With Mid-Autumn Festival fast approaching, mooncakes are back on the market once again. An iconic and ubiquitous dessert eaten during this special time of the year, here’s a list of the best mooncakes in Shanghai that you must try.
Yi Long Court，the Peninsula Shanghai
With two Michelin stars under its belt, Yi Long Court at The Peninsula Shanghai offers some of the most coveted mooncakes in Shanghai. In addition to famous classic custard flavor, the chefs at Yi Long Court have come up with two new flavors this year: durian and pandan. Light and refreshing, you can also pair them with the hotel's artisanal cocktails.
Yi Long Court, see listing here
Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Handcrafted according to traditional Cantonese recipes and techniques, the mooncakes presented by Grand Hyatt Shanghai are another example of handmade treats of excellence and quality. This year, the hotel offers five flavors, including lotus seed paste with egg yolk, sweet bean paste, jujube paste, coconut, and an all-new spicy beef variety for those who aren’t into sweets.
Grand Hyatt Shanghai, see listing here
Fun Fact: Mooncakes come in different styles and flavors in China. The first two are Cantonese-style mooncakes, which have chewy and glossy crusts and are often packaged elegantly. The ones with a flaky crust are Suzhou-style mooncakes, and while they don’t have very exquisite packaging, tons of fans line up for them in front of various shops across the city each year.
Shanghai First Food Hall (Nanjing Dong Lu)
Famous for all sorts of traditional snacks, Shanghai First Food Hall is a longtime favorite for savory mooncakes among locals. Over the years, they’ve expanded their offerings from having just one flavor (pork) to four this year, and the new additions are egg yolk with pork floss, pork with abalone and bullfrog with pickles (ewwww). One good thing about Suzhou-style mooncakes is that their thin, flaky crusts can absorb the juiciness of the fillings.
Shanghai First Food Hall (Nanjing Dong Lu), see listing here
Wang Bao He Restaurant
Last year, Wang Bao He Restaurant introduced a crayfish flavored mooncake and it became an instant hit. With a spicy chili sauce, the crusts soaks up all the juice. It’s one of our favorites and you have to try it!
Wang Bao He Restaurant, see listing here
LE RÊVE
Opened by the French pastry chef Pascal Molines, the mooncake offerings of LE RÊVE (which means ‘the dream’) are not to be missed. This year, Molines combines the mooncake with the classic madeleine for a special creation named ‘Paris Moon.’ Madeleines are said to have helped Marcel Proust regain his memory and inspired him to write In Search of Lost Time. The ‘Paris Moon’ aims to bring back your sweetest memory, too.
LE RÊVE, see lisitng here
