What steps are involved in making mooncakes?

Chef Yip: Lava custard mooncakes comprise three parts: crust, filling and lava sauce. The initial appeal is all in the crust. Aside from being golden in colour, it has to be fragrant, which is why we are very particular about the wheat flour we use. Our Japanese wheat flour has a strong wheat flavour that brings out the aroma of butter.

Next is the custard filling, which affects the taste of the entire mooncake. We need to add enough salted egg yolk to make it savoury. We choose fresh, high-quality salted egg yolks and bake them at a low temperature to ensure that they’re fragrant while preventing burning. Then, we crumble the yolks to make the flavour more prominent.

Finally, the very essence of the mooncake is found in the lava sauce. We have to ensure that it’s the right consistency so that it’s able to flow out. I spent a lot of time working on over 100 different versions before achieving the perfect flowing effect.

It’s a complicated process, but you must do things wholeheartedly to get the perfect result.

What is the personal significance of mooncakes to you?

Chef Yip: Not only are mooncakes a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival treat, but they’re also highly symbolic. If they are not continuously reinvented and improved, people will gradually think that they are old-fashioned. I want to pass on this traditional pastry, supplementing the classic flavours with innovative options. By catering to both young and old, I hope mooncakes can continue to encapsulate the sense of family reunion.

What important lessons have you learned as a pastry chef?

Chef Yip: There are three lessons. The first is to pay attention to every detail. Even if we are very pleased with our mooncakes this year, we can use our customers’ feedback to improve them for next year.

Second, you need to have a clear goal and persevere in it. For example, many thought that making low sugar lava mooncakes was not feasible. However, because I had a goal and was motivated, I was able to successfully develop them.

The third lesson is to use good ingredients. Good ingredients are not necessarily expensive ingredients, but suitable ones. Only by finding ingredients that work well with each other can you achieve the results that you want.

What have been the most rewarding moments in your career so far?

Chef Yip: I feel a great sense of accomplishment when everyone is eating happily. When others recognise my craftsmanship and my creations, and want to share them with others, I feel satisfied.