It’s the time of the year to pile up the calories, and it is not Christmas I am referring to, yet. Mid-Autumn Festival has always been a good reason to indulge excessively, as if we need more reasons to feast in Singapore. Other than a good reminder for me that year is fast approaching the end, the yearly affair of sussing out the noteworthy mooncakes to try is always fun for me. With a month to go, here are some of the Panda’s top picks this year (in alphabetical order).

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Bakerzin

With its most extensive mooncake range ever, we are simply in awe by the wide range of flavours across the nine ranges for Momoyama Skin Mooncakes, Snow Skin and Traditional Baked Mooncakes. We are inclined towards local flavours this season, hence our top pick is the Celebration Collection which boasts local inspired snow skin mooncakes such as Coconut Yam & Banana Snow Skin, Red Bean & Black Glutinous Rice Snow Skin, Pandan Coconut & Gula Melaka Snow Skin and Mung Bean & Peanut Snow Skin. Another interesting range which all alcoholic fans will take note is the Bliss Collection – Irish Cream Snow Skin, Dry Gin Yuzu Snow Skin, Kirsch & Brandied Cherry Snow Skin and Rum & Raisin Snow Skin. Maybe pair it with some alcoholic drinks as well?
Prices start from $56, available for order online at http://www.bakerzin.com or at all Bakerzin outlets in Singapore, from 12 August to 27 September 2015.

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There are many exciting mooncake flavours this Mid-Autumn Festival, including the snowskin flavours from the established Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts’. My favorite this season is no doubt the snowskin Citrusy Yuzu with lemon, followed by the Natural sea salt with dark chocolate which contains 70 percent premium dark chocolate. If you are undecided which flavours to get, there is always the Assorted mini snow skin selection. Other snowskin flavours include Salted caramel snow skin and Strawberry with cranberry

For baked mooncakes, there is the Less sugar white lotus paste with single and double yolk and Less sugar white lotus paste with melon seed version for the health conscious. Do not miss the brand’s signature Mixed nuts and ham as well, made from jinhua ham.  

Prices start from $32, available from 21 August to 27 September 2015 at all outlets. Early Bird Offer and discounts apply for DBS/POSB Cardmembers, further details on http://www.crystaljade.com.

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Golden Peony, Conrad Centennial Singapore

The best part for me about Conrad Centennial Singapore’s mooncakes this season is definitely celebrity Chef Ku Keung’s signature Sweet Potato Mooncake in Crispy Filo Pastry from Golden Peony. Unlike traditional snowskin or based mooncakes, thee crispy pastry is more savoury and lean more towards dim sum rather than mooncake for me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it alot and this is undoubtedly one of my top picks this year.
Other highlights include the snowskin mooncakes such as Green Tea with Melon Seed, Chestnut with Red Bean, White Lotus with Cookies and Cream Cheese and Mango with Nata de Coco.

Prices start from $62, available 31 August to 27 September 2015.

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InterContinental Singapore

Debuting this season is the delicately-crafted Snowskin Tea Mooncake Selection featuring aromatic blends of earl grey and baileys truffle with white lotus paste, Japanese matcha, oolong with black sesame paste, and delicate rose with white lotus paste and pistachio. Tea flavours and mooncakes rarely go wrong for me. Another popular flavour we foresee is the Snowskin ‘Mao Shan Wang’ Durian Mooncake for the durian fanatics.
Prices start from $35 , enjoy an early bird discount of 30% off when mooncakes are purchased between 20 July and 30 August 2015. Mooncakes are available from 20 July through 27 September 2015 at Tea Hut, located at the entrance of InterContinental Singapore from Bugis Junction, and 9 locations across Singapore including Century Square, Compass Point, Junction 8, Jurong Point, NEX Serangoon, Parkaway Parade, West Mall, Takashimaya and VivoCity.

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Jiang-Nan Chun, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore

Go for the “SG50 Singapore Sangria” mooncake, a limited edition snowskin mooncake specially created in celebration of the nation’s Golden Jubilee, especially with its visually stunning red and white exterior embossed with the words “SG50”. Other highlights from this year include the new baked skin flavours such as Charcoal Roasted Oolong Tea and Milk Tea and Red Dates with Melon Seeds. For snowskin lovers, other than the limited edition SG50 Singapore Sangria snowskin mooncake, there are also the signature D24 Durian Paste, Hazelnut Royaltine and Chendol Paste, Mango Paste and Macadamia Nuts and Pineapple Paste with Dark Chocolate and Pine Nuts mooncake.
Prices start from $63, available 28 August to 27 September 2015.

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Li Bai, Sheraton Towers Singapore

Other than Chef Chung’s signature baked mooncakes, four exciting flavours were introduced this year. The Traditional Baked White Lotus Seed Paste with Four Yolks Mooncake and Mini Snow Skin White Lotus Seed Paste with Salted Egg Yolk will definitely be tempting for salted egg yolk lovers. For a more citrusy taste, go for the Mini Green Tea White Lotus Seed Paste with Yuzu Truffle Snow Skin Mooncake. For something healthier, try the Mini Red Date Paste with Apricot Snow Skin Mooncake which my parents will take a fancy to.
Prices start from $56, available 24 August to 27 September 2015. For more information, do check out http://www.sheratonsingapore.com/forms/mooncake for the list of locations for purchase and the online order form.

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Mandarin Orchard Singapore

Apart from the usual favourite baked mooncakes such as the Baked Mooncake with Single/Double Yolk and White Lotus Paste, there is a reduced sugar version with the Baked Mooncake with Macadamia Nuts and Low Sugar White Lotus Paste. For something more novel, Mandarin Orchard Singapore has launched the Baked Mooncake with Mixed Nuts and Jamón ibérico and the Baked Mooncake with Azuki Red Bean Paste and Pine Nuts.

For Snow skin mooncake, the new Mini Snow Skin Red Wine Cranberry Paste and Yuzu or the Lemongrass Mooncake should be refreshing options. Some of the old favourites include the Mini Snow Skin Lychee Martini and Chocolate Mooncake, the Mini Snow Skin Yam and Yam Paste Mooncake or the Mini Snow Skin Green Tea Paste with Azuki Red Bean Mooncake.
Prices start from $656, DBS/POSB credit card holders will receive 25% discount for purchases during the early bird period between 19 and 27 August and 20% discount thereafter. All other credit card holders enjoy 20% and 15% off respectively. Discounts are only available at the hotel’s Deli Counter.

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Peony Jade

Peony Jade Launches its Four New Heavenly Kings, Five New Fruity Flavours and Returns with its Award-Winning Timeless Classics this Mid-Autumn Festival. One of the main highlights of the Four New Heavenly Kings is the limited edition (only 500 boxes are available) farmed pesticide-free posh Mao Shan Wang durian in organic pandan snowskin, and is noteworthy that the Mao Shan Wang durian uses only pesticide-free 100% premium Cat Mountain King durian pulp from Pahang.

For the Five New Fruity Flavours, it include Honey Mango-Philadelphia Cheese, Chestnut-Salted Caramel, Japan Kyoho Grapes, and Peach-Passionfruit-Chocolate with Champagne Mousse centre and 100% Pure Premium Durian Snowskin Combo (D100, Black Gold, Grade “A” Sultan D24, & Jin Feng or Golden Phoenix). The Japan Kyoho Grapes flavour sounds most intriguing to me, as the grapes are grown and harvested in the Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures in Japan.
As for the classics, I can’t wait to lay my hands (and mouth) on the Flaky ‘Orh Ni’ Mooncake with Premium Golden Pumpkin & Single Yolk, one of the restaurant’s signatures.

Prices start from $36.50, available from 3 August to 27 September. For online orders, do visit http://www.pjmooncakes.com/.

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Summer Palace, Regent Singapore

If you are a tea lover, you will be excited over the new tea-infused snowskin mooncakes flavours this season by Dim Sum Chef Leung Kwok Sing – Regent Blend Tea with Lemon Paste and Pu’er Tea with Red Dates. Other signature flavours include Parma Ham and Pork Floss with Assorted Nuts and the White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk and Melon Seeds.
Prices start from $35, available 26 August to 27 September 2015. From now until, August 25, enjoy our Early Bird special that entitles you to 25% off all 4 or 8-piece mooncake box purchases!

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Swensen’s

Mooncakes in a lantern? How about one which lights up as well? Ice-cream mooncake is definitely Swensen’s forte in our opinion, as it releases new flavours this year such as Crunchy Milo, Lychee Dreams and Yummy Yam. Of course, all-time-favorites like the Durian Royale, Strawberry Fields Forever and Sticky Chewy Chocolate are here to stay. The best part we feel is being able to customise your own box of mooncakes, so pick any four flavours of your preference.
Priced at $35.80 (inclusive of GST) for a box of 4 (with choice of flavours), available from 14 August 2015 to 27 September 2015 at all Swensen’s and Earle Swensen’s outlets.

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Szechuan Court, Fairmont Singapore

One of our favourites this mooncake season, Sezchuan Court has launched new flavours such as Mini Snowskin Yuzu Chocolate and Baked Mooncake with Five Grains in White Lotus Paste. We love Yuzu, so our bias top pick goes to the Yuzu Chocolate. Other classic flavours include Mini Snowskin Champagne Truffle & Chocolate Ganache, Mini Snowskin Rum & Raisin Chocolate Truffle, Mini Snowskin Baileys and Baked Mooncake with Double Yolk in White Lotus Paste.
Prices start from $62, available from now to 27 September 2015. For more early promotion offers, do visit the online order website.

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Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

Wah Hao has decided to go local this season, with the introduction of the gold-dusted Black Truffle, Roasted Chestnut, Waxed Duck and Single Yolk with White Lotus Seed Paste, Jalapeno and Chicken Bak-Kwah with White Lotus Seed Paste, Sour Plum with Portuguese Custard and Lime Puree Snowskin Mooncake and the SG50-inspired Teh Tarik with Chocolate Pearls Snowskin Mooncake. Mooncakes aside, I love the elegantly designed red treasure chest.
Prices start from $60, available 21 August to 27 September 2015.

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Yan Ting, The St. Regis Singapore

Yan Ting at The St. Regis Singapore has introduced some refreshing flavours for its snowskin mooncake collection such as citrusy lemon, cranberry with salted egg yolk, and fragrant lychee martini. Meet the White Lotus Paste with Lemon Truffle Snowskin Mooncake, Cranberry Paste with Salted Egg Yolk Snowskin Mooncake, White Lotus Paste with Lychee Martini Truffle Snowskin Mooncake and Black Sesame Paste with Melon Seeds Snowskin Mooncake. The baked mooncakes include signatures like Baked Mooncake with White Lotus Paste and Single or Double Yolks, Reduced Sugar White Lotus Paste with Macadamia Nuts Baked Mooncake and White Lotus Paste with Assorted Nuts and Yunnan Ham Baked Mooncake.
Prices start from $72, available at Yan Ting restaurant (Level 1U) and La Pâtisserie (Lobby Level), from 15th August to 27th September 2015. Enjoy Early Bird Special at a reduction of 5% from now till 8th September 2015.

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Ranted by the Ranter