Celebrate Mid-Autumn with Wan Li mooncakes

In anticipation of the coming Mid-Autumn Festival, Wan Li the Chinese Restaurant at Renaissance Johor Baru is preparing a range of traditional handcrafted mooncakes and trendy snow skin mooncakes to celebrate the season.

Chef De Partie, Lim Pei Shi, presents Wan Li mooncakes

And in the weeks prior to the festival, the Chinese have a tradition of presenting each other with quality mooncakes as an expression of affection and auspicious wishes.

While we are familiar with the Spring Festival when families reunite to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival is yet another reason for families to gather for a grand feast and to savour mooncakes with sips of quality Chinese tea.

This tradition of eating mooncakes is often enjoyed in their own garden as the children have fun exploring the moonlit darkness by the light of their lanterns.

A platter of Wan Li mooncakes on display

When the family reunites and spends quality time together under the full moon, the Chinese believe that this reunion reflects the beauty of family unity and joy.

With mooncakes and lanterns that feature prominently in this festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also often called the Mooncake Festival and the Lantern Festival.

Led by Chef De Partie, Lim Pei Shi, the pastry team at Wan Li Chinese Restaurant are preparing traditional baked mooncakes and snow skin mooncakes filled with various fresh, quality, natural ingredients and flavours, without preservatives.

A choice of four baked mooncakes presented in a gift box

I meet Chef Pei Shi as she was introducing the range of mooncakes on display and made a note of the new flavours offered this year when she pointed to the Orange Truffle and Blueberry Truffle snow skin mooncakes.

These new flavours join the popular snow skin mooncakes by Wan Li like Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearl, Coffee Truffle, Taro Paste Truffle, Green Tea Matcha Truffle, Passion Fruit Truffle, Peppermint Chocolate Truffle, Strawberry Frizzy Truffle and Lemon Paste Truffle.

And for durian lovers, snow skin mooncake filled with Fresh Durian are also available!

A live demonstration on how a salted egg
yolk is packed into the pastry and mould

Connoisseurs of snow skin mooncakes that are served chilled, have learnt how to appreciate the fragrant taste and smooth texture of each variety of these delicate pastel coloured mooncakes.

Meanwhile, traditional baked mooncakes remain an all-time favourite delicacy for fans of mooncakes to nibble and savour with sips of Chinese tea.

The square-shaped baked mooncakes stuffed with Assorted Fruits & Nuts reminded me of my dad because it was his favourite but I prefer the taste of mooncake filled with fine quality, Pure Lotus Paste with a sprinkle of toasted melon seeds or kuaci.

It was interesting to learn that – salted egg yolk – an ingredient that is round in shape in the filling of baked mooncakes, represents the full moon.

More importantly, its savoury-powdery taste is the perfect foil for the sweetness in the recipe.

At Wan Li, there are Lotus Paste and Green Tea Paste mooncakes packed with Single or Double yolks.

My pick of baked mooncakes filled with Pure Lotus Paste

Other popular choices of traditional baked mooncakes are Red Bean and Jade Custard, the jade green derived from the natural flavour of fragrant pandan leaves.

These quality mooncakes are a joy to receive and a pride to present in beautiful gift boxes. All mooncakes are made fresh daily at Wan Li and are available from now till October 1.

Wan Li mooncakes presented within a gift box in a set of eight snow skin mooncakes is priced at RM98 nett, in a set of four baked mooncakes is priced at RM98 and snow skin mooncakes stuffed with Fresh Durian at RM168 nett in a box of eight.

Wan Li baked mooncakes filled with Red Bean Paste

Enjoy attractive promotional deals for the purchase of mooncakes in a single receipt: 15% discount for early-bird buys from now till August 31, 15% discount for purchases above 25 boxes and 25% discount for purchases of above 100 boxes.

Club Renaissance JB members are entitled to one complimentary box of mooncakes for every purchase of eight boxes.

Standard Chartered Bank card holders are also entitled to 15% discount on purchases.

Wan Li Chinese Restaurant (Halal) is on the lobby level of Renaissance Johor Baru, at No. 2 Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, 81750 Johor Baru, Johor.

For advance orders, please call, Tel: +607 – 381 3388 or send email to: henry.lee@renaissancehotels.com

Enquiries and orders may also be sent by WhatsApp to Tel: +6018 – 7800787.