The Garden Lifestyle Cafe, Sunway Pyramid, Malaysia

I recently had the privilege of joining the staff of Sunway Pyramid
and the Garden Lifestyle Café to sample Mooncake and Tea. To be honest Mooncake and Tea Pairing all sounded a bit too
celestial for the average Matsaleh. However I was soon to become a total
convert given the dazzling array of beautifully prepared Mooncakes and the
eclectic range of teas that one can best describe as being comparable to fine wine.

The tradition of the Mooncake festival is buried deep within
the millennia of Chinese history. Dating back some 3000 years early texts made
reference to the festival. There are many mythological tales that come with
Mooncake. Was it the beautiful and immortal Moon goddess Chang’e who stole the pill to eternal life before escaping to the Moon, or the more mundane
but none the less significant act of distributing Mooncakes with secret
messages to the Chinese during the Mongol rule that belies the true origin of this legend?

The Mooncake and Tea Pairing session was held in a sun
filled conservatory at the back of the Garden Lifestyle Café Sunway Pyramid.
The ambience and products on display gave credence to the care and creative
genius of the organizers and chefs responsible for the production of this
event.

As I am no expert on Mooncake, and probably only slightly
more familiar with tea, my gastronomic odyssey was filled with anticipation.
Laid out in carefully presented sets were a myriad of beautifully imprinted Mooncakes.
My sole experience with mooncake many years previously was with a pithy red
bean affair that stuck to the roof of my palate with very adhesive like
efficiency… It was therefore with relief, and not the least a sense of
surprise, that one is presented with an incredible array of combinations of
fillings and flavours at this session. It was hard to know where to begin. Was it to be the Imperial Jade with Yolk,
maybe the Foh San Cappuccino or my personal favorite the Charcoal Infused
Mocha….yes I said charcoal.

But what Mooncake is complete without the tea? As Yin lives
with Yang the sipping of fine tea as part of the Mooncake festival has become a
popular and an ever more sought after complimentary element to this tradition. I was offered deliciously refreshing 
Osmanthus and French Rose tea poured from sparkling clear glass pots
that was soon followed by the dark and musky Puer Tea that captivated my senses
and taste buds. As one absorbed these
delicate and fragrant experiences, soothed by the melodious Zinther and
tantalized by a myriad of Mooncake flavours one can easily see why the goddess Chang’e
was reluctant to return from the Moon.

Safe to say the special effort and craftsmanship put into
this event would be reflected in the beautifully presented Dragon – i Mooncake
gift box sets. I am now a total convert and would well recommend the whole
experience that has been carefully mastered by Dragon-i and Legends of Tea for
your special Mooncake gift or family celebration.

Dragon-I Restaurant Sdn Bhd

36-38 Jalan SS 20/10,

Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya.

Tel 03-77221888

Fax 03-77221887

For details call the Dragon-I hotline on +603 77221888

www.dragon-i.com.my