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