Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t ignore their presence when this time of year rolls round. And they mean only one thing: One of our favorite holidays (Read: Eating seasons) is almost here. Yes, it’s the Mid-Autumn festival. Oh wait, it’s not an actual holiday you say. Well, it damn well should be. So mark your calendars folks (Sep 22) for some heavy duty feasting. This year sees the introduction of yet more wild and wacky flavors, alongside the good old staples. And before you write us off as loonies when it’s still more than a month away, heed our warning: The best ones sell out way in advance.

Swissôtel Merchant Court

20 Merchant Rd., 6239-1848.
The guys here have introduced flavors including vodka orange and mocha. We like the crunchy bite of the milk rocher—the nuttiness of the roasted almonds complements the softness of the snowskin and lotus paste, while cutting the sweetness of the milk chocolate ($52 per box of eight).

mezza9

The shop at mezza9, Mezzanine level, Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Rd., 6887-5492.
For the first time, Grand Hyatt Singapore is launching a snowskin range inspired by their martini bar at mezza9. The champagne truffle is made with white Lindt chocolate, as is the scrumptious boozy lychee martini (it tastes just like the cocktail). They also have a Sakura flower cherry flavor and black sesame yuzu truffle, all of which go for $55 per box of eight miniatures. Their famous Chinese chess set mooncakes are always good, edible fun and come in traditional or chocolate praline (both $78).

Tea Hut

Intercontinental Singapore 80 Middle Rd., 6820-8519.
Chef de Cuisine Hua Kah Wah of Man Fu Yuan Chinese restaurant brings back the signature Japanese sweet potato flaky pastry mooncake. The sweet potato paste is wrapped around a salted egg yolk, before being fried to a satisfying crisp. At $49.80 for four, it’s worth the money (and calories).

2am: dessertbar

21A Lorong Liput Holland Village, 6291-9727.
This year, chef Janice Wong rolls out the goods with Valrhona chocolate truffles. Delightful flavors such as yuzu dark chocolate, crunchy praline and basil white chocolate are enveloped in a smooth lotus paste. Eight pieces of these delectables will set you back just $45. Chef Wong has also fashioned the PB & J—another snowskin creation with peanut butter, wild strawberry and quince gel with strawberry shortbread ice cream ($14).

Häagen-Dazs

Available at #02-09 Paragon Shopping Centre, 290 Orchard Rd., 6333-6647 and other outlets around the island.
Not a mooncake in the conventional sense, this is for when you fancy a frozen festive treat. This interpretation of the mooncake concept is composed of chocolate, cookies and cream or macadamia nut ice cream enrobed in chocolate, with a mango sorbet “yolk” center (from $38).

Bakerzin

Available at Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Ave., 6336-4022 and other outlets around the island.
A great place for anyone with an adventurous palate, with snowskin offerings such as single malt whisky, brandied cherry and rum and raisin ($6 per piece). But we still prefer the durian ($7 per piece). The strong and pungent D24 varietal sure packs a punch, just the way we like it.

The Old School:

If you’re a fan of the traditional version, here’s where to go.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate

#02-31/32 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Rd., 6509-8998.
Chocolatier Then Chui Foong combines traditional mooncakes with her passion for all things cocoa. While she makes a range of snowskin flavors such as espresso and salted caramel truffle, we’re fans of her baked goodies. In particular, the white lotus paste with single yolk and black pearl chocolate ($50 for a box of eight). The savory element of the lightly mashed yolk offsets the sweetness of the pearls nicely.

Majestic Restaurant

G/F New Majestic Hotel, 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6511-4718.
Chef Yong Bing Ngen does low sugar versions of the brown-skin beauties with white lotus paste and up to four yolks (from $25). If you’re looking for a slightly different take on this classic, his pandan lotus paste piglets ($30 for twins) are almost too cute to eat. If you enjoy meat just a little too much, the “Chin Hua” ham with assorted nuts costs $26 for two.

Peach Garden

Available at all five outlets or log on to www.peachgarden.com.sg for order forms.
We already know they can cook, but now we know they can bake too. There’s lotus paste with ginseng ($43 for a box of four) or honey peach ($42 for a box of four). Our pick is the fragrant black and white sesame with lotus paste ($42 for a box of four), a lightly sweet mooncake that’s studded with melon and sesame seeds for texture and smoky notes.

Break the norm and pair mooncakes with wines instead