Four Seasons unveils a sumptuous array of traditional to highly creative treats to celebrate the lunar festivities (Photo: Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur)
It's mooncake season again, which also means you’ll be giving (and receiving) palm-sized treats that come studded with anything, from lotus paste with salted egg yolk and mixed nuts to even durian. Here are some options to get you started.
In addition to Shangri-La’s impressive suite of delicate, floral boxes, this year the hotel introduces its Lunar Bunny Delights set for your little ones. Based on the ancient lunar icon of the Jade Rabbit, four baked lapins contain delightful flavours such as toffee butterscotch and a combination of blueberry, mung bean and cream cheese to enchant and satisfy young palates. Each bunny-shaped mooncake comes in a DIY craft carrier with a charming dragon engraving for some additional hands-on entertainment.
Lunar Bunny Delights (set of four) for RM168. Available at boutique.shangri-la.com. Until Sept 17.
A meeting of transcontinental traditions, St Regis’ Mooncake Trunks are an homage to its renowned butler service and founder John Jacob Astor’s love of travel. These classy cream and sienna cases with gold embellishments include options for The Macallan Rare Cask, St Regis Butler Bear and Da Hong Pao tea on top of a selection of exquisite mooncakes. For the ultimate gift, the sparkling Swarovski Super Mooncake Trunk — containing the hotel’s famous 6.5in, 8-yolk mooncake — is the pinnacle of decadence.
Mooncake Trunk (set of four) from RM309.43. Email [email protected] to order. Until Sept 17.
Sights, sounds and tastes converge in this truly unique offering by The Westin. Drawing on traditional motifs and retro aesthetics, the Moonlit Melody music box is activated by putting the tonearm on the petalled platter, which begins to turn and play — you can even connect your phone to the box via Bluetooth and spin your own songs! The mooncakes housed within include classics like lotus, pandan and mixed nuts, as well as a special chocolate cookies and cream variant for a more contemporary flavour.
RM258 nett. Available at The Living Room at The Westin, thewestinkleshop.com to order. Until Sept 22.
Made in collaboration with digital artist Jaemy C, Hilton KL’s festive treats are delivered in a bold, graphic twist. Clad in vibrant shades of magenta, gold, blue and red, the premium packages include dynamic dragon illustrations, while the cylindrical boxes of its Mid-Autumn Series transform into lanterns with calligraphy that merges English and Chinese characters. To match the colourful exteriors, the artisanal snowskin mooncakes come in bright pink, yellow and indigo, and contain unconventional ingredients such as amaretto with blueberry and pandan with sambal and XO sauce.
Mid-Autumn Series (set of four) from RM188 nett. Available at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, The Exchange TRX and Mid Valley Megamall pop-up booths. Until Sept 17.
Mooncake boxes have long been the playground of flashy gimmicks, but the unique artwork and augmented reality features that come with Banyan Tree’s lunar pastries are truly next level. In collaboration with artist Jaee Tee, the Moonlit Majestic set depicts a magnificent blue and green dragon soaring above a golden sky when viewed through your phone, while the vibrant blooms and butterflies of the Joyous Blossoms flutter to life. Choose four from a list of lotus, pandan, yam, red bean, mixed nuts and fruits, or tiramisu options to fill each gorgeous box.
From RM198 nett. Available at banyantree.com. Until Sept 17.
Oversea Restaurant’s Moonlit Elegance is an iridescent lilac case that reveals glistening panels that suspend a brilliant glowing moon. An exceptional celebration of mid-autumn majesty, this impressive set includes a quartet of baked lotus and pandan fillings. But for something more out-of-the-box, you can find diverse offerings like Green Tea with Lemon and Golden Tangerine with Lychee in its snowskin series. Or, try their new exclusive Snowy Tangy Yuzu and Snowy Hazelnut Chocolate Ganache, both limited to 1,000 pieces.
Moonlit Elegance (set of four) for RM238. Available at all Oversea Restaurants and selected shopping malls; visit overseamy.com. Until Sept 17.
For those always confused about what to do once the mooncakes are taken from their containers, Concorde Hotel has an elegant — and delicious — solution. Sleek and elegant, the Auspicious Lacquer boxes, available in vivid red or orange, feature an LED touch sensor light that illuminates a rimmed window of intricate flowers for an incredibly modern, yet lavish decoration. Discover an array of classic flavours including black sesame lotus and Japanese red bean, or for a more indulgent touch, try their Musang King snowskin durian option.
Lacquer Square (set of four) from RM168 nett. Available at Concorde Hotel Lobby and Mid Valley Megamall mooncake kiosks. Until Sept 17.
From its Michelin-selected Cantonese restaurant Yun House, Four Seasons unveils a sumptuous array of traditional to highly creative treats to celebrate the lunar festivities. Within a regal gold and crimson box, you will find the remarkable flavours of its new signature mooncake: luxurious black truffle lotus paste with pine nuts and kelulut honey. Still loyal to the classics, the hotel also offers the familiar baked fillings of mixed nuts and lotus paste, on top of opulent snowskin options with durian, seaweed or bird’s nest.
Gift boxes from RM288+. Email yunhouse.kualalumpur@fourseasons to order. Until Sept 17.
This article first appeared on Sept 9, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
