Mooncakes to make you beam

In about a month, we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. So this is the right time to hunt for mooncakes.

While you can get the classic flavours, some places have been getting adventurous with the ingredients.

Here are eight new mooncake flavours that ought to send you to the moon:

AMERICAN GINSENG

Feng Shui Inn has a special mooncake this year: Flaky American ginseng and coconut mooncake ($62 for six, with two ginseng, two flaky lotus roots and butter, and two mini baked custard).

The ginseng mooncake is a blend of bitter (ginseng) and sweet (candied coconut), and is worth getting the other flavours for. Just give the others to friends.

The set is available at Feng Shui Inn (Crockfords Tower, level G2), and Asian Deli (Festive Hotel Lobby) : Resorts World Sentosa from Friday.

CHESTNUT, CORN AND ATTAP CHEE

Conrad Centennial Singapore presents a mooncake with the sweet taste of childhood. Well, my childhood at least.

Its snow skin mooncake with water chestnut, corn and attap chee ($60 for a box of eight) is delicious.

It makes me crave for an ice kacang.

These are available from Aug 12 to Sept 8 at the hotel.

JOY COLLECTION

If you prefer a visual feast, Bakerzin's Joy Collection mooncakes - comprising pandan lotus snow skin, purple sweet potato, yam snow skin and sweet potato ($52 for a box of eight, two pieces per flavour) - is perfect.

The colours are gorgeous and the purple sweet potato is the best of the lot.

Available at Bakerzin outlets until Sept 8, or order online at www.bakerzin.com.

SHANGHAI

The new offering from Man Fu Yuan at InterContinental Singapore is the Shanghai mooncake.

Somewhat dome-shaped, the pastry crust is quite different.

It is fluffy and flaky, and complements the lotus seed paste.

The Shanghai mooncake starts from $55 for four pieces and is available at Tea Hut, located at the hotel entrance.

WHITE PEACH BELLINI

This is a mooncake for grown-ups.

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport's White Peach Bellini ($65 for a box of six) has white peaches around a champagne-infused truffle core.

There are also versions with chocolate rum, raisin and lychee martini.

This is the sort of mooncake to share with your drinking buddies. Just remember to buy more alcohol for the session.

Order from the hotel's Lobby Lounge at 6823-5367.

8-TREASURE

One of the most exciting mooncakes I have tasted this year came from Mandarin Orchard.

Its 8-Treasure Mala and Jamon Iberico ($65 for four pieces) has a tinge of salt from the ham and is laced with a peppery kick.

It is an unexpected sensation to have a spicy mooncake, but thrilling.

It is available at the Deli Counter. For orders, call 6831-6320.

HELLO KITTY

Hello Kitty fans, this mooncake is for us.

The Icing Room is offering Hello Kitty mooncakes in white lotus with cranberries or white lotus with macadamia nut filling.

Sounds lovely, but who cares how it tastes. It's Hello Kitty - all we really want is the box. These are limited edition - only 800 are available, which immediately make them more desirable.

You can get this at $26.80 for a box of four (two flavours each).

IMPERIAL CONSORT

One of my favourites this year is by Shangri-La Hotel Singapore.

The mini snow skin Imperial Consort mooncake using 18-year-old pu-erh tea is slightly bitter and very earthy.

A pleasurable change for those of us who do not like it too sweet.

It is $10.15 a piece and available from the hotel lobby.

For enquiries, call 6213-4448.

This article was first published on Aug 6, 2014.
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