Locally-made Moon Cakes in LA?

[Dave MP]

There was a recent thread on the Manhattan board about locally made moon cakes for Mid-Autumn Festival: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/869248

This has me wondering whether LA has good options too.

Looks like this discussion from 2010 is a good place to start. Any favorites, or things that are new, since then? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/734265

Dave MP

[catbert]

i get my moon cakes from van's bakery. albeit, that is vietnamese, but they do make some chinese style ones. the only thing i hate about them is the ingredient lists aren't correct (if they say it has no nuts, then why do they list it?) and some of the workers have no clue what they're selling.

i also had in the past i fu tang (not bad). recently i had 85C, which i commented above is "so want more" for me.

i actually really like moon cakes but i haven't had the time to go searching and be adventurous this year. i'm on basic standby, so if anyone knows anything notable, please tell.

[Feed_me]

As somebody completely ignorant about moon cakes, I did find this bit on KPCC interesting. http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/09/28/3...

[MonsieurKnowItAll]

You are fortunate to not know that taste of moon cakes.

Throughout Asia, the demand for moon cakes when it’s not mid-autumn is nonexistent. Anyone who says they enjoy these “delicacies” should be punished by eating the whole thing.

[Mr Taster]

Please moderate the hyperbole. Although historically moon cakes were only available in Taiwan during mid-autumn festival, currently they are available year-round, which would indicate at least some demand.

Mr Taster

[catbert]

perhaps you should try eating the ones i get, because i quite like them.

as mr. taster said, there are some varieties made year round and guess what? yup! i buy em because i like em. btw, i eat the whole thing, including the crumbs. so i guess, i don't really mind your idea of punishment.

[rinkatink888]

We get our moon cakes at Kee Wah. Not sure if they are made here in the US and yes, they are a bit more expensive, but we love their white bean paste with four yolks.

[ipsedixit]

Which kind?

I have 4 boxes of this junk from 85" C that I have no idea what I'm going to do with.

The taro ones are pretty good, but after two bites I feel the urge to purge.

[Servorg]

Now you've got me worried...It's not MoonPies is it? http://moonpie.com/

[ipsedixit]

I'd happily trade you 2 mooncakes for your one Moon Pie (PB Crunch).

[Servorg]

You smooth talking Southerner's are too good at fleecing this poor, naive California boy out of his MP's! I was thinking the other one was this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooncakes No?

[ipsedixit]

I was referring to the types, e.g. Cantonese, Taiwanese, etc.

[Servorg]

I think I recommended one from a Vietnamese bakery. Do those count?

They have a LOT of mooncakes at this place: http://www.kgbakery.com/Mid-AutumFestival.htm See here for all of the types: http://www.kgbakery.com/MoonCake2012.htm

[ipsedixit]

Absolutely.

But I'd be afraid to buy Mooncake 1, as I might get arrested for having contraband.

[Servorg]

I wonder, if you moonwalk through the doors do you get a discount? I would think about mooning them, but I'm afraid that I would get charged triple in that case (or at least be taken for a lunatic).

[ipsedixit]

Wonder if they would take any of your Moon Pies in barter for some mooncakes.

Too bad there are no Peanut Butter Sharks Fin Moon Pies to offer up.

[Servorg]

What? The Durian With 1 Salted Egg isn't enough for you?

[Mr Taster]

I'd gladly take them off your hands.

Mr Taster

[Will Owen]

Me too. Especially - what's the black filling? Date? Stupid good. But then I've always adored fruitcake too, ESPECIALLY the kind with the weird green chunks.

[Mr Taster]

We get the added satisfaction of eating them over Skype video chat with my Taiwanese in-laws, who are entertained to no end by watching their extremely white son-in-law do Chinese things.

Mr Taster

[ipsedixit]

What an indelible image!

[Mr Taster]

After years of speaking (with moderate degrees of success) I'm finally learning to read and write Mandarin, and they love watching my hands write the characters. It's really very sweet.

Mr Taster
aka 鍾亞當

[TonyC]

Sweet yes, but date moon cakes are still damn gross.

Moon cakes are gross in general, akin to honey cakes during Rosh and fruit cakes during Xmas.

[Will Owen]

Three of my favorite things there, TonyC! I'll give you my address and you can ship me all you get. Especially date!

[TonyC]

And so it begins, moon cakes are being unloaded by every conceivable vendor/partner.

Btw Will, if any of your kids (or yourself) are preparing for tests, don't eat the moon cakes with the duck egg yolks.

[ipsedixit]

The only redeeming quality for those mooncakes with salted duck eggs is that you can scoop out the duck eggs and save them later for congee or mantou. Otherwise, they're just expensive paper weights.

[JThur01]

What kind of tests? Physical or mental? Are you implying duck egg yolks makes ya stoopid?

[catbert]

omg! so want!!! i sampled their moon cakes the other week and have been craving them ever since

[Servorg]

http://www.kgbakery.com/