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중국이나 다른 여느 화교 국가처럼, 싱가포르의 추석(춘절, Mooncake Festival)도 월병(mooncake)을 나누는 것으로 지낸다.

우리의 송편과 비슷하지만… 초콜릿등이 들어간 서양식 디저트 같은 것도 있으면서…

짠 달걀이 들어있는 등 좀 이상하고 황당한 조합도 있긴하다…

12 Mooncakes You Don’t Want to Miss in 2009(http://sparklette.net/food/mooncakes-2009/)

1. Tung Lok

these gorgeous mooncakes belong to the new royale series from tung lok. when it is made by the tung lok group, you know it’s got to be good!

the pastry is first baked, before being chilled, a process that gives the skin a crunchy texture. sounds intriguing? this marks the debut of the first baked-and-chilled mooncakes in singapore!

they come in three flavors:
- green tea with chestnut lotus ( $42.80 for 8 )
- hokkaido milk with mocha ( $42.80 for 8 )
- custard ( $44.94 for 8 )

i must also highlight the adorable bite-size mooncakes that are even smaller than your usual mini mooncakes. they come in eight flavors such as pomelo white lotus, strawberry, purple potato and longan red date. ($47.08 for 16; two of each flavor)

besides the convenience, i think that these dainty pastries may actually help reduce overeating! well, unless people start popping them like popcorn, of course.

Tung Lok
Mooncake hotline: (65) 9088 8008
www.tunglok.com

2. Peony Jade
fruits have made a foray into our favorite pastry this time of the year. durian, the king of fruits, is undoubtedly the most commonly used fruit. almost every merchant has a d24 durian mooncake on its menu.

now, it looks like the “lesser” fruits are putting up a good fight, too! check out the range of fruity mooncakes by peony jade restaurant.

The alcoholic lychee-tini and ganache flavor really takes the cake! this is a limited edition offering that features a liquorice truffle at its core, filled with the taste of what happens to be my favorite cocktail, the lychee martini! ($45 for 9)

Peony Jade
- 3A Clarke Quay #02-02
- Keppel Club, Bukit Chermin Road, Singapore 109918
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6375 5562 / 6276 8327
Mooncake website: www.peonyjade.com

3. InterContinental Singapore
man fu yuan chinese restaurant at the intercontinental singapore has a range of beautiful and meticulously-created mooncakes. back by popular demand is their mini snowskin mooncake filled with japanese sweet potato paste and champagne chocolate. ( $42.80 for 8 )

what’s new this year?

snowskin mooncakes filled with cempedak, or avocado and mango mousse. another fruit-inspired creation! the fresh fruits are blended and made into a paste, with mini cubes and pulp of the fruits thrown in for good measure.

the whole pastry is entirely made of fruity goodness with no extra additives. oh, except for the fact that chocolate pearls are included, too. good stuff! ($42.80 for 8; four of each flavor)

InterContinental Singapore
Man Fu Yuan
80 Middle Road
Singapore 188966
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6825 8519 / 8520
Mooncake website: www.singapore.intercontinental.com

4. The Fullerton
from the ultra posh fullerton hotel, we would expect nothing less. aside from their bestselling chocolate baileys snowskin mooncake ($52 for 4), they also have the 15 treasures premium gift set.

this lavish set contains 14 blocks of assorted baked mooncakes, all with varying fillings. what’s the 15th treasure, you ask? well, it’s the centerpiece of a 6-inch-wide mooncake with 8 yolks. 8 yolks! now, THAT is a full moon. ($168)

then, they also have these milky-colored snowskin mooncakes.

do not mistake them for bars of soap. available in cranberry, blueberry and green apple flavors, these mooncakes are the hotel’s new offerings for 2009. the shape looks really exquisite, too, especially with that depression in the middle. ($52 for 4)

The Fullerton
1 Fullerton Square
Singapore 049178
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6877 8188
Mooncake website: www.fullertonhotel.com

5. Kia Hiang Restaurant
not to be outdone by the east-meets-west creations of the big players, the more than 30 year old kia hiang restaurant has whipped up several creative new flavors. bak kwa mooncake, anyone? yep, yep, they have it.

more tantalising flavors include durian, chocolate with rum and raisin, green tea, and the creamy blueberry and cheese. for more, check out my full review of kia hiang mooncakes with pictures, ratings and prices.

Kia Hiang Restaurant
201 Kim Tian Road #01-400
Singapore 160201
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6273 7352 / 6272 0087
Mooncake website: www.kiahiang.com.sg

6. Carlton Hotel
carlton hotel has introduced three new snowskin mooncakes: lavender, wheatgrass & melon seed, and hazelnut & nata de coco ($47.08 for 8). of these, lavender has got to stir the most curiosity!

Photo credit: sgdessert

when i think of lavender, aromatherapy and air fresheners come to mind. having this floral scent in a mooncake is definitely unusual! in this case, the aroma is subtle, infused perfectly with the white lotus paste. any stronger, i’m not sure if it could remain as appetising.

Carlton Hotel
76 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189558
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6349 1292
Mooncake website: www.carltonhotel.sg

7. Fairmont Singapore
year after year, szechuan court at fairmont singapore never fails to wow its fans. this year, the restaurant continues its tradition of bringing impressive flavors to the table with the new pretty in pink feuilletine-hazelnut mooncake with wafer crunch nuts.

in place of the usual lotus paste, you get a velvety smooth hazelnut filling. at its center is a white chocolate ball filled with swiss chocolate and bits of wafer and hazelnut nuts. looks like this little beauty is all good on the inside, too! ( $45 for 8 )

like raffles hotel, szechuan court has a champagne truffle and ganache mooncake ($48 for 8). peony jade also has it this year. does anyone know who first came up with this bestselling flavor?

other flavors featuring liquor to bring a little high are rum and raisin chocolate truffle and baileys chocolate. what takes my breath away is the latter. that truffle simply screams of seduction! ( $46 for 8 )

Fairmont Singapore
Szechuan Court
80 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189560
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6338 8785
Mooncake website: www.fsfestiveorders.com

8. Concorde Hotel
for muslim friends, check out the mooncakes of concorde hotel (formerly le meridien). they are all halal certified!

like kia hiang, the hotel has specially baked low sugar mooncakes that come with white lotus filling and yolk. great for the health-conscious ($39/40 for 4)

if you’re not too concerned about the calories, go for the sumptuous chocolate omochi. with the soft and chewy mochi and all the rich chocolaty deliciousness, it’s hard to resist this one! ($38 for 4)

Concorde Hotel
Spices Cafe
100 Orchard Road
Singapore 238840
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6739 8370
Mooncake website: www.concordehotel.com.sg

Mooncakes are halal certified.

9. Polar Puffs & Cakes
bet you didn’t expect to see this one here. the bakery chain of polar puffs & cakes continues its unique offering of cakes made in the shapes of cartoon characters.

say hello to hello kitty!

ahhh! aren’t these the sweetest things? perfect for families with little girls. even older girls. okay, girls. hello kitty comes in four flavors: white lotus, pumpkin taro, yam and white chocolate cheese. everybody say yum yum! ($30.80 for 6)

just when you thought that things can’t get any cuter, they even give you a free hello kitty lantern with every purchase of a box of kitty mooncakes! i think snowy would like that. meow!

oh yes, a reader highlighted that the bakery chain is also halal certified

Polar Puffs & Cakes
Various outlets
Mooncake website: www.polarpuffs-cakes.com

10. Goodwood Park Hotel
obviously, when we’re on the topic of the best mooncakes, the good name of goodwood park hotel always comes up. the hotel is famed for its tropical fruit mooncakes like mango with pomelo, durian, and cempedak.

this year, goodwood park fans can welcome another new fruity flavor — soursop! we’re talking silky smooth puree and juicy pulp made from the freshest soursops. the tangy taste may not be everyone’s cup of tea, though, especially in a pastry that is traditionally sweet. but i know some adventurous people would take a liking to it.

all four flavors are available at $22 for two pieces and $40 for four pieces, except for durian that costs $26 for two pieces and $48 for four pieces.

Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6730 1867 / 1868
Mooncake website: www.goodwoodparkhotel.com

11. Bakerzin
have you ever seen a black mooncake? homegrown café chain bakerzin has created the fascinating midnight-colored mooncake, the sesame truffle.

this quirky mooncake gets its skin color from bamboo charcoal powder. the filling is a combination of lotus paste and black sesame paste. in the midst of the dark filling is a ball of white chocolate ganache. what does that resemble? (hint: look out the window!) ( $36 for 8 )

if black isn’t your color, go for lighter pastels. they have brandied cherry truffle, rum and raisin, pink champagne truffle, and malt whiskey truffle. ( $36 for 8 )

as you indulge in these exotic mooncakes, you may feel good about the fact that you are doing charity at the same time. for every box of mooncakes sold, bakerzin will donate $1 to the singapore make-a-wish foundation.

Bakerzin
Various outlets
Mooncake website: www.bakerzin.com

12. Raffles Hotel
having raved about raffles hotel’s legendary snowskin mooncake with champagne truffle and ganache again and again, you know it will make it to this list somehow.

Photo credit: mehmeh

when friends seek my opinion for the best mooncakes to buy, this is the first that i would recommend. ’nuff said.

and oh, here’s my review on raffles’ delectable mooncakes.

Raffles Hotel
(North Bridge Road Entrance)
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Mooncake hotline: (65) 6412 1122
Mooncake website: www.raffleshotelmooncakes.com

Bonus: Godiva
look! godiva chocolatier has launched a mid-autumn collection, too!

these belgian chocolates are packaged like mooncakes, with 4 large pieces to a box. they are filled with classic praline and crispy bits of roasted hazelnut. i can live with that

Godiva
(65) 6273 1611
Mooncake website: www.godiva.com.sg

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what a kaleidoscope of colors and flavors! these are, of course, my personal picks. i’m sure i have missed out many other excellent choices! add your own picks in the comments and we can all share!

so, have you bought your mooncakes yet?

Want more mooncakes?
bet you thought this was the end, didn’t you? nope, not quite

there is now a “remix” of this list! yes, after doing more mooncake scouting, i uncovered more mid-autumn gems! i have compiled a list of 12 more mooncakes you don’t want to miss.

check them out!

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