I was just peacefully scrolling through the Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits to look for relatable posts and memes (like I usually do) until I stumbled across a string of posts about mooncakes. That’s when I realized that it’s already mooncake season—or more accurately, the mid-autumn festival.
This 2020, the annual celebration, which serves as a thanksgiving for successful post-autumn harvest, falls on Oct. 1. In Chinese tradition, mooncakes serve as an integral part of commemorating this occasion as an offering to the moon during ancient times. As time went on, it became a popular gift to family and friends instead. The prettier or fancier the packaging was, the “better gift” your mooncake is.
I remember the good times when we celebrated mid-autumn festivals in some of Metro Manila’s top hotels, which often carried heavenly mooncakes during this season. But since we’re in the middle of quarantine, we’re opting to enjoy these delicacies at home, paired with a cup of tea.
While some are making their own (we mean, we’d love to try out this snow skin mooncake that almost everyone seems to be raving about), you can get it delivered from these places as well.
Soy Story Pastries
Soy Story Pastries’ mooncake menu has us intrigued as it boasts a lineup of salted egg red bean, ube quezo, salted egg yema taro and ChocNut mooncakes that you can take home.
To order, fill up this form from Soy Story Pastries
Hongkong MX
This famous Hong Kong mooncake brand arrived in Manila in 2019. Since then, its custard and chocolate lava mooncakes became known for its melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
To order, message Hongkong MX on Facebook or Instagram or shop through Lazada, Shopee, GrabMart or Foodpanda
Eng Bee Tin
Your favorite Chinese deli, known for their delectable hopia and tikoy since 1912, also carries this mid-autumn festival treat. Their mooncakes come in very Pinoy flavors, too, such as durian, mango jam, pandan and ube.
Place your order at ubedelivery.com
Yao’s Kitchen
Among the mooncake flavors that this restaurant from San Antonio Village, Makati offers are lotus paste, bean paste, ube and mixed nuts.
To order, fill out a form from Yao’s Kitchen and send it to their Instagram account
Makati Shangri-La
Still think nothing beats mooncakes from hotels? Makati Shangri-La has made their mooncakes available for delivery. If you’re gifting it to someone (or to yourself), you can get them in festive boxes with traditional Chinese designs, too.
To order, call 0917-5949327 or email agnes.chuah@shangri-la.com
China Blue by Jereme Leung
Speaking of stylish packaging, China Blue by Jereme Leung in Conrad Manila offers their mooncakes with chic round faux leather bags.
To order, contact 0917-6504043 or visit bit.ly/conradmooncake2020
Manila Marriott
Here’s another elegantly-packaged treat: Manila Marriott’s hand-crafted mooncakes that come in the white lotus, red lotus and five-spiced nuts with dried scallops flavors. These pastries are encased in a crimson red latticed box with gold stamping and cherry blossoms pattern.
To order, call 0917-6245980
Header photo from Manila Marriott
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