Mid-Autumn Festival 2023: Unusual mooncakes to try in Hong Kong

The Cakery is celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with an array of vegan mochi and lava mini mooncakes. There are six flavours on offer, including matcha mochi, Earl Grey black sugar mochi, black sesame lava, red date mochi, chocolate hazelnut lava, and coconut peanut lava; each made using the finest natural ingredients to ensure a guilt-free and indulgent experience. For those looking for extra nibbles, take your pick from a range of gift sets featuring an assortment of delectable treats, including chocolates, cookies, granola, and organic wines.

$428 (now until Oct 2); thecakery.com

Fortnum & Mason is back with their collection of premium teas and mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Fest. Infused with flavours from the Earl Grey Classic and Royal Blend, the mooncakes come packaged in a gift box featuring F&M's classic brand colour, Eau De Nil, with white clouds and gold lotus. For the ultimate experience, pair the treats with a freshly brewed cup of tea from the set's mini tea tin and enjoy it in a meticulously crafted lotus-inspired teacup made from upcycled glass bottles.

$678; Available at K11 Musea flagship store and Lane Crawford kiosks

Pistachio lovers are going to drool over Hotel Alexandra's new Milky Emerald mooncake. Handcrafted with a blend of premium French cream cheese, each mooncake has a velvety centre made with finely ground extra-grade natural American pistachios. This delicate flavour pairing gives you the perfect balance of sweetness without being overly cloying, so it'll be hard not to go back for seconds.

$268 (before Sept 28), $238 (original price); eshop.hotelalexandrahk.com

Indulge in a fresh twist on classic Hong Kong street food with Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong's mooncake gift box this year. Working in collab with Michelin-recommended Lee Keung Kee Egg Waffles, this exclusive set draws inspiration from the iconic 'gai dan jai' (egg waffles) and 'gak jai beng' (chequered waffles), and incorporates Lee Keung Kee’s original egg waffle batter recipe into each mooncake. There are also two sets of peanut butter and condensed milk sachets so you can recreate that classic 'gak jai beng' experience at home. To top things off, the gift box showcases an exclusive design by acclaimed Hong Kong artist Leon Lollipop with vibrant illustrations that pay homage to the moon and the rabbits of Mid-Autumn myths. 

$268 (early bird), $328 (original); buys.hk/hyattcentric

This year, Jouer has teamed up with interior design brand Lala Curio to bring a finely curated selection of festive delicacies. Wrapped in plush purple satin – inspired by Lala Curio's signature wallpaper motifs, the Wisteria tree – Jouer's gift box features a set of mini mooncakes in quirky flavours such as miso caramel and tamarind & Sichuan peppercorn; mooncake-flavoured macarons, glazed madeleines, and coffee drip bags. There's also a mini pairing menu inside guiding you on the best ways to enjoy each treat. The mini mooncakes are also available in a set of four, and the macarons come in sets of six or 12.

$880 (early bird price until Aug 31), $980 (original price); jouer.hk

First of all, don't put this in your mouth – no matter how tempting it might be! To celebrate this blissful time of the year, Lush has released a special mooncake bath bomb made with an aromatic blend of sandalwood and benzoin resinoid. Simply get the bath running, drop the mooncake into the water, and watch as it transforms your bath into a shimmering orange-yellow hue. 

$90; lush.com/hk

Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival the Italian way as Mercato Gourmet presents a limited-edition Mid-Autumn Festival panettone gift box with De Vivo, an Italian pastry shop with over 60 years of history. Symbolising reunion and happiness with its round shape, the panettones are available in four unique flavours, including Limoncello, ChocoRhum, pistachio, and hazelnut.

$528 (early bird until Sept 3), $588 (original price); mercatogourmet.com.hk

Award-winning luxury Chinese restaurant Mott 32 has a special collection of mooncakes for the holiday this year. The mooncakes draw inspiration from nature, with four distinctive flavours that reflect Mott 32's signature dishes. Try the Matcha Forest mooncake, which combines matcha with yuzu; or go for the mango-coconut mooncake, offering a tropical delight with ripe mango, almond, and coconut. Additionally, the chrysanthemum-red date mooncake showcases a refreshing floral taste, while the yuzu-umeshu mooncake takes inspiration from Mott 32's signature cocktail with a blend of bourbon, gin, plum, and tangy yuzu. The mooncakes are elegantly presented in a premium blue box with gold embroidery and come with a matching carrier bag.

$488; sevn.ly/xLIJDCUy

Crafted in collaboration with esca, Matchali's vegetarian-friendly mooncakes are made using ceremonial-grade matcha directly from Uji, Kyoto. Sink your teeth into the Matcha Almond or Matcha Red Bean mooncake and choose from any of the three gift sets available. The Tranquillity set features both flavours and comes with Japanese ceremonial-grade matcha and hojicha, while the Harmony and Full Moon sets include not only the mooncakes, but also a Chawan (tea bowl), a Chashaku (tea scoop), and a Chasen (tea whisk).

$660-$880; matchali.com

Executive Chef Chen Tian Long and his team at The Merchants are adding a playful twist to the restaurant’s first Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Paying homage to traditional Suzhou-style mooncakes, the Savoury Mooncakes Set features two flavours: xiān ròu yuèbǐng and Jinhua ham. A Shanghai specialty that's best enjoyed when heated, the xiān ròu yuèbǐng has a tender and juicy pork filling wrapped inside a thin and crispy crust. Meanwhile, the Jinhua Ham mooncake uses rich and smoky Jinhua ham from Zhejiang province.

See more of The Merchants' mooncake offerings in our roundup of must-try mooncakes.

$520; alfreds.hk

Celebrate the joyous season with Pâtisserie Jane's mooncake gift box sets. Indulge in a selection of tea-infused mooncakes with flavours like matcha lychee, Earl Grey purple yam, milk oolong custard, as well as osmanthus, red date, and longan; or go the traditional route with the Rainbow Spiral set that offers traditional Chaoshan-style flaky mooncakes stuffed with taro salted egg yolk and custard salted egg yolk. Adorned with meticulous paper-cut designs, these sets will make for a perfect gift to share with loved ones.

$168-$208 (early bird price until Aug 31), $188-$228 (retail price); patisseriejane.com

Renowned French pastry brand Paul Lafayet has unveiled its latest creation for the upcoming occasion. Working in collaboration with Carrot Salmon, a local creative team, this exquisitely crafted gift box features four custard mooncakes, including crème brûlée, genmaicha tea, Earl Grey tea, and manuka honey. Combining French dessert craftsmanship with dreamy illustrations depicting Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit, the gift box perfectly embodies the spirit of reunion and artistry during this time of year. 

$268-$288 (early bird), $398 (original price); paullafayet.com

Who can resist chocolate mooncakes? This year, Venchi's chocolate mooncakes come in four new flavours, including caramel swirl, lemon vanilla tea, coconut and dark chocolate, and smoky rose tea. Inspired by the celestial beauty of the moon, the gift boxes (available in various shapes and sizes) are adorned with planetary designs and rabbit motifs that symbolise harmony and longevity. For something extra special, go for the MAF Rectangle Gift Box or MAF Double Layer Gift Box, both of which come filled with a selection of Venchi chocolates for your sweet enjoyment.

$120-$2,380; Available across all Venchi Hong Kong stores and venchi.com.hk

Get into the festive spirit with Vermillion's special selection of mooncakes and gifting hamper for Mid-Autumn. Be adventurous and try the Reign South African abalone egg custard and truffle egg custard mini mooncakes or dig into the crunchy caviar egg custard and truffle egg custard. Alternatively, try something sweet and opt for the Conspiracy Chocolate mooncakes, made with a snow skin-inspired white chocolate coating and flavours like mango and yuzu with Sichuan pepper; as well as ganache made of red dates, almonds, and 100 percent dark chocolate.

$350-$680; vermillionlifestyle.com