Mooncake festival 2020 - Ultimate price guide to the best mooncakes in Singapore
Kueh Salat mochi snow-skin ice cream mooncakes.
PHOTO: Instagram/swensensingapore
PUBLISHED ONSeptember 07, 2020 2:34 AM
Every Mid-Autumn Festival is always an interesting event, especially for folks with a sweet tooth or adventurous taste buds. Mooncakes are as tasty as they are sinful, but they’re also generally pricey, which means that over indulging could make you both fat and poor.
We’ve found 10 affordable brands of mooncakes you can tuck into without breaking the bank. Your weighing scale might not thank you, but at least your wallet will.
As with every year, expect hotels to pull out all the stops and release fancy mooncake gift boxes. That’s why we’ve also included 10 atas selections made with premium ingredients and wrapped up in pretty packaging.
At this moment, there are some credit card promotions for these mooncakes going on, so be quick and score some deals.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, and more importantly, happy eating!
10 mooncake selections at $60 and below
| Brand | Flavour | Type | Price |
| Pine Garden | Brown sugar multi-grain lotus paste, cempedak, assorted nuts, golden ham, green bean paste, red bean paste, red bean with orh-ni paste, pandan jade with coconut dodol, vegetarian | Baked skin | $8.58 to 18.10 (U.P. $10.10 to $21.30) |
| Lotus paste, lotus paste with yolk, white lotus paste with or without yolk | Traditional | ||
| Mao shan wang durian pulp and lotus pate, yam paste, lychee martini, Baileys white lotus paste with chocolate crunch | Snow skin | ||
| Teochew yam with or without yolk, white lotus paste with Nonya filling Teochew | Crispy skin | ||
| Black sesame with green bean paste, black sesame with yam paste | La Gao | ||
| Black sesame paste with mochi, biluochun tea and guava paste, D24 durian paste, green tea | Others | ||
| Crystal Jade | Single yolk and double yolk, white lotus paste with yolk | Traditional baked | $40.70 to $66.30 for 4 traditional baked mooncakes, $72,80 for 8 petite snow skin mooncakes (early bird prices) |
| Sea salt caramel, lychee martini, coconut, yam | Snow skin | ||
| Tai Chong Kok Confectionery | White lotus paste with yolk | Traditional | $46 to $66.70 for 4 |
| Lotus paste with or without salted egg yolks | Snow skin | ||
| Green bean paste, mixed nuts, red bean paste | Others | ||
| Kele | Mao shan wang, D24 durian, avocado macadamia, mulberry cream cheese, rose cream cheese, rum and raisin, lychee martini | Snow skin | $46.50 to $66 for 4 (at current 25 per cent off early bird prices, U.P. $62 to 88) |
| Old Seng Choong | White lotus paste with yolk blend, red lotus paste with bakwa and more | Lotus paste | $45.60 to $54.60 for 4 (U.P. $60.80 to $72.80) |
| Hong Kong Mei Xin | Lotus seed paste with egg yolks, low sugar white lotus seed paste with egg yolk or pine nut, red bean paste with 2 egg yolks, classic mixed nuts | Traditional | Ranges from about $60 for 8 to $65 for 4 |
| Lava quartet, lava custard, creamy custard, custard twins, lava duet, lava cheese | Lava and custard | ||
| Mango with pomelo dessert, double chocolate, mango, musang king, D24, macadamia nuts, green tea and red bean, strawberry crunch, peanut butter and sesame | Snow skin | ||
| Swensen’s | Sticky chewy chocolate, durian king, salted gula melaka, grapefruit, kueh salat, cookies ‘n’ cream, yam, lotus paste | Mochi-skin snowskin ice cream | $39.80 for 4 / $10.90 per piece (not factoring in early bird discount) |
| Putien | Purple sweet potato with or without single yolk, yam with or without single yolk | Traditional | $60 to $62 for 4 |
| Thye Moh Chan | Lychee rose white lotus, assorted nuts white lotus, yam with salted egg yolk, mao shan wang durian | Traditional | $35.80 to $44.80 for 4 |
| Gin Thye | Ice cream White Rabbit, bamboo charcoal mao shan wang | Snowskin | $57.80 to $67.15 for 4 |
1. Pine Garden
Pine Garden is an Ang Mo Kio heartland bakery that made it big and now operates two retail outlets and three kiosks.
They’ve got an extensive variety of mooncakes including black sesame paste with mochi, biluochun tea and guava paste, D24 durian tea as well as green tea. This is in addition to a repertoire of baked skin, snow skin, crispy skin and la gao steamed mooncakes.
2. Crystal Jade
Everyone’s favourite lamian shop also has a bakery, and you can now order mooncakes on their website. This year, other than their traditional baked single/double yolk and white lotus paste with yolk mooncakes, Crystal Jade has concocted four delicate petite snow skin mooncakes.
Early bird prices last till Sep 6 and are supposedly up to 25 per cent cheaper than regular prices. Get an additional 10per cent off with the promo code CJMID10.
3. Tai Chong Kok Confectionery
This shop has been crafting handmade mooncakes and Cantonese pastries for longer than most of us have been alive. It’s been 85 years and Tai Chong Kok still at it.
Its mooncake offerings for 2020 include white lotus paste with yolk, snowskin mooncake and mini-snowskin mooncake. There’re also ‘piglets’ in basket and gongzai biscuits, as well as pretty box sets to send as gifts.
4. Kele
This is a festive shop cleverly marketed to the Internet generation with a compelling website and snappy copy. Kele specialises in pastries for special occasions, including pineapple tarts and mooncakes.
The selection consists mainly of snow skin mooncakes in flavours like avocado macadamia, mulberry, strawberry, mango or rose cream cheese and rum and raisin.
Till Sept 20, it’s offering an early bird special of 25 per cent off. From Sept 21 to 31, you get 10 per cent off the regular price. Place your orders by Sept 28 to receive your order by Oct 1.
5. Old Seng Choong
Despite this shop’s old-school sounding name, it is actually run by the founder of Bakerzin. Old Seng Choon offers a small selection of mostly classic lotus paste mooncakes.
Check out their luxe-looking Celestial Premium Gift Box, which looks like it stepped out of a Tiffany showroom.
6. Hong Kong Mei Xin
Hong Kong Mei Xin specialises in mooncakes and the brand has even won numerous awards for their confectioneries. They have an extensive selection of traditional and snowy mooncakes, as well as lava and custard mooncakes for those looking for a gooier experience.
Receive a free gift when you spend at least $150 at their online shop. Snow skin mooncakes are not available for delivery.
7. Swensen’s
Swensen’s is better known for their ice cream sundaes and baked rice, but yes, it also sells mooncakes during the festive season.
This year, expect mochi-snowskin ice cream mooncakes with the Swensen’s logo emblazoned across them, available in a range of flavours including sticky chewy chocolate and grapefruit
The early bird special is valid till Sep 15 and gets you 15per cent off when you pay with a Citibank, Diners Club, HSBC, Maybank, OCBC and Standard Chartered bank card.
After the early bird period expires, you still get 10 per cent off when you use one of these cards. Swensen’s members get 20 per cent off, and 15 per cent off post-early bird.
8. Putien
Various outlets of this Chinese restaurant in numerous shopping malls are offering a special mooncake selection that consist of purple sweet potato and yam. If you love mooncakes with a flaky pastry crust, head to Putien pronto.
OCBC cardholders enjoy 10 per cent discount until Oct 1.
In addition, gift givers can also get a 4-piece box of Putien Mooncakes and 128g of premium Da Hong Pao for $150 (U.P. $180), thanks to a current promotion.
9. Thye Moh Chan
From a simple bakery that gradually made its name over 70 years ago, Thye Moh Chan is now a chain owned by the BreadTalk group.
Expect a classic selection of the usual lotus, yam, assorted nuts and durian mooncakes, as well as tau sar to supplement your moon-viewing sessions. The most popular choice is one that combines spicy pork floss, salted egg yolk and savoury mung bean.
10. Gin Thye
Established in 1964, Gin Thye specialises in Asian pastries and has been recognised by the National Heritage Board.
This year, they are selling ice cream white rabbit snowskin mooncake inspired by the nostalgic White Rabbit sweets everyone here grew up with, as well as bamboo charcoal mao shan wang for durian lovers.
10 hotels that offer luxurious gifts of mooncakes
Need to buy atas mooncakes to impress your biggest client or, worse, mother-in-law? Hotels are your best bet, as they combine luxe packaging with interesting and often exotic flavours and premium ingredients.
| Hotel | Flavour | Price | Promotion |
| Goodwood Park Hotel | Lotus seed paste with melon seeds | $62 for 4 | 25 per cent off for Hotel Gourmet Card members until Sept 6 (minimum purchase 2 boxes
Citi, DBS/POSB, OCBC, UOB cardmembers get 15 per cent off until Oct 1 and 20 per cent off on Sept 12 - 13 Healthcare workers get 1 per cent off until Oct 1 |
| Assorted nuts with Ham (‘Kum Toy’) | $76 for 4 | ||
| Orange with grape snowskin | $58 for 4 | ||
| Black thorn durian | $100 for 4 | ||
| Raffles Hotel | Champagne truffle snowskin mooncake | $78 for 8 | HSBC, AMEX, CIMB, Citibank, DBS/POSB, OCBC, Stanchart and UOB cardholders get 20% off online purchases until 25 Sep 2020 |
| Earl grey tea and pearl snowskin mooncake | $76 for 8 | ||
| Pine nuts with macadamia nuts and white lotus paste baked mooncake | $76 for 4 | ||
| Mother-of-pearl with single yolk and white lotus paste baked mooncake | $78 for 4 | ||
| Mandarin Orchard Singapore | Mixed nuts and jamón ibérico baked mooncake | $71.03 for 4 | DBS/POSB cardholders get 30 per cent early bird discount and 25 per cent regular discount
UOB and Citibank cardholders get 20 per cent early bird discount and 15 per cent off until Oct 1 |
| Lychee martini and chocolate snow skin mooncake | $65.42 for 8 | ||
| Yam and white chocolate snowskin mooncake | $65.42 for 8 | ||
| Red wine cranberry with Japanese yuzu and lemongrass snowskin mooncake | $65.42 for 8 | ||
| Orchard Hotel | Whole lotus paste with macadamia nuts (low sugar) | $70 for 4 | DBS and UOB cardholders get 50 per cent off 2nd box until Oct 1
OCBC cardholders get 28 per cent off until Oct 1 Citibank cardholders get 25 per cent off until Oct 1 |
| Seeds of harmony (assorted nuts) | $74 for 4 | ||
| Sweet sour plum with roasted hazelnut | $70 for 8 | ||
| Blueberry with vintage hua diao wine | $70 for 8 | ||
| Sheraton Towers | White lotus seed paste with double egg yolk | $71.03 for 4 | 15 per cent off until Oct 1, 2020 |
| Lotus seed paste with green tea and black sesame | $67.29 for 4 | ||
| Mini snow skin yuan yang | $65.42 for 8 | ||
| Mini snow skin green tea | $65.42 for 8 | ||
| The Fullerton Hotel Singapore | Baked Red Bean And Pineapple With Tangerine Peel In Classic Box | $70 for 4 | Citibank cardholders get up to 25 per cent off till Oct 1
UOB, DBS and OCBC cardholders get up to 20 per cent off till Oct 1 |
| The Clifford Pier Mooncake Tingkat | $98 for 4 | ||
| Orange With Salted Kumquat Snow Skin In Premium Box | $80 for 4 | ||
| Baked Mixed Nuts With Black Dates In Classic Box | $70 for 4 | ||
| Pan Pacific Singapore | Four Treasures Baked Mooncakes | $73.80 for 4 | UOB, OCBC, Citibank, HSBC and Maybank cardholders get 15 per cent off till Oct 1 |
| Assorted Nuts with Chicken Ham | $73.80 for 4 | ||
| Soursop Lychee | $68.80 for 4 | ||
| Mao Shan Wang (Signature) | $88.80 for 4 | ||
| Mandarin Oriental | Cherry Garden Four Treasures – Pearl White | $82 for 4 | Citibank, OCBC and DBS cardholders get 15% off till Oct 1 |
| Assortment of Snow Skin Mooncakes | $78 for 8 | ||
| Lugu Oolong Tea with Melon Seeds – Pearl White | $84 for 4 | ||
| Lychee Martini and Chocolate Truffle Snow Skin Mooncake | $78 for 8 | ||
| Four Seasons Hotel | Jiang-Nan Chun Medley | $88 for 8 | HSBC and UOB .. cardholders get 15 per cent off till Oct 1 |
| Litchi with Raspberry and Rose Snowskin Mooncake | $80 | ||
| Four Seasons Medley – Baked Skin Mooncake | $82 for 4 | ||
| Assorted Nuts with Smoked Duck Baked Skin Mooncake | $78 | ||
| The St. Regis Singapore | Honey Purple Sweet Potato with Orange Yuzu Truffle | $83.50 for 8 | Citibank and OCBC cardholders get up to 20 per cent off till Oct 1
UOB cardholders get up to 15 per cent off till Oct 1 |
| Black Sesame Paste with Caramel Sea Salt Truffle | $83.50 for 8 | ||
| Royal Milk Tea Paste with Honey Osmanthus Truffle | $83.50 for 8 | ||
| Lotus Paste, Assorted Nuts and Yunnan Ham | $87.75 for 8 |
This article was first published in MoneySmart.