Mid-Autumn 2018

Yesterday was the light-up ceremony and fireworks displays for Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2018 though it usually takes place after Hungry Ghost Festival – today is the last day. Two more weeks to buy mooncakes as Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 24 Sep (Mon). What stood out at this year's Takashimaya Mooncake Fair was that many added macadamia nuts to their traditional mooncakes without salted egg yolks, and most of the lotus paste was too sweet for my liking. To indulge your loved ones who should not be eating sweet stuff, try the a-tad-sweeter mooncakes from Shangri-La Hotel or The Ritz Carlton. Or get the ones from Mandarin Orchard, Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant by Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel or Golden Peony by Conrad Centennial Singapore if you do not have a sweet tooth. Could not resist the latter's 40% discount and got its Golden Peony Traditional Baked Treasures, choosing the champagne cream box over the crimson red one for the 4 pieces of mooncakes in different flavours. Hoping to reuse the box, just like the one from Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore that I bought 2 years ago.

Mid-Autumn 2015

The light-up ceremony and fireworks displays for Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2015 on Sunday marked the first day of the 8th lunar month, though its festive bazaar and carnival started one day earlier. At the month-long Takashimaya Mooncake Fair that runs 'til 27 Sep, there are a few new participants such as Mandarin Orchard and Pantler. While some seemed to have used the same packaging as previous year(s) or made such minor tweaks that I was oblivious to, Tung Lok Group has new ones this year for its Perfect Duo and Bite-Sized. Loved Man Fu Yuan by Intercontinental Singapore's tin box where local illustrator Jacqueline Goh captured the hotel's rich heritage, arts and culture in the multifaceted façades of the historic Bugis district. Interestingly, Sze Chuan Court by Fairmont Singapore's boxes reminded me of cheongsams and The Cookie Museum's resembled large books.

Chicken Rice – Is Chatterbox’s Worth the Price?

A dining companion, who cannot live without chicken rice, has always wanted to try the award-winning Mandarin Chicken Rice at Chatterbox. It is located on the 5th floor of Mandarin Orchard Singapore, formerly known as The Mandarin Singapore. The hotel owner had asked its very first Executive Chef then to include three local dishes on the menu. German-born Peter Gehrmann, trained at The Savoy in London, led the team to debut Mandarin Chicken Rice on the day the hotel opened its doors – 1 August 1971. While he left Singapore in the 1970s, many chefs who had a stint at the hotel's kitchen have since come out to start their own chicken rice stalls. And as part of the hotel’s SG50 celebration, the legendary Mandarin Chicken Rice was going at 50% off on its anniversary. Could not think of a better time to try this but when I called a few days before, was told the restaurant was no longer taking reservations, but would still be opened for walk-in customers.