Story and photos by Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet TM

Copyright all rights reserved

The indomitable and irrepressible Travelling Gourmet TM reveals Marriott Singapore’s exquisite…

MOONCAKE offerings…Yes, it is that time of the year and the 8th Lunar Month is coming when we celebrate the heart-warming Mid-Autumn Festival with Mooncakes. Marriott Singapore never fails to come up with new, bold and super yummie Mooncakes every year. Despite the horrid china virus, this year is no different. The 15th Day of the 8th Lunar Month is on 1 October 2020.

I was very honoured to have a special tasting with dynamic and helpful Owen Cooper, Director of Food and Beverage,

Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet TM and Owen Cooper,

Director of F & B

I was very pleased to discover some very unique Mooncakes. Wan Hao, Marriott’s elegant haute cuisine Cantonese restaurant was the perfect venue for the tasting. There are six new Mooncakes this year! They include the rich Golden Black Truffle Baked Mooncake with tasty morsels of Jambon de Bayonne (Bayonne Ham) and single Yolk. yes, it is dusted with REAL Gold dust! Bayonee Ham is a gourmet’s delight, and is prepared with a special pure salt from the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. The heady aroma of the Black Truffle is very seductive. Truly a gourmet combination. I tasted the Mooncakes with Pu Erh Tea and also Chrysanthemum Tea.

Red Date Baked Mooncake with Wolfberries & Pumpkin Seeds and Golden Black Truffle Baked Mooncake with tasty morsels of Jambon de Bayonne (Bayonne Ham) & single Yolk

I also liked very much the White Lotus Seed Paste Baked Mooncake with crunchy Macadamia Nuts. I love Macadamia Nuts aka Queensland nuts, and they are also very healthy and help to raise up the good cholesterol in us. Macadamia nuts are indigenous to Australia and were a favourite food of the Aborigines. Macadamias can boost your heart health and brain health. I adore them! As always, Marriott’s Lotus Seed Paste is super fine and so smooth like skating on ice.

Good old perennial favourites are also on offer like the best seller of White Lotus Seed Paste Baked Mooncake with Double Yolk. Perfect as business gifts to receive and to give.

Lovely Snowskin Mooncake Treats!

Owen, the Director of Food and Beverage told me, “Unusually, this year the Snowskin Mooncakes are selling better than the Baked Mooncakes. Normally, it is the other way around! The Premium Grade Pure Mao Shan Wan Durian Mooncakes are selling like crazy!” Well, Mooncake afficionados know that Marriott Mooncakes are lovingly made and hand crafted piece by piece with only the finest ingredients. Traditional wooden moulds are used by a team of 20 Chefs led by Chef Brian Wong!

Fabulous Snowskin treats!

There are three new SnowskinMooncakes. One is the pink Rose Tea SnowskinMooncake with Champagne Truffle which you abslolutely must try. You can really taste the Champagne in the Truffle. Very yummie indeed! They must be savoured well chilled otherwise the Truffle centres will melt.

Another new flavour is the green auspicious Mandarin Orange Snowskin with Caramel Sea Salt Truffle. I like the little bits of orange zest in the Lotus Seed paste which release their citrus flavours when you bite into them. I also like the Caramel Sea Salt Truffle being not too salty. A very good balance. Moreover, the Lotus Seed paste is not overly sweet.

The new orange Almond Custard Snowskin has Osmanthus Flower Truffle and is very light and refreshing on the palate. The texture is different from Lotus Seed paste.

A classic favourite is the white Lotus Seed paste Snowskin with Salted Egg Truffle. A good thing is that the Salted Egg Truffle is not overpowering but subtle and sublime.

The Travelling Gourmet TM says: Keep calm and carry on eating…Mooncakes! Guten Appetit!

The Mooncakes are available at Marriott’s Mid-Autumn Forecourt Stall at the main hotel entrance

Marriott Tang Plaza

320 Orchard Road

Singapore 238865

Tel: 6735 5800

 https://youtu.be/pdBrppEeq_g