Over the Moon(cake)

BK samples the traditional Lunar Festival delicacies from seven sources. Photos by Gregoire Glachant.

Shang Palace

The look: You will ooh and ahh over the eye-catching, vivid yellow case with gold-embossed Chinese character prints. Inside are four mooncakes each wrapped in its own separate paper box. Mix and match your favorite fillings from durian, five-kernel, red bean and lotus seed. A set of tiny knives and forks is also included in the package. How considerate!

The taste: The durian and lotus seed filling mooncakes come with a big egg yolk, which unfortunately, is too dry. But we still like the flaky crust, overall, and the flavors aren’t too sweet.

The price: Each mooncake is sold separately with prices ranging from B76-96, or B368 for a box of four. Through Sep 26.

Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, Charoenkrung Rd., 02-236-7777

Man Ho

The look: Graceful and impressive, the silk-wrapped box can easily double as a jewelry case for your hiso auntie after you’re done eating. Choose from four flavors—five-kernel, lotus seed, durian and green tea.

The taste: Though Man Ho’s packaging is attractive, its hefty mooncakes are anything but. It’s almost impossible to cut through the solid, heavily-spiced five-kernel one. The green tea has a lingering super-sweet aftertaste, best served with a bitter cup of tea.

The price: B250 for a box of two, B480 for a box of four. Through Sep 25.

JW Marriott Bangkok, 4 Sukhumvit Soi 2, 02-656-7700

Silk Road

The look: Silk Road’s packaging was by far the least attractive of the lot, looking like it should be sold in a supermarket, rather than a fancy hotel. In terms of flavors, Silk Road offers traditional fillings like durian, five-kernel and lotus seed.

The taste: The five-kernel comes with a flaky crust and is chock-full of herbal flavors. The durian doesn’t taste as bad as it smells, but you wouldn’t want the person sitting next to you on your AirAsia flight to Macau to have smuggled one onboard.

The price: B98 per piece, B390 for a box of four. Through Sep 25.

Plaza Athenee Bangkok, 10 Wireless Rd., 02-650-8800 ext. 4334

Mei Jiang

The look: The brown octagonal package with gold trim suggests classic sophistication, and inside you’ll find eight bite-size treats. Be warned: you might break a sweat trying to enjoy Mei Jiang’s mooncakes as the container is incredibly difficult to crack open.

The taste: Mei Jiang only offers two flavors—lotus seed paste and cream custard—and you can’t mix the two flavors in one box. So we recommend going with the doughy eggy tart-like custard filling, which remains soft and tasty for days, even when left outside the refrigerator.

The price: B450. Through Sep 25.

The Peninsula Bangkok, 333 Charoennakorn Rd., 02-861-2888

China House

The look: At China House, it’s quality over quantity. Inside the graceful red square box are eight tiny mooncakes featuring four flavors: durian paste with egg yolk, black bean paste with egg yolk, white lotus seeds and custard.

The taste: Ironically, China House’s mooncakes are highly enjoyable because they don’t taste like mooncakes at all. Instead of the traditional rich and dense flavors, the bite-sized pastries have a tender and rich crust, a smooth texture and they aren’t too sweet. The custard filling is delicious, while the durian isn’t too strong.

The price: B410 per box. Through Sep 25.

The Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue, 02-659-0204

Starbucks

The look: If you buy a whole mooncake here, it comes fist-sized, and the best-selling one, the espresso flavored mooncake, is often out of stock. Instead, opt for the combination package with the four different flavors: green tea with red bean, espresso, eight-kernel and durian.

The taste: Although it’s the most popular option, the espresso flavor disappoints: the super-dry filling barely has any hints of coffee and tastes more like black bean paste than espresso. Though the crushed macadamia nuts help add crunchy relief, the “espresso” is still way too sweet. Maybe it’s a tactic to get us to order another grande latté. We suggest you go with the healthy and crunchy eight-kernel filling—a good replacement for your morning cereal.

The price: The cappuccino filled mooncake will set you back B105, while the rest are B95 each. B250 for a box of four.

S&P

The look: S&P’s mooncakes are so shiny that they look plastic. Buy two, which come in a shoddy paper box, or get four, packaged in a colorful, stainless steel container.

The taste: Despite its cheap flour, S&P wins in the variety category, as the chain restaurant offers more than 10 flavors. The five-kernel filling tastes more like sweetened squash than nutty seeds, good for those with a sweet tooth, perhaps. However, nut lovers might want to opt for the lotus seed and macadamia paste filling, which tastes very similar to peanut butter.

The price: From B66 for the lotus seed paste mooncake with egg yolk to B92 for chestnut paste with egg yolk; other flavors priced in between.

At every S&P outlet. For delivery service, call the hotline 1344

They’re Not Just For Dessert

Alternative uses for those unwanted mooncakes:

• Door stop
• Eye mask
• Florist foam
• Coaster
• Paperweight
• Pen-holder