Tuesday, July 31, 2012

2012 Mooncakes @ Lai Po Heen, Mandarin Oriental KL

Mid-Autumn Festival is by far my favorite Chinese celebration. Last year, I was dubbed by some of my readers as the "Mooncake Queen" since I sampled at least 40 different flavours from various hotels/establishments. This year, Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 30th but hotels have started selling mooncakes as early as July. Not that I'm complaining, since I'm a HUGE fan of mooncakes... in fact, the earlier, the better for me!


Lotus paste with single yolk mooncake from Mandarin Oriental KL


My first mooncake for this year was from Lai Po Heen in Mandarin Oriental KL. Thanks to Mandarin Oriental KL, I got to attend a mooncake workshop whereby I got to learn how to make their famous mini snowskin durian mooncake and later on sample more than 10 different mooncake flavours!

The newly-refurbished Lai Po Heen


With head dim sum chef, Wu Chee Hong during the mooncake workshop


Simply fabulous...

On offer at MO this year are 5 large mooncakes (baked), 7 medium mooncakes (baked & chocolate) and 3 mini mooncakes (snowskin), all handmade. I daresay I've tried them all.. ;) What I like most about the baked mooncakes are that the paste (filling) is very smooth and not too sweet. They are perfect with a cup of Chinese tea or even eaten on its own. My favorite baked ones are the white lotus paste, lotus paste with single and double yolk, and the pandan essence with macadamia nut. The pandan one especially smelled so good as well!





Some of the baked mooncakes I got to try!

 One of my favorite baked ones, the pandan essence with macadamia nuts


There is also the diced chicken ham with almond, red bean and lotus paste with single egg yolk, and black sesame paste with melon seeds - all which Hubby likes.


Red bean and lotus paste with single egg yolk


Black sesame paste with melon seeds


Diced chicken ham with almond


If you've read my blogpost last year, you will know that MO also does these chocolates in the shape of a mooncake. It's more for the novelty effect, but the chocolates are of exceptional quality. I especially love the milk chocolate with peanut butter crunch (*hint hint CK*).  Other flavours such as white chocolate with orange ganache and jam, dark chocolate with star anise and red bean ganache, and dark chocolate with salted caramel ganache, all which I like too. The key to eating these chocolate mooncakes are to allow them to get to room temperature so that the filling is soft and lovely.

Lovely white chocolate with orange ganache and jam

Milk chocolate with peanut butter crunch - I love!!


Dark chocolate with star anise and red bean ganache


Not forgetting the mini snowskin mooncakes, which are my absolute favorites. I love the mini snowskin with pandan flavour, so fragrant from the smell of pandan. There is also a blueberry and coconut flavour - this has a bit more texture due to the coconuts, and my mum liked this since she likes coconut very much.



This year's durian snowskin is much better too, made from D24 durians- so smooth and I found myself loving it. From the mooncake workshop, I learnt that durian snowskin is the most delicate and slightly more difficult to handle compared to the other snowskin mooncakes. It must be handled very quickly or else the filling will melt/become mushy easily. That would probably explain why ours was so soft last year since we transported it back home to eat and did not put back it in the fridge. Durian snowskin mooncakes are best eaten after it has been out of the fridge for several minutes. I will share the recipe for this soon.

The mooncakes are presented in an elegant purple box. Baby C has already asked if she could have the box to put all her pretty hairclips. A mooncake stand is set-up at Mandarin Oriental KL hotel lobby, with several flavours available to tasting before you make your purchase.





And my favorite baked mooncake, lotus paste with single/double egg yolk enjoyed with a cup of Chinese tea. 


Baby D loves the mini snowskin pandan flavour :)


Full mooncake list with prices.


*There is an early bird 10% discount for purchases made from 23 July to 16 August 2012.

You can read about the mooncake workshop that I attended here.  Full set of photos can be viewed on my Facebook page here. 

Location: Lai Po Heen, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2179 8885

30 comments:

  1. Your favorite festive season has arrived! Feels like you've just sample them not long ago...but actually already 1 year. I like mooncakes with singe yolk. Combination of sweet and salty =)

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    Replies
    1. Hehe yes! Really excited to try all the different mooncake flavours this year. I also like mooncakes with single yolk, my fav baked type.

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  2. Great Festival Dessert. Very Nice!

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  3. ..so fast ah,still 2 months to go. still nothing in penang...quite expensive..lol..

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    1. Oh it's the trend in KL to sell it a few months in advance. Hehe ;)

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  4. I don't think that I can find anyone to replace you, 40 flavours? Can you break last year's record? I love mooncakes too & I normally buy those imported from Malaysia becoz they have the prettiest boxes & what else, must support my own country mah!

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    Replies
    1. So far this year already tried 14 flavours... hehe. Maybe can break last year's record. Still got 2 more months to go.

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  5. Wow you are definitely the queen of Mooncakes! I really like the snowskin type but not so much the baked ones. Milk chocolate with peanut butter crunch sounds very nice...

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    1. My fav ones are the snowskin ones too, love all the different flavours you can get nowadays. They are getting more and more creative with the fillings.

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  6. Wah, mooncake so soon?

    I prefer the snowskin type instead of the baked ones too.

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    1. Hehe me too, but I don't mind the baked lotus paste ones either. ;)

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  7. Milk chocolate with peanut butter crunch? Hmm interesting!
    My favourite mooncake is snow skin with double egg yolks. :D

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    1. When I saw and tried the peanut butter crunch one, I thought to myself "must tell CK since he loves peanut butter"!

      Snowskin so small can put in double egg yolks? I've only seen single one before.

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  8. ooo, i hear the durian snowskin mooncake that's supposed to be really good this year is at KL hilton. it uses the musang king durian. but unfortunately, i don't think i'll be buying any --- it costs more than RM260 per box of six, and we can't buy it per individual pieces, boo hoo...

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    1. Oh yes I saw their brochure too, RM276 nett for a box of 6. It's called "Heavenly Gold", with that price it sure feels like you're eating gold. Hehe.

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  9. Love the hotel logo on the skin. Nice touch! But it's just the 6th Month, not even the 7th and the festival is in the 8th. Can last so long kah? They're too expensive anyway... Didn't buy last year, not going to this year.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah they have custom-made moulds. Usually hotel mooncakes are slightly more expensive, but the quality is very very good. I don't like the commercial ones since they are way too sweet.

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  10. It's that season again ! lol We love the snowy mooncakes :D That mooncakes from Madarin Oriental look divine but way too expensive *sigh* :D

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    Replies
    1. I guess mooncakes is a big thing where you live, right?

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  11. Milk chocolate with peanut butter crunch!!!!

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  12. I really like mooncakes too, but often find them too sweet. Good to know that these pretty ones aren't too sweet! And also, those white choc and peanut butter chocolate ones look really good too. Looks like good craftsmanship :)

    -Wendy

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    1. Wendy, go for the hotel ones. They are usually less sweet. They are more expensive, but they're worth it (found this out after my extensive "research" last year hehe)

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  13. The Chocolate Series looks awesome!! Truly unique from more usual ones... looks like a visit is a must for these soon....

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    1. Exquisite chocolates, Chef Holger always impresses.

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  14. The mooncakes look so pretty! I wonder when they'll start selling mooncakes over here.. It'd be nice to have a taste of home even when I'm away! :)

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    1. Hehe I saw on twitter they have already started selling mooncakes in UK too! Maybe Australia will be very soon too. Or you can learn how to make them. ;)

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  15. I love the mooncakes from MO - good quality and very delicious.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, you are right. Love how smooth the fillings are.

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