7 Mooncake Spots in Penang to Check Out During the Mid-Autumn Festival
Ever since I was a child, I have loved the Mid-Autumn Festival. It’s one of the most anticipated annual events in the country, thanks to family reunions, brightly lit streets, and flying lanterns. Although I’m excited about those, my favourite thing about them is the mooncakes!
Our family once celebrated this festival in Penang, and it was like a treasure trove for this celebratory pastry. Almost every bakery from each corner offered their variation, which made me (and my tastebuds) extremely happy!
If you’re looking forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival like me, and you want to treat your family to the best mooncakes, you’ve come to the right place! Keep on reading to discover the best mooncakes in Penang and where to find them.
Inside Scoop
– Media credit: myinsidescoop
Address: GF-136/137/138, Queensbay Mall
Contact details: +60 4-637 4735
Operating hours: Daily from 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM
Cost: $$
Starting with something frosty, Inside Scoop takes the traditional mooncake and fills it up with various ice cream flavours! It’s a great spin on the beloved pastry, and as an avid ice cream lover, this gives me the best of both worlds.
It also helps that their flavours are extremely tempting, whether it be the mango coconut, pistachio raspberry, or our favourite, the durian with chocolate yolk. Of course, these pastries still retain the beautiful stamped shells that feature cool and intricate designs.
These shells feature different flavours as well, from chocolate to purple yam and more. We also love that Inside Scoop continues to introduce new flavours every year while keeping the aforementioned crowd-favourite flavours.
Pro tip:
If you’re planning on making Inside Scoop your go-to spot for all ice cream and cakes alike, we recommend joining their Insiders Club. It offers perks like a free single scoop on your birthday, 20% off the total bill on your second order, and getting first dibs on new flavours.
Ng Kee Cake Shop
– Media credit: hungrypenanglang
Address: 61, Lebuh Cintra, George Town
Contact details: +60 4-261 2229
Operating hours:
- Tuesday to Saturday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Cost: $
Ng Kee Cake Shop is the OG of bakeries in Penang, being around for more than a century. It will immediately make you feel nostalgic when you step inside and see their wide selection of traditional pastries being made and displayed behind glass counters, including their mooncakes!
To this day, their mooncakes (and other pastries) are completely handmade and follow a traditional recipe passed down from several generations before. The result is purely textbook, featuring a perfectly moist texture and a not-so-sweet flavour.
They also offer multiple flavours, with their coconut variation selling like hotcakes. Furthermore, we recommend trying their other stuff as well, like their coconut tarts, brown sugar biscuits, and walnut cookies.
Pro tip:
After buying your mooncakes, check out Chinatown Penang while you’re in the area to discover hidden cafes, restaurants, and stores in George Town. You can also take Insta-worthy photos with the countless street art scattered around the vicinity.
Ming Xiang Tai Pastry Penang Road
– Media credit: mingxiangtaipastrypenang
Address: 475-A, Jln Penang
Contact details: +60 4-261 2511
Operating hours: Daily from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Cost: $
Mooncakes are some of the most anticipated seasonal items from Ming Xiang Tai Pastry, and it’s not hard to see why! For starters, they’re offered in several unique flavours, like the durian and Mandarin tau sar.
If we could only pick one, however, we’d go for the classic pandan lotus with egg yolk, as it offers a great balance between sweet and salty. Furthermore, we love that they offer them in mini versions in boxes, making it a great potluck contribution to family reunions.
We also want to highlight Ming Xiang Tai Pastry’s beautiful vintage store as well, as it takes the form of a traditional Penang shophouse. Its interior is also filled to the brim with old wooden furniture and ceramic figures.
Pro tip:
Don’t miss out on their trishaw egg tarts, as it’s one of their best sellers as well—plus, they’re available all year round.
Le Petit Four Pâtisserie
– Media credit: lepetitfourpatisserie
Address: 310, Lebuh Pantai
Contact details: +60 4-226 2289
Operating hours:
- Saturday to Tuesday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Cost: $$
Le Petit Four Pâtisserie is one of the most Instaworthy pastry shops in George Town, and coincidentally, they offer fantastic mooncakes, too! We love the classic French pastry shop look and vibe they’re going for, with the large glass windows and minimalistic white interior.
Their mooncakes are picture-perfect as well, offering colourful shells with intricate flower patterns. These shells aren’t just for show either, as they’re also flavoured with citrusy flavours like lemon yuzu.
Things only get better when you get to the filling, which features the perfect mushy and moist texture. Some of the best flavours from their selection include red dates with pecan nuts, classic lotus with egg yolks, and red beans with orange peel.
Pro tip:
If you’re looking for a more extensive coffee selection after mooncake shopping at Le Petit Four Pâtisserie, check out the next-door cafe, Narrow Marrow. It’s an old shophouse turned café that offers just about every variety of coffee—and some pastries!
Hock Lok Siew Biscuit Trading
– Media credit: hockloksiew
Address: 120, Lebuh Noordin
Contact details: +60 4-262 2162
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Cost: $
Hock Lok Siew Biscuit Trading is a classic cookie shop that is sure to be on the radar of every Penangite. It’s famous for its perfectly flakey tambun biscuits, which feature a wide variety of fillings like pandan and spicy shrimp.
Come the Mid-Autumn Festival; however, their mooncakes take the spotlight with their beautifully patterned shells and perfectly moist fillings. You can’t go wrong with any of their flavours, but you must try their coconut variation at least once because of its perfect sweetness!
They also offer a classic red bean and nuts flavour, which we highly recommend if you’re looking to try the textbook version of this pastry. To complete the trifecta of flavours, we recommend grabbing some hazelnut mooncakes as well!
Pro tip:
Since Hock Lok Siew Biscuit Trading is located in a residential area, it’s difficult to find parking. This is why we recommend commuting instead by riding the bus and dropping off at the Hub Lebuh Carnavon, which is only 4 minutes away from the bakery on foot.
La Vie en Rose Pâtisserie
– Media credit: lavieenrose.patisserie
Address: 19, Lebuh Melayu
Contact details: +60 14-333 6480
Operating hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Cost: $$
La Vie en Rose Pâtisserie is another charming pastry shop that will make you feel like you’re in the streets of Paris. Its strikingly pink exterior and huge windows will immediately allure you into checking out what they have in store, which we swear you won’t regret!
Starting with their seasonal mooncakes, they’re some of the most beautiful variations we’ve seen in Penang, featuring beautiful patterns and colours. Plus, they come in pretty boxes, which is great for gifting during family reunions!
They’re not just lookers as well, as they come in delicious flavours, both old and new! For instance, you can try newer flavours like matcha with toasted almonds or stick to the classics like white lotus and red bean paste.
Pro tip:
If you have a free day after buying your mooncakes, we recommend stopping by the Ghost Museum on the same street! It’s a great place to check out with your friends if you’re looking for a hair-raising experience.
HWC Coffee
– Media credit: hwc_malaysia
Address: Queensbay Mall, 2F-K3A/K3B
Contact details: +60 4-526 9280
Operating hours: Daily from 8:30 AM to 10:00 PM
Cost: $
If you want to enjoy a delicious cup of joe as you’re shopping for mooncakes this coming mid-Autumn, then HWC Coffee should be on your radar! It’s a chill little cafe nook in the middle of Queensbay Mall that offers premium espresso and brewed coffee drinks.
In 2024, I still remember running straight to the mall when I saw their post introducing their new moon cakes for the season. One of the main reasons for my excitement was the different flavours they came in, such as red bean and double sesame.
The red bean with golden butter was my favourite because of its richness, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. Furthermore, their gift sets included three of these mooncakes and packets of their instant coffee—win-win!
Pro tip:
You can also check out their branch at Gurney Plaza if Queensbay Mall is out of the way from your itinerary.