The Mid-Autumn Festival (which falls on 1 October) essentially marks a traditional harvest celebration, but it’s also the start of mooncake mania in Singapore. As always, restaurants and hotels have gone above and beyond to bring us the best. Traditionalist or not, you can’t deny trying perennial classics such as durian and salted egg flavours or the ones spiked with booze. Since we’ve been hit by Covid this year, most mooncake fairs (which are usually set up at mall atriums around this period) are taking it online. Browse through over 25 mooncake brands at Mooncakefair.com, the largest online mooncake fair right now; or visit the mooncake edition of the Oddle Eats Online Food Festival for more options.
Read on as we unveil the best places to get mooncakes in Singapore.
Where to buy mooncakes in Singapore
Paradise Dynasty
Paradise Group unveils a line-up of boozy mooncakes. The Gems of the Full Moon series has four new fruity liquor snowskin mooncakes. Cut into a piece and you’ll find white lotus seed paste and a chocolate truffle core infused with different liqueurs – Japanese yuzu with sake, passion fruit with choya, white peach crème de peche and red cherry griottine.
Snowskin not your thing? The mini baked custard with molten salted egg yolk, traditional Teochew yam pastry mooncake and low sugar traditional baked pieces will satiate your cravings.
Paradise Dynasty, Fruity liquor snowskin mooncakes ($62/box of 8); Mini baked custard with molten salted egg yolk ($56/box of 8); Traditional Teochew yam pastry mooncake ($54/box of 4); Traditional baked mooncakes (from $54/box of 4); Available until 30 September at selected Paradise Group restaurants or order online.
Chng Kae SG
Can we just take a few minutes to celebrate the person that invented durian-flavoured mooncakes? Haters, step aside, as Chng Kae SG’s Qing Hua MSW Durian Mooncake is divine. Only 100% pure Mao Shan Wang durian puree is used in its mooncakes, which are coated with a thin layer of snowskin. In fact, this is the only mooncake you’ll find here. It’s always a good sign when an establishment is confident enough to have just one flavour.
Chng Kae SG, Qing Hua Mao Shan Wang Mooncakes ($98/box of 4); Available until 30 September; order online.
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
Once again, JW Marriott Singapore South Beach collaborates with Madame Fan to showcase a new collection of mooncakes. Tuck into two new flavours, including the refreshing baked single yolk lychee lotus paste and indulgent bird’s nest with Japanese sweet potato mini snowskin. Returning favourites like pu’er tea with chia seeds and Mao Shan Wang snowskin make a comeback too.
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach, Baked mooncakes (from $76/box of 4); Snowskin mooncakes (from $82/box of 8); Available until 1 October; Purchase at JW Marriott Singapore South Beach Festive Counter, Level 1 or order online.
Crystal Jade
It’s always a delight to see a surprise centre in desserts and Crystal Jade’s range of mooncakes does it right. Traditional local flavours like taro have a soft and fluffy centre, while the coconut one unveils a chocolate truffle shell with a grated coconut filling. If you’re all about bite-sized things, you’ll automatically be drawn to the assorted petite snowskin mooncakes (with flavours like sea salt caramel and lychee martini) packaged in a classy two-tier gift box.
Crystal Jade, Best of Both Worlds: Traditional mooncakes ($40.70/box of 2, from $59.90/box of 4); Assorted petite snowskin mooncakes ($72.80/box of 8); Available until 1 October at selected Crystal Jade outlets or order online.
Fairmont Singapore
Meet three new flavours in Fairmont’s mooncake collection – traditional baked mixed nuts, caramel sea salt and pu er with chia seed in a pastel snowskin casing. Other perennial favourites such as champagne truffle with chocolate ganache and rum and raisin with chocolate truffle are back too! Getting these as gifts? Opt for the premium box which comes with a classy tea set. Pinkies up!
Fairmont Singapore, Mini snowskin mooncake flavours (from $72/box of 8); Limited edition two-piece box ($40); baked mooncake flavours (from $72/box of 4); Available until 1 October; Order at the pop-up booth at Fairmont Singapore, Level 1 or online.
InterContinental Singapore
It’s all about exquisitely handcrafted mooncakes at Man Fu Yuan. Who could resist that blooming rose pattern? Take your pick from four heritage flavours – chendol, pulut hitam, durian pengat and pandan with coconut kaya – packed in a pretty tingkat carrier in Peranakan design motifs.
For those who love classics, you won’t feel left out. Look out for fan favourites like the low-sugar white lotus paste mooncakes with macadamia nuts or assorted nuts; and white lotus or red lotus paste with single or double egg yolks.
InterContinental Singapore, from $66/box of 4; Available until 1 October at Man Fu Yuan Shoppe (level 1 entrance of the hotel from Bugis Junction) or order online.
Regent Singapore
We’re still thinking about that truffle carbonara mooncake we tried last year. Well, don’t expect anything less at Regent Singapore. The hotel continues with the tradition of presenting each dining outlet’s unique spin. This year, we’re looking at double espresso with almond marzipan and pistachio, plus fig and Amarena cherry snowskin mooncakes from Basilico. Also on our list: Manhattan’s Macapuno with plantation rum as well as spiced coconut and yuzu, and orange and pine nuts by Summer Palace.
Traditional flavours like white lotus paste with double yolk and melon seeds or parma ham and pork floss with assorted nuts are also available. You’ll receive these mooncakes in a luxurious gold-laced red box that doubles up as a lantern.
Regent Singapore, Traditional baked mooncakes ($78/box of 4); Mini snowskin mooncakes (from $80/box of 8); Available until 1 October at Lobby Booth, Level 1 or order online.
Pan Pacific Singapore
Hai Tien Lo at Pan Pacific debuts three new snowskin flavours this year – raspberry chocolate, matcha black sesame and soursop lychee. And don’t you worry, as bestsellers like hazelnut yuzu and Mao Shan Wang durian make an appearance too. Watching those calories? Enjoy low-sugar choices like jade paste with melon seeds and white lotus paste with macadamia nuts. The choice of packaging this year is a regal, satin-covered crimson box beautified with floral designs and a wooden lattice centrepiece. Halal options are also available upon request.
Pan Pacific Singapore, Traditional baked mooncakes (from $69.80/box of 4); Snowskin mooncakes (from $68.80/box of 4); Available until 1 October; Order online, or collect via the drive-through at Pan Pacific’s main entrance driveway or Level 3, Hai Tien Lo restaurant.
Goodwood Park Hotel
Say hello to newcomers – including the refreshing orange with grape and exquisite Japanese sweet potato with a pumpkin-coconut centre – at Goodwood Park Hotel this year. It doesn’t end there! To commemorate its 120th anniversary, the hotel presents a massive traditional baked lotus paste mooncake (spanning 16.5cm wide) with 12 egg yolks in each of ‘em. It’s gifted in a luxurious gold and red box with floral motifs.
Of course, the hotel also brings back fan favourites like the signature durian snowskin mooncakes. Look out for other returning classics too – we see a certain blue pea flower flavour on the list.
Goodwood Park Hotel, 120th anniversary mooncake ($108/pc); Baked selections (from $39/box of 2, from $62/box of 4); Snowskin selections ($37/box of 2), ($58/box of 4); Available until 1 October, purchase at The Deli or order online.
Swensen’s
Swensen’s combines three of our favourite things – mochi, ice cream and mooncakes. The result? Delicious mochi snowskin ice cream mooncakes. There are eight solid ice cream flavours including four new ones – salted gula melaka, kueh salat, grapefruit and lotus paste – encased in chewy mochi snowskin. Signatures like durian king, cookies and cream and sticky chewy chocolate will be a hit amongst kids.
Swensen’s, $39.80 for a set of four, $10.90 per piece; Available until 1 October, order online or at all 22 Swensen’s outlets.
Royal Durian
Durian connoisseurs, Royal Durian has collaborated with Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel to produce its first Mao Shang Wang snowskin mooncake. Made with creamy 100% premium and real durian flesh, these limited edition pieces will fix all your durian cravings. The mooncakes come in an elegant red and gold gift box.
Royal Durian, $118/box of 8; Available until 1 October, Purchase at Royal Durian cafe, #01-303A, 134 Jurong Gateway Road, Singapore 600134; or WhatsApp 8218 3137 to order.
Feng Shui Inn
You don’t usually think of healthy munchies when it comes to mooncakes, but this year, Feng Shui Inn is here to bust that belief. Chow down on naturally sweetened mooncakes sans the guilt. Try all three flavours – the rose lingzhi spores with longan has ingredients that’s known for medicinal properties; the matcha with tangerine peel snowskin mooncake is sweetened with sugar substitute stevia and the tangerine peel is believed to soothe the throat (great for our current climate). Lastly, the purple sweet potato with Manuka honey snowskin mooncake has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Health lessons aside, these healthy alternatives are loaded with flavour too.
Feng Shui Inn; Premium speciality mooncake set ($98/box of 6); Baked mooncake set ($68/box of 4); Available until 1 October, order at Feng Shui Inn, Crockfords Tower, Level G2, Resorts World Sentosa or order online.
Thye Moh Chan
So you’ve had countless traditional baked and snowskin mooncakes – even tried the craziest flavours. If you’re interested to get something different, Teochew mooncakes should be on your list for sure. Helmed by Teochew pastry veterans, Chua Cha Lai and Tan Ching Huat from the original store in Geylang, you can bet your best buck that these mooncakes are the real deal. Bite into seven layers of flaky goodness, featuring new flavors like assorted nuts with white lotus and lychee rose lotus. Or try returning classics such as salty tau sar with salted egg yolk, sweet tau sar with melon seeds, yuan yang (mung bean paste with spicy pork floss) and yam with salted egg yolk.
Thye Moh Chan, From $9.80/piece or from $35.80/box of 4, Available until 1 October at Thye Moh Chan outlets or online via Mooncakefair.com, Shopee and BreadTalk E-store.
Which of these mooncakes in Singapore are you waiting to try this year? We can’t just pick one!
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