The Mid-Autumn Festival is upon us! It’s time to hang your red lanterns and stock up on your mooncakes.
One of the biggest stars of the festivities, the mooncake is what queso de bola is to our Noche Buena and turkey to Thanksgiving. There’s no way a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration can be complete without it.
The mooncake is more than just a food item or a customary treat. It is imbued with meanings, symbolizing deep family ties and an abundant harvest. This yummy and *warning* calorie-packed treat is traditionally made of lotus seed paste, salted egg yolk, and lard. Now it’s not too surprising why a palm-sized cake can pack in as much as 1,000 calories!
The origin of mooncakes can be traced back to 3,000 years ago in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. That’s a whopping history that spans three millennia! Over the centuries, the flavors have also evolved. Aside from time-honored variants, there are also creative ones that have emerged as of late, such as the popular ube-flavored mooncakes here in the Philippines.
In recent years, big brands have taken to creating specially designed mooncakes. Luxury labels such as Audemars Piguet, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Cartier, and Tiffany and Co. released their own fabulous versions last year. The Palace Museum in Beijing is also known for offering some of the most beautiful mooncakes in the world.
Now, if you love your mooncakes or if you want to have something to give your loved ones for the Mid-Autumn Festival, The POST has here a list of establishments around Metro Manila where you can purchase premium mooncakes. Do hurry, as the festival is on September 17 which is less than a week from now!
1. Kee Wah Bakery
If you’re a fan of mooncakes then chances are you’re already familiar with this heritage brand that’s best known for its premium mooncakes offering a taste of tradition and quality, and come in traditional and more creative versions. There’s the Kee Wah Supreme Mooncakes which come in a signature tin can featuring a classic emperor’s portrait, symbolizing sovereignty. These mooncakes are made with high-quality lotus seed paste, premium peanut oil, and top-grade salted egg yolks, available in White Lotus Seed Paste with Two Yolks and Golden Lotus Seed Paste, both at 185g per piece, 4 pieces per tin, for P3,600 each. Mini variants are also available.
There’s also the Red Bean Paste Mooncake at 185g per piece, 4 pieces per tin for P3,100, Assorted Nuts Mooncake at 185g per piece, 4 pieces per tin, and Red Bean Paste Mooncake with Two Egg Yolks at 185g per piece, 4 pieces per tin, starting at P3,100.
The Kee Wah Celestial Series offers a selection of mooncakes in sweet and savory flavors, including the Quadrangle Mooncake Gift Box with 4 pieces of assorted mooncakes for P4,500, the Supreme Assorted Mini Mooncake with 8 pieces of assorted mooncakes for P2,950, and the Supreme Selected Mini Mooncake with 8 pieces of assorted mooncakes for P2,900.
Kee Wah Bakery also has new variants such as the Mini Assorted Nuts Mooncake with Dried Figs and Egg Custard Mooncakes which come in various flavors.
For more information and to order, visit Kee Wah Bakery’s website or follow its social media pages.
2. Solaire
Solaire’s signature mooncakes are back! They are available in individual packages if you want your stash all to yourself and in stylish gift boxes if you want to share the goodies to your family and friends.
The hotel has a variety of options you can choose from, from the ultra-luxe bundles such as its Box of 4 Cognac-infused Mooncakes with a 700ml bottle of Louis XIII cognac which will set you back P368,000, to individual mooncakes with variants such as White Lotus (P688) and Ube (P566).
The mooncakes are available at Solaire Resort Entertainment City and Solaire Resort North. For more information, you may click on this link.
3. Shangri-La Boutique
If you’re looking for variety then this is the place to go (or the website to visit). Shangri-La Boutique has a dizzying array of mooncake flavors and bundles from which to choose.
For starters, you can buy individual pieces for P488/piece and with flavors from the more familiar ones like Red Bean and White Lotus, to the more intriguing varieties such as Praline Rocher and Dried Scallop with X.O. Sauce. All mooncakes have something in common though—each bite rewards your palate with a satisfying medley of sweet, savory, silky, and that all-important umami.
Shangri-la Boutique also has bundles that’s perfect for giving away, such as mooncakes that come with wine and chocolates and presented in a pretty box or hamper. The choices are near endless; see the options yourself by visiting the Shangri-La Boutique website.
4. Marco Polo Ortigas
The hotel’s renowned Cantonese restaurant, Lung Hin, has a mouthwatering selection of artisanal mooncakes that are available in flavors such as Red Bean with Single Egg Yolk, White Lotus with Single Egg Yolk, Red Lotus with Single Egg Yolk, and Mixed Nuts, all of which come in elegant packaging.
Each piece costs P828, while a Box of 4 has a price tag of P3,288, and a Box of 6 at P4,888. There are also Limited Edition boxes available: Php 3,488 for a box of 4 and Php 4,988 for a box of 6.
For orders and more information, you may call (+63 2) 7720 7777.
5. New World Makati Hotel
The hotel prides itself in its handmade mooncake collection which features six delightful flavors that include three new variants. The new flavors are Dark Chocolate, Matcha, and Durian, while classic flavors are Red Bean, Red Lotus, and White Lotus. Miniature versions are also available.
This year, the mooncakes are presented in elegant boxes inspired by traditional Chinese wooden window grilles, symbolizing reunion, connection, and the festival’s rich heritage. They are so pretty you may not want to give them away!
A 20% discount is offered for purchases of 100 boxes or more, or a 10% discount for Club Epicure members and orders of 50 boxes.
For orders, e-mail fbreservations.manila@newworldhotels.com or send a message Facebook and Instagram.
6. The Manila Hotel
This year’s selection showcases a range of traditional and delightful flavors such as single yolk red bean, single yolk red bean with orange peel, single yolk pure white lotus, milk golden sand, red dates, mung bean, and rose paste.
Solo boxes are priced at P388, while a box of four in an elegant silk brocade box is available for P2,288.
For those interested in bulk orders, discounts until September 30, 2024. Enjoy a 10% discount on orders of 5 to 10 boxes, a 15% discount on orders of 11 to 15 boxes, and a 20% discount on orders of 16 boxes or more.
For orders, click on this link.
7. The Peninsula Manila
The Pen boasts authentic mooncakes straight from Hong Kong that come in timeless flavors and exciting new ones, all available at The Peninsula Boutique.
You can choose from five bundles: Box of 8 Assorted Mini Mooncakes/P5,888; Box of 6 Mini Red Bean Paste Mooncakes/P4,888; Box of 6 Assorted Mini Lotus Seed Paste with Egg Yolk/P4,888; Box of 4 Mini Egg Custard Mooncakes/P3,888; and Box of 4 Mini Chocolate Egg Custard Mooncakes/P3,888.
For orders, click on this link.
8. Grand Hyatt Manila
If you’re reading this, you only have three days left to purchase your yummy mooncakes from Grand Hyatt Manila. Handcrafted by the Chinese chefs of No. 8 China House, this year’s artisanal treats include a combination of classic and contemporary variants.
You can choose from a Box of 4 Mooncakes with a Bottle of Wine at P3,688; a Mooncake Hamper with a Bottle of Wine and P1,000 F&B dining voucher for P8,888; and a Mooncake Hamper with a Macallan 12 Years Double Cask for P12,888.
The Mid-Autumn Festival collection is available at Florentine at the hotel lobby. Guests have the option to pre-order the Box of 4 Mooncakes and the Box of 4 Mooncakes with wine in bulk and receive up to 25% discount. Orders of 10 boxes and above require a 48-hour lead time.
For orders, email florentine.manila.grand@hyatt.com, or order directly through this link.
