Where to Buy Authentic Mooncakes in Dubai

Here's where you can order these traditional Chinese pastries in Dubai for your next festival celebrations

Posted on

9 September 2022

by Clarice Awa

Fancy getting some mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year? Even if you're an expat living in Dubai, there are still some places where you can celebrate the festival with these delicious, authentic Chinese treats.

What are mooncakes?

Mooncakes are traditional Chinese pastries that are eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which will fall on September around the world. These hockey puck-shaped delights are elaborately decorated and come in a variety of fillings, including sweetened fruit, beans, egg yolk, and nuts such as peanuts and walnuts.

Mooncakes are made to symbolise the full moon when it is at its brightest, and to also showcase unity and harmony. The Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient, three-days long Chinese celebration dating back thousands of years, and these days it's also celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian communities such as Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc.

In Dubai, mooncakes are only available for a short period of time at select Asian restaurants. You can also find them online and in-store at some supermarkets.

Here is a list of places where you can buy mooncakes in Dubai!

1.) Kibsons

You can order mooncakes in Dubai through Kibsons' online store. This festive treat can be bought in singular packets with a variety of flavours such as red beans, fruit paste, etc. or you can purchase a gift box.

2.) WeMart

If there is a WeMart store near you, pop in to find a wide range of flavoured mooncakes. These are usually limited in stock, so be sure to grab yours before it's all sold out. You can also place an order through the WeMart app available on iOS, however the app's language is not in English.

3.) Shang Palace

To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Dubai, the Shang Palace restaurant are selling a range of mooncakes.

Before visiting, we recommend calling the restaurant first to confirm if the mooncakes are still available. Due to popular demand and a limited number of places offering these festive treats, it tends to sell out every year in Dubai.

4.) Wan Jial

If you live closer to Al Barsha, you might be able to find mooncakes at the Wan Jial store located near Mall of the Emirates. Some Chinese expats in Dubai have been able to buy mooncakes from Wan Jial.

5.) Hutong

This contemporary Northern Chinese restaurant based in DIFC has some mooncakes available for guests. Bite into them to reveal a delicious filling of nuts, sesame, and seeds for a treat that is chewy and sweet - an authentic Mid-Autumn Festival taste.

We recommend calling the Hutong restaurant before your visit to check if they still have mooncakes available.

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Dubai with mooncakes

6.) Chuan

Enjoy a bite of the Mid-Autumn festivities in Dubai with Chuan's mooncakes. They're offering traditional mooncakes and modern ice-skin mooncakes, placed in a beautiful gift box that is perfect for sharing.

The traditional box features eight pieces with three classic flavours: red bean paste, salted duck eggs with lotus seeds, and five kernel.

The ice-skin mooncake gift box includes eight pieces with more modern flavours; matcha, mango, coffee, rose, vanilla, and dates.

Best to book your mooncake box in advance as only a limited number are available!