 Baijiu Black Sesame Truffle Snow-Skin Mooncake ($108 per box), crafted in honour of National Treasures Cellars, comes infused with aged Baijiu that’s exclusively fermented by hand in China’s historic cellars built in 1573. Its velvety smooth and floral aroma is paired with rich chocolate then enveloped in earthy black sesame.
The other two alcoholic concoctions are the zesty Sudachi & Blueberry with Gin Truffle Snow-Skin Mooncake ($97 per box), as well as the Chestnut & Tahitian Vanilla with Rum Truffle Snow-Skin Mooncake ($97 per box), which has a subtle infusion of sand ginger for a blend of nutty, spicy, and sweet notes.
Visit Raffles Hotel Singapore’s website to order or for more information.
Jackfruit and Quinoa with Lemon Chocolate Truffle (Intercontinental Singapore)
This year, Intercontinental Singapore’s got a line-up of four fruit-flavoured mooncakes for those with adventurous palates.
For one, there’s the Jackfruit and Quinoa with Lemon Chocolate Truffle which combines sweet and tangy flavours, as well as the Mangosteen and Flax Seeds with Pomegranate Chocolate Truffle mooncake that doles out a creamy sweetness from the mangosteen, paired with the tangy pomegranate truffle centre.
Or try the Golden Peach and Pumpkin Seed with Lychee Chocolate Truffle with subtle crunch from pumpkin seeds. Tropical flavours await with the Coconut and Black Sesame Seeds with Passionfruit Chocolate Truffle mooncake, a blend of tangy aromatic notes from the passionfruit chocolate truffle and smooth earthy coconut.
$102 for a box of four snowskin mooncakes in different flavours. Visit Intercontinental Singapore’s website to order or for more information.
Pina Colada with White Rum Truffle Snow Skin Mooncake (The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore)
This year, get your mooncakes in The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore’s The Clifford Pier Snow Skin Mooncake Tingkat (S$118 nett). Each comes with four snowskin mooncakes in two new flavours.
There’s the Pina Colada with White Rum Truffle Snow Skin Mooncake that’ll take you on a tropical escape with heady white rum, rich coconut cream, and zingy pineapple, as well as the Lychee Rose Snow Skin Mooncake creation with delicate floral notes and juicy lychee.
Enjoy Early Bird Specials for online orders, with up to 30 percent off from now till 31 July, and up to 25 percent off from 1 to 31 August 2024. Visit its website to order or for more information.
Sea Salt Walnut with Pistachio Matcha Praline Snowskin Mooncake (Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel)
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel’s award-winning Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant is wooing mooncake lovers with tempting new creations like the Sea Salt Walnut with Pistachio Matcha Praline mooncake and a Blueberry with Blackcurrant Praline confection. Or if you like a little boozy flavour, there’s the Rose Tea with Rose Champagne Praline mooncake.
If baked mooncakes are more your thing, then give the new Imperial “Long Jing” Tea with Pecan Nuts, or the Rose Lotus Paste with Golden Raisins and Macadamia Nuts a whirl.
The mooncakes are available as individually flavoured boxes (from $90 for a box of eight snowskin mooncakes or four baked mooncakes). You can also get a box of mooncakes in assorted flavours (four baked or eight snowskin per box). Visit its e-store to order or for more information.
Mango Pomelo Snow Skin Mooncake, Hai Tien Lo (Pan Pacific Singapore)
Love the mango pomelo dessert? You’ll want to order the Mango Pomelo Snow Skin Mooncake ($95 for a box of four) from Pan Pacific Singapore’s Hai Tien Lo, which takes its cue from the classic treat. Another newcomer is the Caramel Walnut Cocoa Baked Mooncake ($95 for a box of four), packed with a luxurious filling of rich, smooth caramel blended with the deep, bittersweet flavour of premium cocoa.
Visit Pan Pacific Singapore’s order page to order or for more information.
Shang Palace Red Date Pumpkin Seed with Bird’s Nest Mooncake, Shang Palace (Shangri-La Singapore)
Go nourishing (and luxe) for your mooncakes this year with Shang Palace’s Red Date Pumpkin Seed with Bird’s Nest Mooncakes created by executive Chinese chef Daniel Cheung. Made with collagen-rich bird’s nest, the red date confection also has pumpkin seeds for brunch and earthy superfood goodness.
$124.80 (early bird pricing) for a box of four. Visit Shangri-La Singapore’s website to order or for more information.
Not a fan of the usual mooncake fillings but don’t want to miss out on the festivities? Direct your browser to Janice Wong’s order page. Each year, the homegrown chocolate maker rolls out chocolate mooncakes, and this year, you can expect options like Salted Caramel Cashew, Peanut Gingerflower and Gula Old Fashioned.
Of course, Janice Wong also has snowskin and baked mooncakes in equally intriguing flavors like the Kuromitsu Sea Salt baked mooncake, and the Hojicha Chestnut Coffee snowskin mooncake.
$80.75 (early bird special) for a box of eight chocolate mooncakes. Visit Janice Wong’s website to order or for more information.
This article was originally published in Singapore Women’s Weekly.