It is truly blissful to be living in Malaysia, where there’s a season dedicated to a speciality dessert — the mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn festival.
Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel, known to put out some delectable mooncakes for the past decade, is featuring Chef Kent’s 25-years of mooncake craftsmanship this year, innovating with unique fillings and traditional baked ones like the red bean, jade custard, green tea, pure lotus, while snow skin like orange, strawberry, chocolate crunchy, matcha, and even durian.
“The artistry and precision of the culinary team shone through in this year’s mooncake selection, which includes both traditional and contemporary flavours crafted with the finest ingredients. Our master chefs have meticulously developed a range of mooncakes that reflect the rich cultural heritage of the festival while incorporating modern twists for an unforgettable tasting experience,” said Muhammad Syaffifi, Executive Chef of Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel.
Taking pride in its preservative-free mooncakes, the hotel introduces this year’s special flavour for their snow skin variant; the peach-flavoured snow skin.
“My mooncake is handcrafted without preservatives which is known for its smooth texture and is filled with either lotus paste, red bean, jade custard, green tea, salted egg yolk and fruits & nuts which is similar to the Hong Kong version,” shared Chef Kent.
RJBH’s mooncakes are popular for their Muslim-friendliness, as they replace lard with an alternative that has the same flavour and texture.
“Instead of lard, we use butter or vegetable shortening. It will influence the flavour and texture of the dough; (where) butter will give it a deeper taste, but the vegetable shortening will make it flakier,” Chef Kent explained further.
The hotel said they will make 20,000 mooncakes to meet the demand during the Mid-Autumn festival season where they bake fresh batches daily.
It is advised to keep mooncakes for about 1-2 weeks at room temperature, and refrigerating them will extend their shelf life. Check the expiration date or specific storage instructions provided by the manufacturer.
“All our handcrafted mooncakes are preservative-free, and traditionally baked mooncakes should be stored at room temperature, preferably at 21 °C and not be kept in the refrigerator, nor be exposed to heat, moisture, or sunlight of any kind. It is recommended to consume our traditional baked mooncakes within 14 days of purchase,” the hotel advises their customers.
When asked what is Chef Kent’s personal favourite, he said his top pick is the lotus seed paste with salted egg yolk, which is a traditional favourite. It possesses a complex, and well-rounded taste with a touch of saltiness coming from the egg yolk.
Want to find out which is your favourite mooncake? Purchase them at the Mooncake Booth at the hotel’s main lobby.The intriguing mooncakes with its beautiful packaging are also perfect for gifting.
Purchases made in a single receipt for up to 20 boxes may get a 10% discount, 15% off for purchases up to 50 boxes, 20% off for purchases up to 100 boxes, and 25% off for purchases above 101 boxes. There is also a 10% off for Maybank, RHB and UOB Credit Cardholder, 10% discount for Marriott Bonvoy Members and 15% discount for Club Renaissance Johor Bahru Members.
Pre-order and in-store purchases may be made until 17th September 2024, by calling +6073813388 or email henry.lee@renaissancehotels.com.
Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel’s traditonally baked mooncakes are also available on Shopee and Oddle (https://wanlirestaurant.oddle.me/en_MY/) platforms. WhatsApp Business is available daily at +60127719056 from 10am to 9pm.
For exclusive updates and special deals to stay in the know, visit www.wanlichineserestaurant.com.
