Mooncakes at the Waterfront

CEBU, Philippines - Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino’s Tin Gow, Cebu’s premier Chinese restaurant, cooks up a sumptuous Mooncake Festival, culminating on the 3rd of October, the date of the actual festival. As a cherished tradition, Waterfront offers homemade mooncakes in beautiful modern Chinese boxes with red bean paste, custard or lotus seed fillings, and salted egg yolk.

Mooncakes have played a central role in moon festival traditions where a Chinese legend tells of mooncakes bringing about a revolution in the 14th century. During the Yuan Dynasty, which was established by the invading Mongolians from the north by overpowering the Han Chinese, a Han rebel leader named Liu Fu Tong devised a scheme to provoke the Hans to rise up against the ruling Mongols and put an end to the oppressive Yuan Dynasty. Timing it to coincide with the Autumn Moon Festival, a celebration to celebrate the summer’s harvest, he stuffed messages of revolt in mooncakes and handed them out to the local Chinese population. On the night of the Festival, the rebels successfully overthrew the government.

The mooncake festival falls on the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, a time when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. Traditionally, Chinese families gather outside to admire the moon while eating mooncakes, usually stuffed with salted egg yolk to symbolize the moon, and celebrate their prosperity.

Celebrate this traditional Asian festival of abundance and togetherness with Chef Low’s authentic mooncakes starting at P320 for a box of 8 small pieces and P420 for a box of 4 large cakes. Mooncakes are available at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino’s Lobby and Tin Gow, until October 3.

For orders, you may visit the Waterfront, or call 232-6888 locals 8607 and 8608.