Having your cakes and eating 'em isn't too tough: head to Mandarin Oriental for this year's batch of mooncakes and Tropicana City Mall's Pastry Culture for liquor-laced cakes.
Mandarin Oriental might be the earliest of KL's hotels to be selling mooncakes for 2012, with a special counter set up for these tiny treats at its lobby through Sept. 30.
MO's signature selection comprises chocolate and snowskin varieties, exquisitely executed.
2012's newbies include an ultra-creamy dark chocolate concoction filled with star anise and red bean ganache, tasting like the most luxurious candy bar ever.
Also introduced this year: white chocolate with orange ganache and jam. But mooncakes aren't immune to inflation: MO's chocolate ones cost RM20+, a RM2 hike from 2011's set.
Fresh, natural-tasting flavors form the foundation for 2012's snowskin selection: choose either pandan or blueberry with grated coconut, both evoking a Malay kuih feel (perfect for Ramadan!). RM14+ each (also up by RM2), small enough to finish within four mouthfuls.
Mooncakes can be eaten at MO's lobby lounge with unique cocktails like the Malay Mojito (tinged with gula melaka palm sugar) and the Guava Cosmopolitan.
Early birds enjoy a 10 percent discount off the regular mooncake price.
Also worth visiting to satisfy the sweet tooth: Tropicana City Mall's Pastry Culture.
Our fave: dark choc cake with raisins dipped in Bacardi rum for super sumptuousness.
Pastry Culture's other varieties, including the Scotch whiskey dark chocolate and Irish cream mint choc, seem to have a lower liquor content.
Still, creamy and tasty enough to recommend for a post-dinner pick-me-up.
Mooncakes @ Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
Pastry Culture @ Tropicana City Mall, Petaling Jaya.
