Contemporary Japanese dessert cafe Kyo Roll En is known for its unique mooncake collaborations, usually bringing a taste of Asia to Thailand.
This year, Kyo Roll En has collaborated with Hong Kong's three Michelin-starred Ta Vie to create mooncakes that are a first for the HK restaurant and the Thai market.
The "Collaboration Mooncake with 3 Michelin-Star Chef" is co-created by chef Hideaki Sato, the Japanese chef behind Ta Vie and pastry chef Dej Kewkacha of Kyo Roll En, the first Thai pastry chef to be named Asia's Best Pastry Chef 2025 by Asia's 50 Best Restaurants.
The collaboration also marks the reunion of mentor and protégé. Chef Dej previously trained and gained experience under chef Sato at Ta Vie in 2019, and has channelled that inspiration into co-creating the mooncake collection.
"This is my first time making mooncakes and I wanted to do something that represents my restaurants," chef Sato told the Bangkok Post.
The two flavours by chef Sato are Chestnut Pu-Er Tea, which contains Japanese kuri chestnuts blended with the aromatic notes of pu-erh tea from Yunnan, China.
"The flavour combination is inspired by my signature dessert at Ta Vie. The other flavour is Osmanthus Custard with Mandarin. Hong Kong-style custard is infused with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers, featuring a centre of mandarin orange jam blended with osmanthus. This is from our signature flower tea that we usually serve after the savoury course. I have turned this flavour into a mooncake. Both flavours represent my cuisine and my signatures," says chef Sato.
Chef Dej has stuck to the classic flavours and some of Kyo Roll En's best-sellers.
"The Yuzu Lava is an all-time favourite featuring renowned Japanese yuzu, known for its unique aroma. The mooncake is best enjoyed warm to experience the flowing 'lava' centre. The Satsuma Imo or Japanese sweet potato is made with Beni Haruka sweet potatoes from Kyushu, evoking the nostalgic taste of yaki imo or roasted sweet potatoes sold by street vendors in Japan," says the chef.
"Whenever I have a collaboration, I prefer to offer the classic flavours while the other chef does the unique flavours. For this collab, I had one of my staff fly into Hong Kong for the day just so chef Sato could approve of the flavours and taste the mooncakes," adds chef Dej.
"The important things for mooncakes is that there is a balance and harmony of flavours, while each of the flavours are distinct and can be tasted. I don't like to complicate the flavours. I think that's the challenge of mooncakes, because as a chef you have to think if there are a lot of flavours in a box, there has to be a balance," the chef emphasises.
It is presented in a "Framed Memory Box", which is a red fabric-wrapped box featuring a phoenix feather pattern and a wooden, picture-frame style lid. Inside, the box features three decorative art prints.
It contains eight mooncakes across four flavours, accompanied by renowned drip coffee from Simple Kaffa (Taiwan), founded by the 2016 World Barista Champion, which complements the mooncakes.
Kyo Roll En has also introduced Cantonese-style mooncakes, which have a long shelf life and do not need refrigerating.
These come in four flavours: Lava Custard or salted egg lava custard and is a Hong Kong-style recipe, double-baked for a silky-smooth texture; Durian Salted Egg featuring Monthong durian paste is paired with premium salted egg yolk; Matcha Lava, where Uji matcha from Kyoto is used; and a new flavour for this year.
The Tang Yuan Black Sesame is a first for Thailand and is a whole black sesame tang yuan, which is a glutinous rice ball, encased within the mooncake, offering a chewy mochi-like texture.
Available in two mooncake box sizes: the eight-piece set presented in a contemporary round "Heritage Tiffin Box" and the four-piece set presented in a chic fabric-covered handbag-style box with leather handles. Available from Aug 1 to Sept 30.
