Jewels Artisan Chocolate - Mooncakes

I blogged about this magnificent chocolatier in my previous post. We are back to the same shop, this time for a pre-taster of what the annual mooncakes tradition is going to be like at Jewels. A full description of their 2010 mooncakes can be found here.


Let's start with the classics. The baked double yolk mooncake was indeed very good, since the yolk itself was dry and salty, creating a contrast of texture with the soft and sweet lotus paste. Definitely one of the best I had to date.


The baked mooncake with black pearl chocolate and winter melon seeds was my favourite out of the three, due to its uniqueness. I loved the combination of the crunch from the winter melon seeds and the bitterness of the dark chocolate. This is tradition with innovation. After all, why would you come to Jewels, if not for something unique and innovative?


Finally, the single yolk and black pearl chocolate mooncake. Note that the single yolk has been gently squeezed to flatten it across the whole surface, just so that none of those you will be sharing it with will remain disappointingly yolkless! Once again, nice contrast of texture, with a bit of a modern twist.


Now, coming to the snowskin mooncakes... Last year, after many disappointments with snow skin mooncakes, I made a promise: I would only buy snowskin from the Raffles going forward. I have really tried about 6-7 different ones, and despite the fact that the price doesn't vary significantly, I only had bad experiences when eating snowskin other than the Raffles ones. Therefore, after so many attempts, I decided I wouldn't waste my money ever again.


A year later, I know I won't be maintaining my promise. After all, the head chef at Jewels has been making mooncakes at the Raffles for many many years, so it's not that surprising that hers are at the same standard! The mini snowskin with white chocolate ganache is as good as it can get. This is the "classic"out of the 4 varieties, and the beauty is that the white chocolate inside has not been sweetened with sugar, to create more balance between the already sweet lotus paste and the truffle core. To those who got acquainted with such bad practice, no more excuses for leaving the paste and eating the truffle on its own!


The dark chocolate crunchy pearl has a palate teasing crunch to it, as the name suggests, and a mild minty aroma. It's like eating a very mild after-eight in mooncake form, with more crunch. Those who have tried the Pearl Noir signature chocolate from Jewels, will recognise these little pearls. Those who haven't, should really taste what eating a perle noir is like. The espresso truffle mooncake has a very distinct and robust coffee taste, and will be the favourite for anyone who loves their coffee.

Finally, the last one of this year's selection is my favourite: the salted caramel truffle. If you like the salty-sweet combination or you like salted caramel, then this is a must try. The core is uniquely salted with gentle and smooth palm island seasalt, and as you bite into the truffle, you can feel the saltiness oozing out of it, later balanced by the sweetness of the lotus paste. The lemon seeds add that traditional element of crunchiness to the whole experience.
Well, what else can I say... I have already pre-ordered my assorted box!

Website: Jewels Mooncakes