Durians In Mooncakes

This ultra luxe mooncake sprinkled with edible gold dust is pumped with pure Mao Shan Wang durian pulp from Pahang and features a sleek bamboo charcoal snow skin exterior. It's by Golden Moments, a new mooncake brand offering just this premium flavour, and it’s founded by three young Singaporeans who also own a creative agency. We didn’t like the taste of the doughy bamboo charcoal skin, which is supposedly healthy and usually tasteless, but somewhat bitter here. However, the rich, creamy and sweet Mao Shan Wang durian filling kinda made up for it.

VERDICT: ***

Available till Oct 4 at Golden Moments. Order online at www.goldenmoments.sg.

This is the first time that mod Singaporean restaurant CreatureS is offering mooncakes — it is also famous for its intensely delish Durian Cake. So it’s unsurprising that durians star in its Mid-Autumn debut. These babies have pure Mao Shan Wang durian pulp encased in a marbled snow skin stained a gorgeous blue with butterfly pea flowers. The welcome pungent pong of durians hit us the moment we open the sleek black box that they came in. The chilled filling is almost like good, full-bodied durian ice cream, while the slightly chewy ‘porcelain’ skin is kinda like kueh.

VERDICT: ****

Available till Oct 4 at CreatureS, 120 Desker Rd, S209639. Tel: 6291-6996. Order online (at least three days in advance; last orders on Sept 27) at www.creatures.com.sg.

These are a nice change from the usual snow skin or traditional baked mooncake varieties. In fact, they’re just like large Teochew tau sar piahs with flaky sheets of pastry that crackle gently with each bite. We couldn’t detect much of the Mao Shan Wang durian flavour in the mung bean filling — though the paste itself, made from hand-ground beans, is as smooth and tasty as what you’d find in their other lovely pastry offerings. We’ve always preferred the brand’s savoury pastries anyway, like its new XO one starring dried shrimps, scallops and shallots.

VERDICT: ***

Available till Oct 4 at Thye Moh Chan. Tel: 6732-8858. Three outlets including #B1-11/12 Paragon Shopping Centre. www.thyemohchan.com.

These inky mooncakes remind us of, er, moon rocks. Each orb is filled with lotus paste mixed with Mao Shan Wang durian flesh, and a white chocolate shell in the middle stuffed with cream cheese. While we applaud the creative efforts for this interpretation of the brand’s King Cat of the Mountain Cheesecake, the durian flavour is barely discernible when mixed with the jarring combo of lotus paste and cream cheese. Moreover, the snow skin is too thick and floury.

VERDICT: **½

Available online till Oct 4 at Cat & the Fiddle www.catandthefiddle.com. Tel: 6287-0077.