Over the moon

Fullerton Hotel

Jade Restaurant at the Fullerton Hotel has come up with an exquisite mooncake box this year - a striking red set of four drawers with a golden plum blossom design.

Their latest creation is a green bean with sweet potato and white lotus seed paste mooncake (S$58 or S$71) wrapped in an orange snowskin that was inspired by the local dessert. Also available are their popular white lotus seed paste with egg yolk snowskin mooncake (S$60 or S$71), and the pandan with gula melaka snowskin mooncake (S$58 or S$71). They can also be purchased as part of the Fullerton Snowskin Treasures set (S$59 or S$71).

If you're looking for something to give away, the Fullerton 15 Treasures Premium gift set (S$189) featuring a white lotus seed paste and eight-yolk mooncake surrounded by 14 mini baked mooncakes of assorted flavours looks as impressive as it sounds.

The mooncakes are available at The Fullerton Cake Boutique at the lobby level of The Fullerton Hotel, till Sept 27. For enquiries, call 6877-8943 or e-mail fullertonshop@fullertonhotel.com

InterContinental Singapore

Celebrating its 20th anniversary with a commemorative box, InterContinental Singapore has captured many sides to the Bugis district facade, and the hotel's place within it. The classy tin box features whimsical illustrations by local artist Jacqueline Goh, a graduate of Lasalle College of the Arts.

Don't overlook what's within either. Inside the InterContinental Singapore's 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition (S$105) includes their newest limited edition baked maple-glazed Shanghai mooncake with single yolk. Also new is their Snowskin Tea Collection (S$66) featuring Earl Grey & Baileys truffle, Japanese matcha, oolong & black sesame, and rose & pistachio.

These mooncakes are available at Tin Hut, at the entrance of InterContinental Singapore from Bugis Junction, as well as nine other locations, until Sept 27. For enquiries, call 6820-8519 or e-mail sinhb-festival@ihg.com.

Sheraton Towers Hotel Singapore

Salted egg yolk lovers, look no further. The ingredient is used in two of four new flavours by Chef Chung Yiu Ming from Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant this year. One of them is the mini snowskin white lotus seed paste with salted egg yolk (S$56 for eight pieces).

If that is not your cup of tea. the mini red date paste with apricot snowskin mooncake promises to be a healthier alternative for those who want mooncakes without having to work it off at the gym later.

There are also three newly-designed boxes to add to your collection: the two Classic boxes are oriental in design while the Imperial Treasure Box can double up as a luxury timepiece case.

Li Bai's mooncakes are available at the Sheraton Towers Singapore Hotel lobby mooncake booth from Aug 24 to Sept 27, 11am to 9.30pm. For enquiries, call 6839-5636 or visit www.sheratonsingapore.com

Orchard Hotel

The actual SG50 may already be over, but that's not stopping Orchard Hotel's Hua Ting Restaurant from paying tribute to the nation this Mid-Autumn festival with their new mooncake creations. Their Millennium Mooncakes will be housed in limited edition collectible tin boxes - shaped like a large book and decorated with pop-up Singapore icons - as a commemorative mooncake gift coupled with an SG50 keepsake.

Master Chef Lap Fai and his team have come up with two new snowskin mooncake flavours for this year - a mini snowskin avocado with almond flakes (S$9.50 per piece), and a Golden SG50 mini snowskin red/white twist (S$9.50 per piece) which is made with a shape of the Merlion's head on top. These red and white mooncakes come in a combination of red bean paste and salted green bean paste, and are sprinkled with popping candies to give it an extra kick.

The Millennium Mooncakes by Hua Ting Restaurant will be available at the mooncake booth at the Orchard Hotel lobby till Sept 27, from noon to 8pm daily. To order, visit mcmooncake.millenniumhotels.com.sg

Peony Jade

Haven't quite satisfied that durian craving yet? Then head over to Peony Jade Restaurant, because clearly they take their durian very seriously. One of their debuting flavours this year is a premium farmed and pesticide-free "A" grade pure Mao Shan Wang durian mooncake, in organic pandan snowskin, which is limited to only 500 boxes (S$102 nett for four pieces).

For those who aren't fans of the durian's pungent aroma, there are also three new fruity mini snowskin mooncake flavours - the Japan Kyoho grapes, the peach-passion fruit-chocolate with champagne mousse centre, and the chestnut-salted caramel (S$76 nett for eight pieces).

Peony Jade's mooncakes are available at the two Peony Jade restaurants (Clarke Quay and Keppel Club) till Sept 27, as well as nine other locations across the island. For enquiries, call 6659-4159 or visit www.pjmooncakes.com.

Grand Hyatt Singapore

Gear up your tastebuds, because this year's mooncakes from Grand Hyatt are nothing short of adventurous. The hotel debuts five new flavours, including the Lime Margarita Truffle, the Thousand Flower Blossom Honey Truffle, and the Peanut Butter, Sea Salt Truffle, which are all priced at S$69 nett for eight pieces.

If you're looking for something a little naughtier, the Grand Hyatt has also included a few mooncakes containing alcohol, such as the Maotai, Dark Chocolate Truffle and the Strawberry, Lime Margarita Truffle (same prices as above).

The mooncakes are housed in a signature gift box made from acrylic, with a design that is just as intriguing. The splashes of vivid colour make for an arresting and beautiful picture and bring to mind a watercolour palette. Maybe we can judge things on appearances, just this once.

Grand Hyatt's mooncakes are available at the shop in mezza9 from August 24 to Sept 27 between 11am and 10.30pm. For enquiries, call 6887-5492 or visit singapore.grand.hyattrestaurants.com.

Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium

There's nothing like a 50th birthday to inspire new and innovative ideas. In commemoration of SG50, Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant has created a new box, featuring Singapore's national flower - the Vanda Miss Joaquim - 50 times on one design.

Housed inside the brightly coloured packages are two new snowskin creations. The Purple Sweet Potato with Macademia Nuts Snowskin Mooncake is catered to the healthy individual, while the Coffee White Lotus Seed Paste with Rum & Raisin Chocolate provides a more sumptuous flavour (both cost S$52 for six pieces).

Xin Cuisine's mooncakes are available at the Holiday Inn lobby from Aug 27 to Sept 27, as well as at eight other locations. For enquires, call 6731-7173 or visit www.singaporeatrium.holidayinn.com/festive.

Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

If you're going for eye-catching presentation, then there's no doubt that Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore's mooncakes are the way to go. This year, their mooncakes come in three different customised satin boxes, each with their own peach-blossom embroidery, and individual drawers for each mooncake.

Master Chef Steven Ng of Shang Palace explains that the floral designs were inspired by the hotel's location "amidst 15 acres of garden and near the Botanical Gardens". He suggests that "the mooncake boxes can all be upcycled to be used as jewellery boxes post-Mid Autumn".

Shangri-La's new flavours for this year include a baked salted green bean paste mooncake with coconut (S$66 per box of four, S$18.80 per piece) and a mini baked custard mooncake (S$78 per box of eight, S$11 per piece). The highlight however, is a limited edition Chocolate Trilogy collection (S$116), which is essentially chocolate-cake versions of mooncakes. The three flavours are a dark chocolate with lotus seed paste and candied orange, milk chocolate with lotus seed paste and mixed nuts, and a white chocolate with lotus seed paste, green tea, and coconut.

Shang Palace's mooncakes are available at the lobby of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore till Sept 27, and at retail booths located at shopping malls island-wide such as Takashimaya, Jurong Point, and Parkway Parade. For enquiries, call 6213-4511 or e-mail dining.sls@shangri-la.com

Regent Singapore, A Four Seasons Hotel

Tea takes centre stage at this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, with Regent Singapore's two new mini snowskin mooncakes, housed in a red and gold box with a Chinese tea pot embellishment and intricate black trimmings.

The two new flavours are a Regent blend tea with lemon paste (S$60 for eight pieces), which is made up of Darjeeling and Jasmine tea, and a Pu'er tea with red dates (S$60 for eight pieces) made with premium 18-year-old Pu'er tea.

Also making an appearance are their classics such as the unusual parma ham and pork floss with assorted nuts baked mooncake (S$66 for four), which was inspired by their flagship Italian restaurant Basilico, and their signature snowskin selections including the green tea with melon seeds (S$60 for eight pieces) and Granny Smith with lemongrass chocolate (S$60 for eight pieces).

The mooncakes are available from Aug 26 to Sept 27 at the Regent Singapore hotel lobby from 11.30am to 9pm daily, at the Summer Palace restaurant from noon to 2.30pm, and 6.30pm to 10.30pm, as well as Mid-Autumn Festival booths at Takashimaya and Chevron House. For enquiries, call 6725-3239 or e-mail foodbeverage.rsn@fourseasons.com

RWS/Joel Robuchon

Who would've thought a Westen celebrity restaurant would make mooncakes? But Joel Robuchon Restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa did, with its Chef Antonio Benites's selection of snowskin mooncakes being made in four unconventional flavours - raspberry with white lotus paste, salty caramel with white lotus paste, champagne with white lotus paste, and coconut with white lotus paste and passion fruit (S$100++ per box of nine, pre-order necessary).

Those less adventurous might want to check out Cantonese restaurant Feng Shui Inn's offerings by Chef Li Kwok Kwong instead. His new flavour is a premium baked golden custard with pearl powder mooncake (S$68 nett per box), which is supposed to have anti-ageing properties plus health and beauty benefits. It joins their line up of the usual suspects such as the white lotus paste with single yolk (S$56 nett per box) and the low sugar plain white lotus paste (S$50 nett per box).

The Joel Robuchon mooncakes will be available from Sept 1 to 27, only at the restaurant, in limited quantities and only by pre-orders at least three days in advance. For enquiries, call 6577-6688 or e-mail robuchon@rwsentosa.com

The Feng Shui Inn mooncakes are available from Aug 27 to Sept 27 at Feng Shui Inn restaurant. For enquiries, call 6577-6599 or e-mail fengshuiinn@rwsentosa.com