For your sake, I tried mooncakes from 33 suppliers! (See below for list of 33 suppliers.) Some of them are so processed and so bad they taste worse than your neighborhood bakery shops. But since karma is a bitch and it bites, I’ll be nice and only mention the top ten best mooncakes. Some of the suppliers give a 20% early bird discount; you can book first, pay money first, then decide on when you want the mooncakes.

My criteria are (1) the filling must be smooth and the skin is light (2) I disqualify all nutty mooncakes because they are just full of nuts and you can’t taste any filling (why do people even eat this?) (3) they must taste or at least be like mooncake. What is the point of having ice-cream or durian-paste mooncake when I can eat ice cream from the pint and durian from the fruit? (4) This list is likely to change as I sample more mooncakes.

In no particular order:

Traditional Mooncakes

1. Fullerton Hotel. This is one of the bestEST traditional mooncakes out there. The lotus paste is so silky smooth it’s like a newly waxed ass. You can get the 15-mooncake set (15th being the date the moon is the roundest, almost as round as my ass). The set consists of one gigantic mooncake and 14 mini-ones with different flavors. $188. Call: 6877 8178 or Email: fullertonshop@fullertonhotel.com

2. Ritz-Carlton. While I find it not as smooth as Fullerton, the taste is fuller. a box of 4 white lotus paste with double yolk costs $56. Call: 6434 5286 or email: rc.sinrz.summerpavilion@ritzcarlton.com

Innovative Mooncakes

3. Dragon Brand has long been known for its bird’s nest and what’s more natural to do a Snow-skin mooncake wtih bird’s nest custard ($88 for 9 mini pieces). It is super delicious, not to mention you will get nice skin. They also have gift sets of mooncakes and bird’s nest ranging from $54.80 to $99. Not the most environmentally conscious choice, but Fann Wong will be so proud. Their website turns out to be a furniture bidding website! Traditional family companies aren’t the most tech-savvy. Call Dragon Brand Dessert 6533 6166 or visit them at 2 Havelock Rd #01-22. M-S 11am-8pm. Closed on Sunday. You can also visit their parent company, Dragon Brand, website.

4. TWG. Tried the Love Me (pandan, papaya and durian) and Festive Night (Jade Temple Tea, blueberries and cranberries). Both are very memorable with the flavors bursting in your mouth. Snow-skin mooncakes in fours start from $48. Call: 6733 7997 or Email: Sales@TWGTea.com

5. Raffles Hotel. While their traditional mooncakes and the new creation, durian mooncake, aren’t that fantastic, their classic snow-skin mooncake with champagne truffle still is a goodie. (8 pieces for $60). Website.

6. Having just visited Antoinette for tea (see review), I feel that their cakes could have been perfect if they could use fresher ingredients. But the green tea mooncakes gave me a pleasant surprise. Traditional mooncakes start from $48 (4 pieces) and mini-snow skin (8 pieces) at $52. t: 6293 3121 email: sweets@sugardaddy.com.sg

7. Dragon Phoenix Restaurant. Cheese coated on the crust with the lotus paste within – 12 mini pieces for $40. For the banana–yellow outside, white inside–, the SPG and the angmohs.T: 6339 3368 email: mooncake@dragonphoenix.com.sg Website

8. Eater Palace. This is the Teochew mooncake: yam paste wrapped in a skin similar to lao-por bing. I ate it when it was piping hot and tasted exactly like orh ni, the dessert. You can heat it up in a microwave. 4 pieces from $38. Call 6741 5617 or 67418893. Email: eaterpal@singnet.com.sg

9. Royal China‘s dim sum is not bad, so it’s a good gauge of where their mooncakes stand. Tried the cranberry; and cherry truffle; and black sesame. All three are crowdpleasers but a little safe. I sound like an American Idol judge. T: 6338 3363 Email: royalchn@singnet.com.sg

10.  The Cookie Museum‘s snow-skin mooncakes (pictured above) are quirky and fun. Two words: Alcoholic mooncakes. Drunken Durian has bailey liqueur; Madame Butterfly is orange and vodka; Golden Bunny has philadelphia cheese and mango truffle; Sweet Chocolate Osmanthus has vanilla truffle; and Double Happiness is red bean paste with philadelphia cheese. The box shows a Jane Austen-like figure. Very humorous. I sampled three of them and the ingredients are well balanced. Prices starting from $65 for 4 pieces. T: 6749 7498, 9831 9143 Website

Notable Mention: While the mooncakes from Yes Natural aren’t particularly delicious, they are suitable for vegetarians. Don’t forget your vegetarian friends this season! Prices from $40 for 4 pieces onwards. Call 6547 8438.

List of Mooncakes Sampled

(Photo Credit: The photos belong to the companies. If you want me to take the photos down, please email me.)