By Bryle B. Suralta
As the mooncake season approaches (September 13 is the Mooncake Festival to be exact), the mid-autumn celebration is in full swing. And what better way to prepare for this time than to bring Hong Kong’s best-selling mooncake brand for 21 years, the Hong Kong MX, to the Philippines.
The “mooncake royalty,” as it’s called, comes just in time for festival preparations, as it launches a limited run of its line of mooncakes in select locations in Metro Manila. The brand recently launched a pop-up store in SM Mall of Asia last August 20 and will run until September 22. Meanwhile, a pop-up store at the UniMart Capitol Commons will open from September 1 to September 22.
For many Chinese-Filipinos families , the mooncake is more than just a staple on the menu during this momentous holiday. It represents family, unity, prosperity and the significance of the full moon for a bountiful harvest. So it’s not surprising that they only want the best of the best.
These include CoreCrate International operations manager Marjorie Fong, who is part of the group that brought Hong Kong MX to the Philippines. Marjorie admits that she was never a fan of mooncakes to begin with, and that she had always “faked” loving them, but Hong Kong MX changed her mind. She recalls her future mother-in-law giving her Hong Kong MX’s lava and custard mooncakes as a gift. And after giving them a try, she never had to pretend to like them ever again.
The brand’s flavors range from the classic Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with two yolks to special variations such as its reduced sugar series, mixed nuts series, yolk series and—a fan favorite and a first of its kind—the lava and custard mooncake series.
Each mooncake is meticulously created to match the traditional palate of its consumers while experimenting with new flavors along the way, serving all types of mooncake fanatics.
“Hong Kong MX is trying to target the young audience. They’re always innovating the products,” says Marjorie. “That’s what makes us unique.”
Reunion are also part of the season, according to Marjorie. So its no secret that the best way to celebrate the mid-autumn festival is by grabbing some Hong Kong MX mooncakes and enjoying them with families and friends.
Visit Hong Kong MX’s pop-up stores at SM Mall of Asia and the UniMart Capitol Commons. Hong Kong MX is also partnering with Lazada to serve two select flavors for delivery until September 22.
