As for their classic favourites, we'll be trying out their Snow Skin Lychee Martini and Yam Paste. I have to admit that I'm biased towards the snow skin mooncakes, which was why I tried these two out first. What I've always liked about The Pine Garden is how their mooncakes are still handmade from recipes passed down by top Hong Kong chefs since 1984. Valuing tradition, the mooncakes are still made with wooden moulds and are also rested on wooden platforms so that the natural flavours and oils from the paste can be infused onto the skin of the mooncake to elevate the aromas.
Nonetheless, the taste is still of utmost importance and here's our review.
| Type of Mooncake | What we liked | What could've been better | Price | Overall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sesame Paste with Mochi | This is a contemporary take on the classic black sesame paste, with the addition of a mochi centre. It wasn't too sweet and has that distinctive black sesame taste. |
I was looking forward to this because I loooove black sesame. But alas, it was a tad disappointing. The mochi didn't make cutting through the mooncake easy and the texture of it all was the same - soft. My suggestion is to have a black sesame tang yuan in the centre instead. So that you still have a slight chewiness from the mochi layer but an oozing surprise in the middle to add an extra black sesame fragrance. |
S$16.90/pc | 7/10 |
| BiLuoChun Tea with Guava | I have not tried BiLuoChun green tea by itself so I do not know the exact notes for this tea. As such, I went into tasting this mooncake with zero expectations. It is studded with dried guava which really added that oomph to each bite, while ending on a subtle tea flavour. |
S$17.50/pc | 9.5/10 | |
| Cempedak Paste with one Yolk | Very smooth paste that wasn't too sweet with subtle cempedak flavour. | I personally felt that the cempedak flavour was a wee bit too subtle. Would've been great if there were chunks of cempedak inside. | S$16.90/pc | 6/10 |
| Brown Sugar Multi-grain Lotus Paste | This was definitely the dark horse of the box. I was not expecting much from it but it was sooo goooood! First bite reminded me of Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea. While chewing, I really liked the texture of the grains inside, which was slightly chewy but not tough. I was also pleasantly surprised that the mooncake wasn't too sweet. |
Nothing really. But may I suggest having tiny mochi balls inside so that I feel like I'm eating a Bubble Tea cake? :D | S$17.50/pc | 10/10 |
| Snow Skin Lychee Martini White Lotus Paste | The centre was the martini-infused lychee! So it is a nice fruity bite with an alcoholic touch. | It really pales in comparison to their Lychee Martini cake, which is a classic favourite. I reckon that the white lotus will still taste like a traditional mooncake despite the lychee centre. |
S$18.70/pc | 6.5/10 |
| Snow Skin Yam Paste | It tasted like eating a more solid Orhnee dessert. Definitely pleasing to those who love the traditional Teochew dessert! | It was a tad 'solid' but I do understand that if it were any softer, it would be difficult for the mooncake to keep it's shape. Maybe having chunks of gingko nuts inside would've broken up the monotony of the yam? | Unavailable | 8/10 |
Do note that there is an early bird special of 15% for orders placed by 7 September 2020 and there is a special rate (with customisation options) for corporate bulk orders above 30 boxes.
For enquiries, please contact The Pine Garden at enquiries@pgcake.com or at +65 6457 6159.
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