Mooncake Delights – Ee Chinese Cuisine @ Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jaya

It’s really not too early to talk about and eat mooncakes. The Mid-Autumn Festival aka Mooncake Festival here (the latter sounds more appropriate since we don’t have autumn in Malaysia!) is still more than a month away. Although the actual festival date is on 19 September this year, mooncakes have already made their appearance weeks ago in many restaurants and hotels. Yes, these days the anticipation leading up to the festivals gets promoted earlier and earlier – it’s like everyone is trying to get a big and long heads-up ahead of everyone else!

So, my first taste of mooncakes this year was at Ee Chinese Cuisine in Eastin Hotel Petaling Jaya just last week. It has been years since I last stepped into this hotel and there certainly has been lots of transformation in the place. Here in the very oriental-themed restaurant, Ee Chinese Cuisine has always been very proud of their mooncakes – a tradition they have steadfastly adhered to since the opening of the restaurant 15 years ago.

Chef Yong Kam Wah and his team have come up with a range of delectable mooncakes, comprising the regular-sized evergreens (Halal Superior Mooncakes range) like Lotus Paste, Redbean Paste with or without salted eggyolks and the Supreme Mixed Nuts. Their Jasmine Cheesy Citrus deserves a special mention for its well-balanced delicate flavours.

Jasmine Cheesy Citrus

My favourite is the Supreme Mixed Nuts, which came as a surprise even to myself. I have never liked this particular mooncake before as I have always found it to be way too sweet and too much contrasting flavours going on in one mooncake. Ee Chinese Cuisine’s version is really excellent: fresh crunchy nuts mixed with bits of aromatic Chinese ham, low sugar level and with every subsequent bite, the bouquet of flavours from the nuts, candied melons and ham become more enhanced. It can become really addictive.

Supreme Mixed Nuts

Appreciating the market trend for smaller sized mooncakes, Ee Chinese Cuisine is also offering an assortment of smaller treats of baked and snow skin mini mooncakes. These mini treats come in a variety of traditional fillings like pandan paste, lotus paste as well as more exotic options like the dragon fruit paste, white coffee and corn, chocolate to suit demanding palates.

Crafted exquisitely, these mini mooncakes are great as gifts as more selections can be included in Eastin’s beautiful custom-designed boxes.

As this year the hotel celebrates its 15th anniversary, there is a special treat being offered: the Mini Crystal Durian Paste mooncake using Musang King durians! This is definitely something to be savoured, especially for durian lovers.

Mini Crystal Durian Paste mooncakes

Savour these delicate delights from only RM10+ per piece and from RM80+ per box which are available from 12 August -19 September 2013 for take-away and dine-in as well. Delivery service is also available for a minimum order of 20 boxes within Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. Delivery charges of RM 80 for Petaling Jaya and RM 140 for Kuala Lumpur apply. For those who need customization services, this service will be offered on a complimentary basis with a purchase of 15 boxes.

Chef Yong with his Happy Plate!

For more information, please call Ee Chinese Cuisine at +603 -7628 7338 or visit their website at www.eastin.com.