Celebrating the symbol of reunion

A SIGNIFICANT occasion in Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn festival falls on September 24 this year and is celebrated in the family, with exchanges of mooncakes among friends and family members after meals.
The moon is at its roundest and brightest at this time of the year and people give thanks for the unity and good fortune that this moon represents. As ever, hotels and restaurants are offering mooncakes in different flavours and appealing packages. Here are some suggestions.

 The Peninsula Bangkok reimagines the festival by bringing together the hotel’s signature hand-made egg custard mooncakes with Pleine Lune premium tea by Mariage Freres.
The egg custard mooncakes are handmade according to a traditional Hong Kong recipe to ensure the finest texture and flavour and are perfectly matched with Mariage Freres black tea – a blend of fruits, rare spices and sweet taste of honey. As a meaningful celebration of the hotel’s 20th anniversary this year, a limited edition mooncake gift box is being presented with proceeds from sales going to fund scholarships for underprivileged Thai students who dream of studying art. The box is crafted by up-and-coming artist Phannapast Taychamaythakool and can be reused as a multi-purpose box or clutch bag. 
This year, the egg custard mooncake and premium French tea pairing shares the same auspicious number theme from Hong Kong culture, with 8 mooncakes, an octagonal box, plus 28 grammes of tea totalling 44, and 4+4 = 8. The eight-piece mooncake set is priced at Bt980 net, and Bt1,380 net when paired with a 28-gramme box of Mariage Freres tea, and can be purchased until September 24 at The Peninsula Boutique and the pop-up store at Siam Paragon. 
To make an order, call (02) 020 2888 or make your purchase online at www.Peninsula.com/bangkok.

The hand-crafted mooncakes of the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok are available in four flavours; custard, lotus seeds with egg yolk, durian with egg yolk, and the newest flavour, black sesame with melon seeds until September 24.
The Oriental Luxury gift box comes in a fan-shaped leather clutch bag with eight mooncakes for Bt1,888 net per box. The Oriental Classic gift box decorated with a gold Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok logo also includes eight pieces and is priced at Bt798 net per box.
For reservations, call (02) 659 9000 or email [email protected].

Dusit Thani Bangkok presents its all-time favourites with various fillings that include lotus seed, custard, mixed nuts and durian together with stars from the past – black sesame, bird nest, honey date palm and truffle chestnut. They come in two options of packaging with a choice of fillings. Prices start at Bt198 per mooncake and Bt 288 for premium fillings of bird nest, honey date palm and truffle chestnut. For more information, call (02) 200 9000.

Chinese master chef Andy Fung of Liu restaurant in Conrad Bangkok prepares his mooncakes using premium ingredients and as always offers the all-time favourite East meets West flavours of golden custard and classic durian. 
These mooncakes will be freshly baked each day and are available until September 24. The four-piece box costs Bt888 and the eight-piece choice is Bt1,288. Customers get a 25-per-cent discount if ordering before August 25, a 20-per-cent discount from August 26 to 31, and 15-per-cent off from September 1 to 24.
They can be purchased online at www.Relishbangkok.com or call (02) 690 9999.

Anantara Siam Bangkok’s mooncakes are made with attention to detail, from the kneading of the dough to the preparation of the filling. Using premium ingredients carefully blended for an exquisite flavour, these mooncakes are shaped one by one in a traditional wooden mould, before being baked at just the right temperature to achieve perfection in every bite. In addition, each cake is printed with the Anantara logo representing Thais’ generosity, as well as representing the spirit of sharing and giving during the mid-autumn festival. 
They are available in two red velvet boxes each holding four pieces. The red velvet leather box has an elegant octagonal shape that opens up like a cupboard to four drawers (Bt1,600) and the premium red velvet box comes with a standout half-moon design that opens up to a full-moon shape revealing a golden lotus (Bt950).
Mooncake lovers can choose from four classic fillings –custard, green tea, durian single yolk and jujube single yolk and the sweet treats can be purchased individually, They’re priced at Bt118 for 60-gram size and Bt188 for 170g and are available at Mocha & Muffins on the hotel’s first floor. A discount of 15 percent is provided when ordering before August 25 (on mooncake box set only).
Visit www.Siam-Bangkok.Anantara.com for more information or place an order by calling (02) 126 8866 extension 1226.

Erawan Bakery of Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok features five flavours of mooncake packaged in a bespoke box. The flavours are pandan & coconut, cocoa nib, 8 xian, custard, and durian with egg and an individual mooncake costs Bt189 while a box of five goes for Bt789. Boxes can be personalised with a gold stamp of the company logo on request.
Special discounts from 10 to 20 per cent are provided for ordering in bulk. 
To order, call (02) 254 6250 or email [email protected].

The Okura Prestige Bangkok’s La Patisserie unveils a new origami mooncake box inspired by the traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. The mooncakes themselves are made with an intricately patterned crust and are available in four flavours – durian single yolk, jujube single yolk, custard, and green tea. Priced at Bt988 net for a box of four, they are available until September 24 at La Patisserie on the ground floor of Park Ventures Ecoplex from Monday to Friday, from 7am to 7pm. 
Call (02) 687 9000 or email [email protected].

Cantonese restaurant Bai Yun at Banyan Tree Bangkok offers mooncakes that are preservatives-free and come in a multitude of different flavours such as durian, assorted nuts, lotus seeds and black sesame.
They are packaged in sets of four (Bt959), two (Bt599) and individually, as well as in a limited edition 8-mini mooncakes premium gift set (Bt1,888). The price is Bt209 each for durian, lotus seed, assorted nuts, and Chinese chestnut, and Bt199 for other fillings. Custom branding for corporate orders is available on request.
To order call (02) 679 1200.

 W Bangkok’s mooncake collection returns for its third year with bolder and even more unique flavours designed by chef Steven Kim and his team. Its most popular filling is playful with a New York cheesecake twist and a raspberry cheesecake flavour while purple coco is a combination of purple sweet potato and young coconut.
Indulge in a pistachio filling with crunchy nuts and olives or go for a sugar kick with a blend of banana and toffee. And of course there’s everyone’s favourite traditional mooncake filled with a rich durian mixture. Kim also offers limited-edition mooncakes with soft snow skin in five flavours and available only at W Bangkok’s The Pantry.
This year, the mooncake box pays tribute to the year of the dog with vibrant colours of purple, magenta and yellow inspired by pop art. 
A single mooncake is priced at Bt180 and the four-piece box costs Bt800. Get special discounts of 10 to 25 per cent when ordering in bulk. 
W Mooncakes will also be available at the Mooncake Festival 2018 at Siam Paragon from September 5 to 24 and EmQuartier M Floor from September 13 to 24.
Order online at www.WHotelBangkok.com/th/mooncake or visit The Pantry on the second floor. 

Amway (Thailand) hails the Moon Festival with this year’s selection of UFM Mooncakes crafted with 25-per-cent less sugar than the originals. The packaging design with a peony pattern representing an auspicious ritual offering to the moon can also be a perfect gift to express love and good wishes.
The mooncakes are available in two different four-piece boxes. The Durian-flavours box contains two mooncakes with durian filling and two others with durian-and-egg filling while the assorted flavours box has all four mooncakes with ngow-ying, lotus seeds, red bean and macadamia, and durian fillers. The set is priced at Bt462 for Amway members and Bt485 for non-members. They can be ordered at any Amway business owner nationwide until September 24.
For more information, visit www.AmwayShopping.com or call (02) 725 8000.

Enrich the lunar celebration even further with “Sip & Savour Tradition” available from September 1 to 30 at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin. The month-long activity reintroduces the tradition of enjoying decadent mooncakes, with a cup of premium tea from TWG at the Museum Coffee and Tea Corner. The mooncake with tea pairing for one costs Bt190 and for two for Bt260.
The four-piece mooncake box comes in a red Chinese-inspired pattern with your selection of flavours for Bt550 or Bt90 for an individual piece until September 24.
For details, call (032) 512 021.

 Starbucks Coffee Thailand presents souvenir-worthy mooncakes in five flavours – espresso single egg, montong durian single egg, green tea and red bean, chocolate mint, and ngow-ying fillings. The prices are Bt140 a piece for the ngow-ying filling and Bt155 for other flavours. The deep purple package, inspired by a starry night sky and the full moon, is decorated with golden stripes. Customers can choose between sets of either two or four pieces.
Premium sets (Bt1,350) are also available this year, coming with four mooncakes and a coffee cup and saucer in a box, making it an ideal souvenir for this special occasion. The cups are available in three colours – purple, yellow, and grey. Starbucks Mooncakes are available at every Starbucks store nationwide until September 30.