During Mid Autumn season, my workplace is usually floaded with mooncakes given by bankers and vendors. We almost get to try all the mooncakes in Singapore from hotels to bakeries but usually are traditional white lotus with 2 yolks mooncakes. Personally I don't fancy mooncakes but everytimes there are new garden mooncake in the pantry I will go in and take a peak. Most of the time I'm more impressed by their packaging than the mooncake itself...lol!
Last weekend my colleague mentioned that the Teochew style Crispy Yam Mooncake from Garden is good and every year she will get a few boxes of it from them. So me too get some for my family to try.
The pastry was very flaky and melt in the mouth. The yam paste was smooth and not overly sweet. Oh look at the yolk, nice oily colour.
Then you had better heed my advice and head down to Song Garden located on the 2nd floor of Mercure Singapore Bugis to get in on their mooncake selection. The emphasis on the traditional baked mooncakes a refreshing respite from the peculiarities of this year's snow skin offerings from various establishments touting strange flavours such as tom yum, pink peppercorn and more. Call me old school, but there are certain lines that can't be crossed in celebration of such a historical occasion.
Redolent with nuts, the Five Assorted Seeds is one that would pander to the more matured taste buds. Almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, persimmon and sesame seeds are held together with a sticky maltose filling which is just sweet enough to allow for the roast on the nuts to shine through. Unlike many renditions I've had, Song Garden's version doesn't crumble at the slightest touch nor stick to the teeth in unglamorous nooks and crannies. Definitely a keeper and a fine display of the artistry in the kitchen.
I've always been one to love white lotus paste, plain. However, come Mid-Autumn Festival, I cave in to the occasional yolk inception. The dynamite orange ball adding just that bit of luxurious salt to bring out the best of the smooth lotus paste. At song garden, the mooncakes come just a little more tanner than usual, the crust itself yielding a robust flavour that I prefer.
Perfect little gold ingots; these salted egg yolk lava custard mini mooncakes from Song Garden are my recommended for most 'worth-it' purchase this mid autumn festival. Heat it up a little and you're guaranteed a nice flowy centre providing a faintly salty contrast to the milky crust.Read More