Mid-Autumn Festival 2021: The best snowskin and baked mooncakes in Singapore to feast on this year

Mooncake season never fails to have our tastebuds over the moon. This autumn, Singapore’s restaurants and hotels are stuffing everything from black truffle to cherry brandy to bak kwa into a silky mooncake filling – and we’re all for it.

Whether you’re team snowskin or a stickler for baked skin treats, we’ve put together our pick of the best mooncakes in Singapore for Mid-Autumn Festival 2021.

Snowskin mooncakes

Raffles Hotel Singapore

Raffles Hotel Singapore just seems to outdo itself in mooncake decadence each year. Two new snowskin creations are joining their collection this autumn, each elegantly nestled in golden chinoiserie-style boxes.

Inspired by 藝 yì by Jereme Leung’s signature Dali rose-infused ice cream, the Da Li Rose and Strawberry Chocolate Snow-Skin Mooncake (S$78) is pretty in pink and just as sweet to eat. For a taste of the dark side, the Yunnan Dark Brown Sugar and Rum Truffle Snow-Skin Mooncake (S$78) is a caramelized treat of dark brown sugar, candied winter melon, and a heady splash of rum.

Raffles Hotel Singapore’s mooncake range is available for purchase online and in-store daily from 9am to 8pm, at the Raffles Mooncake Booth, Raffles Arcade, North Bridge Road Atrium, Singapore 188719. Early birds can enjoy 15per cent off in-store purchases from 16 to 31 August 2021.

Grand Hyatt Singapore

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Since 2006, Grand Hyatt Singapore has unveiled a sprawling range of unique mooncakes handmade to order, and this year’s is no less impressive. Their snowskin creations offer a slice of sinful indulgence with flavours like Cherry Brandy and Strawberry Cream Cheese with Oreo Crumble , alongside their popular Champagne , Lychee Martini, and D24 Durian signatures.

If you aren’t keen on liquor, their non-alcoholic snowskin treats are no less luscious: think rich Walnut Praline, herbaceous Basil & Trigona Honey, earthy Black Sesame & Ginger , and even Sarawak Pineapple Cookie. Snag one of each flavour with their Assorted Snowskin Mooncakes ($85 for eight), or customize your own box of eight ($88).

Grand Hyatt Singapore’s mooncake range is available for purchase online or in-store daily from 10am to 8pm, at the Mid-Autumn Mooncake Booth, 10 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228211. Early birds can enjoy 30per cent off online purchases from 16 August to 21 September (promo code 30MCGHS).

Glenfiddich

Single malt Scotch meets snowskin in Glenfiddich’s first-ever mooncake series, crafted in partnership with creative agency Chun Tsubaki. From the whisky giant comes a sumptuous pair of mooncakes inspired by its flagship expressions, each stamped with the iconic Glenfiddich stag.

The fruity, nutty Our Original Twelve Snow Skin Mooncake cradles a white chocolate-pear jam whisky truffle at its heart, enveloped by a roasted barley filling and matcha-pistachio snow skin. Its spicier sibling, the Our Solera Fifteen Snow Skin Mooncake, features a peppery dark ganache whisky truffle swathed in the sweetness of honey orange blossom paste.

Glenfiddich’s mooncake range is available for purchase at The 1887 Bar via Grab, with every purchase of twin bottles of Glenfiddich’s Our Original Twelve or a bottle of the Glenfiddich Our Solera Fifteen; Alcohol Delivery, with every purchase of twin bottles of the Glenfiddich Our Original Twelve or a bottle of the Glenfiddich Our Solera Fifteen; and iShopChangi, with every purchase of the Glenfiddich Our Solera Fifteen.

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

This Mid-Autumn season, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is turning nostalgic Asian desserts into silky snowskin treats. If you enjoyed last year’s crowd-favourites like tangy Mango Pomelo and creamy Orh Nee studded with gingko nuts, you’ll be glad to know they’re making a return.

New treats on the block include the Yuzu – a refreshing balance of sweet and tart – and the nutty Adzuki Beans . You can get your teeth into all four with a box of Assorted Snow Skin Mooncakes , priced at S$74.

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport’s mooncake range is available for purchase online. Self-collection is available at 75 Airport Blvd., #01-01, Singapore 819664.

Regent Singapore

Regent Singapore’s mooncake collection offers an exquisite taste of the hotel’s iconic restaurants. There’s the Kyoho Grape & Ki No Bi Dry Gin ($87 for eight) – a toast to Manhattan with its gin-fuelled hints of hinoki wood and sansho pepper – and the Amalfi Limoncello & Basil ($87 for eight), a fresh, zesty nod to Basilico.

Other new creations include Summer Palace’s nourishing Goji Berries with Osmanthus & Dried Strawberries and the Tea Lounge’s oolong tea-infused Gryphon Garden of Regent. Wine lovers will want to snag their mooncake boxes as keepsakes too – the faux leather briefcases were crafted to fit a wine bottle and glasses for a convenient picnic.

Regent Singapore’s mooncake range is available for purchase online, via email at takeregenthome@regentsingapore.com.sg, or by calling +65 6725 3239. AMEX, Citibank, HSBC, and OCBC credit card holders can enjoy 15 per cent off all orders from Aug 16, 2021.

ALSO READ: Mooncake 101: What are they and why are they so popular?

Janice Wong Singapore

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Famed pastry chef Janice Wong is making mooncake season sweeter with her signature range of Chocolate Mooncakes ($98 for eight), featuring nostalgic flavours like kopi ganache and peanut butter paste. On the snowskin side of things, she’s also teamed up with homegrown brand Tai Sun to create treats packed with dried fruits and nuts ($98 for eight).

The Gula Melaka Macadamia marries fragrant palm sugar paste with crunchy macadamia nuts, while the Yuzu Cranberry gets tangy with dried cranberry bits.

Janice Wong’s mooncake range is available for purchase online. Early birds can enjoy 25 per cent off from now till Aug 30, and 10 per cent off from Sept 1 to 20, 2021.

Baked mooncakes

Shisen Hanten

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Bringing Japanese flavours to our mooncake feast is Shisen Hanten, a Michelin-starred Sichuan restaurant from Japan. This year’s new offering, Japanese Pumpkin and Sakura Petals with Low Sugar White Lotus Paste ($79 for four), is an earthy ode to autumn with smooth pumpkin studded with sakura petals.

You’ll find other baked favourites back on the lineup, such as Mixed Nuts with Jamón Ibérico ($79 for four) packing a sweet and savoury crunch. Mooncakes come arrayed in a midnight-blue box depicting the moonlit hills of chef Chen Kentaro’s hometown in Yokohoma, so you’ll have quite the visual treat too.

Shisen Hanten’s mooncake range is available for purchase online or in-store daily from 11am to 7pm, at Level 35 Orchard Wing, Mandarin Orchard Singapore, 333 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238867. Early birds can enjoy 30 per cent off all mooncakes using a DBS/POSB credit card and 20 per cent off using an OCBC, Citibank, or AMEX credit card, from now till Sept 5, 2021.

Old Seng Choong

For bakes to please both young and old, Old Seng Choong’s playful spin on nostalgic treats will do the trick. Their Black Truffle Red Lotus Paste with Bakwa ($88.80 for eight) is an unlikely but deliciously umami affair of smoky hand-chopped bak kwa, drizzled with black truffle oil and embedded in red lotus paste.

Another savoury new invention, the Hae Bee Hiam Red Lotus Paste ($68.80 for eight), spices up your usual lotus paste with sprinklings of dried shrimp. For something more nourishing, opt for the Bird Nest Pandan Gula Melaka ($78.80 for eight) – a white lotus paste creation packed with bird’s nest from Indonesia, winter melon, and coconut flakes.

Old Seng Choong’s mooncake range is available for purchase online or in-store at outlets across Singapore. Early birds can enjoy 20 per cent off from now till Aug 29, 2021.

Thye Moh Chan

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Thye Moh Chan’s traditional, deliciously flaky Teochew mooncakes have won them a staunch following over the decades. Joining the lineup this year are two fresh flavours: citrusy Mandarin Peel Red Bean ($40.80) and Olive Vegetable Tau Sar with Salted Egg Yolk ($46.80 for four), packed with crunchy melon seeds and the savoury Teochew specialty of olive vegetables.

For something even more unusual, look to their intriguing new range of Momoyama mooncakes ($40.80 for six). Boasting smooth, buttery skin made with white kidney bean paste, these hexagonal-shaped stunners come in Osmanthus , Dan Feng Tea, and herbaceous Cudweed flavours.

Thye Moh Chan’s mooncake range is available for purchase online (limited range) or in-store at outlets across Singapore. Early birds can enjoy 10 per cent off any box and 15 per cent off two boxes and above from now till Sept 5, 2021. BreadTalk Rewards members can enjoy 20 per cent off two boxes and above, while Amex and UOB cardholders can enjoy 20 per cent off per box till Sept 5, 2021.

ALSO READ: Mid-Autumn Festival 2021: The best mooncake boxes and flavours

This article was first published in City Nomads.