Mooncake London: The Best Traditional and Modern Varieties
Mooncake London: Must-Visit Places in 2024 Mooncakes originated over 3000 years ago in China and quickly became a highly demanded festival treat. The diverse culinary landscape of London has been home to these beloved Mooncakes, especially during the Mid-Autumn festival, as the mooncakes are considered a symbol of spirituality and togetherness. Residents also often gift mooncakes to family and friends. Various options can be found in London for the satisfaction of mooncake cravings, offering both traditional and classic flavours for exploration to traditionalists and adventurers. Exploring the Mooncake London The mid-autumn festival brings with it some of London’s favourite things, mooncakes. While these pastry delights are only available for a short period of time, they take over London by storm. London restaurants get ever more inventive with their own productions. Finding Mooncakes Near You If you are curious and wish to find mooncakes near you in London, you could simply use our guide to discover the most popular and even hidden restaurants that offer some of the best mooncakes. A delicious mooncake is always nearby, whether you’re in the heart of London or one of the quiet neighbourhoods. A quick Google search for “moon cake near me” can turn up both established bakeries and cafes that proudly display their mooncake specialities and new recipes. Here are some of the more notable mooncakes during the season. Shiok! Located in the City of London – Pan Pacific London 1st Floor, Devonshire House, 3 Bishopsgate Plaza, London, EC2M 4AJ Shiok!, the Singapore bakery and cafe at the Pan Pacific has a selection of mooncakes to take away or have in the cafe (and also from Straits Kitchen in the hotel). They offer four flavors – matcha, pistachio, custard, and chocolate and you can get them in a box of four for £35. Yauatcha Located in Soho, City Yauatcha Soho and City offer two mooncakes on their dessert menu and for collection or delivery across the UK. There’s a traditional baked egg custard mooncake with Cantonese-style custard filling, and they also offer coconut snow skin with a sweet coconut jam filling. They occasionally also design their boxes so that they can be candleholders once you have finished off all the cakes. Noodles & Beer Located in Spitalfields – 31 Bell Ln, London E1 7LA Noodles & Beer mooncakes come in a beautifully designed package which even comes with a special crystalline glazed serving plate to really show them off. This year, the flavors are a mix of sweet and savory with lotus seed paste & salted egg yolk, char siu pork, dry-cured jamón, and five-kernel mooncakes in the pack. Park Chinois at Burlington Arcade Located in Mayfair – Burlington Arcade, 51 Piccadilly Park Chinois has made a mark at Burlington Arcade with a Mooncake London cart. Dim Sum Head Chef Kin Min How has created special Baked and Snow Mooncakes for the occasion where they also have a mid-autumn group feasting menu. A box of four costs £65. Millie’s at Paddington Located at Paddington – 8A Spring Street, London, W2 3RA Mille’s creations include a custard lava mooncake, a pineapple pastry mooncake, and a snowy version. They also usually try something a little bit different and this year you can pair the mooncakes with a yolk pastry or their take on a pork pie. Shanghai Supper Club Located at Marylebone – 13 Montagu Place, London W1H 2ET The Shanghai Supper Club also sells mooncakes every year for the Mid-Autumn Festival. They offer Suzhou-style mooncakes with either pork or red bean paste fillings. Ong Ong Buns Located at Seven Dials Market, Bermondsey Ong Ong Buns is a bakery that was initially set up during lockdown but now operates out of both Seven Dials Market and Bermondsey, as they sell milk bread, buns, and pâtisseries. They occasionally have four options for mooncakes including biscoff lotus and lotus paste, Chinese pork pie, lava custard, and five nuts & salted caramel. Janice Wong Located at Selfridges Janice Wong is well known to be a traditional chocolate brand but they also offer chocolate mooncakes through the mid-autumn season. They offer flavors including Snickers, coffee chocolate, and peanut butter, all with a splattered paint effect on the outside. Mimi Mei Fair Located at 55 Curzon St, London W1J 8PG Mooncakes from Mimi Mei Fair come in grand and mini sizes. The grand mooncakes are gilded in white lotus double egg yolk while the mini ones are available in rose and jasmine, with each coming in a gold box, so they’re a very good gift option. Traditional Delights in London Chinatown is the most popular spot for mooncakes in London during the Mid-Autumn season and serves the locals with freshly bakes cakes making them a must have dessert at family gatherings and festive celebrations. Golden Gate Cake Shop, established in the 1960s has also upheld its reputation as it produces some of the finest mooncakes in London. Offerings from this shop include classic flavors like lotus seed paste with salted egg yolk. Another standout recipe is known as the New Loon Moon, which comes with the very first flavors and recipes which is why it gives a hint of nostalgia. This is a bakery run by a family and they tend to take pride in the fact they have preserved traditional recipes and have passed them down through generations. These mooncakes are renowned for their authenticity and quality. Modern Innovations and Creativity Mooncakes are just another example of how London’s culinary scene has always thrived on creativity. The Dominique Ansel Bakery has recreated this traditional dessert using a combination of international and regional ingredients. The bakery welcomes variety in tastes and dietary requirements, so customers may be astonished by flavors like salted caramel, passion fruit, or even vegan and gluten-free alternatives. Mooncakes Beyond London: A UK Perspective The attractiveness of mooncakes is recognized by communities all around the United Kingdom, not just in London. Cities such as Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Manchester all have unique takes on this popular dessert. You
