Tai Chong Kok has undergone a glam facelift with soft lifts and freshly painted red walls, gone are the drappy walls, peeling paint and creeky furniture..what remains is a shop of curt and sharp tongued aunties and uncles. Face their wrath when it gets crowded or ask a question too many.
I witnessed 21 trays of freshly baked mooncakes being offloaded and trolleyed into the shop, was quite a sight really. Seeing shelves of mooncakes stacked, that is the part of old school that remains so attractive. Hygiene aside, the people at Tai Chong Kok are proud. Proud of the tradition that seemed to triumph in the dying trade.
White Lotus Paste Snowskin ($7)
They took the opportunity to increase prices by at least 30%, was still hovering at $5/pc last year.
Last year's disappointment did not stop us from returning, still. Snowskin so soft like freshly made mochi, it made cutting it an ugly affair. Despite the soft skin, the mooncake could withstand being lifted from the plastic container to the plates (hear that St Regis?)
One stark difference between this Bakery and the hotel equivalents lie in the yolks, the former is oilier and full egg yolks are used. The hotels tend to blend the egg yolk with some other ingredients causing a dryer texture and smaller sized yolk. Well, they could of course defend themselves with the size of the egg.
I could not resist a packet of baked piglets ($2). Obviously not shaped like piglets and I could barely tell what was what...just the novelty of nibbling the mound of baked skin that reminds so much of childhood.
Welcome back, Tai Zhong Kok...I'm glad it redeemed itself this year.
Unevenly shaped mooncakes, gruff service, paper boxes...an escape back into the past with Tai Chong Kok. Perhaps this is what seeking beauty in imperfection is all about.
Tai Chong Kok
Chinatown
I witnessed 21 trays of freshly baked mooncakes being offloaded and trolleyed into the shop, was quite a sight really. Seeing shelves of mooncakes stacked, that is the part of old school that remains so attractive. Hygiene aside, the people at Tai Chong Kok are proud. Proud of the tradition that seemed to triumph in the dying trade.
White Lotus Paste Snowskin ($7)
They took the opportunity to increase prices by at least 30%, was still hovering at $5/pc last year.
Last year's disappointment did not stop us from returning, still. Snowskin so soft like freshly made mochi, it made cutting it an ugly affair. Despite the soft skin, the mooncake could withstand being lifted from the plastic container to the plates (hear that St Regis?)
One stark difference between this Bakery and the hotel equivalents lie in the yolks, the former is oilier and full egg yolks are used. The hotels tend to blend the egg yolk with some other ingredients causing a dryer texture and smaller sized yolk. Well, they could of course defend themselves with the size of the egg.
I could not resist a packet of baked piglets ($2). Obviously not shaped like piglets and I could barely tell what was what...just the novelty of nibbling the mound of baked skin that reminds so much of childhood.
Welcome back, Tai Zhong Kok...I'm glad it redeemed itself this year.
Unevenly shaped mooncakes, gruff service, paper boxes...an escape back into the past with Tai Chong Kok. Perhaps this is what seeking beauty in imperfection is all about.
Tai Chong Kok
Chinatown
This is the 大中国饼家 at Sago Street right? That's the correct one, most people confuse them with Chinatown Tai Chong Kok hue kee at Banda Street. I love their traditional baked skin & snowskin with double yolk. They're my favorite mooncakes.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree on the egg yolks! Big, fresh & oily! I like!
yes you're right! the sago street outlet. :) Absolutely, also my fave. *grins* I wish tradition wouldn't keep getting pricier and pricier.
ReplyDeleteThe yolk is so huge...
ReplyDeleteRecall eating their snowskin 2 years back and was very surprised by how tender the snowskin is. However, the mini ones that Yuan bought last year were relatively disappointing. Not sure does size matter?
Had some mooncakes (from some 传统 饼家) at my grandparents' place and realize the main difference between the hotels' and the traditional ones. The lotus paste is lighter in both colour and taste so it is quite easy on the palate and less cloying.
According to daddy, the 五仁 from Shangri-la was disappointing, miserable servings in the nuts and the 金华火腿 from these 饼家 seems to be a better bet...
heh yep! the salted egg yolks used here is waaaaaaaay better than any hotels, as tested by the numerous consumed this year. Think the old school bakeries/confectioneries are still able to offer the most traditional version of mooncake without compromising on taste and quality.
ReplyDeletedid u buy urs from the sago st outlet? Last yr my mom bought it from the other outlet, standard was quite disappointing...
One reason why baked skin mooncakes old school bakeries like 大中国 make are more fragrant & lotus more moist is that they don't hold back on the lard, an essential ingredient for mooncakes. Hotels tend to go for healthier options substituting lard with peanut oil which somehow comprises on flavor & aroma. Naturally most are often dry. 2 examples I can give are baked skin mooncakes from Tunglok & Cherry Garden. Definitely the worst I've eaten this year.
ReplyDeletefen, I think a differentiation must be made between the lotus pastes. 大中国 uses red lotus paste while hotels & most bakeries these days use white lotus paste for their baked & snowskin mooncakes. White lotus is sweeter but may not necessarily be smoother. My preference is for traditional red lotus paste.
Yea, the one at Sago Street. In fact, there is a long queue outside the shop =)
ReplyDelete@ Ice: you're the total guru here! Overlooked the lard part...always thought only hk mooncakes indulged in that.
ReplyDelete@ Fen: Dropped by yest and they were completely sold!