The Year of the Horse gallops in with an impressive stable of confections and savories that push beyond mere novelty into genuine culinary craftsmanship. After sampling this season’s offerings, I present an in-depth examination of textures, flavors, and visual artistry.
Janice Wong: 70% Dark Chocolate Cashew Praline Sea Salt Horse
Visual Poetry in Cocoa
Wong’s equine sculpture commands attention with its burnished mahogany sheen, the 70% dark chocolate tempered to a mirror-like gloss that catches light like polished leather. The sculptural work displays remarkable attention to anatomical detail—muscular haunches rendered in flowing chocolate curves, a noble head held high. This isn’t mere confection; it’s edible architecture.
The Tasting Experience
Breaking through the shell reveals the textural symphony within. The chocolate exterior yields with a satisfying snap—the hallmark of perfectly tempered chocolate—giving way to the creamy cashew praline ganache. The ganache itself possesses a velvet-soft consistency, neither too fluid nor waxy, melting across the palate with indulgent richness.
The cashew praline introduces a subtle nuttiness, toasted and caramelized notes that ground the chocolate’s fruity undertones. Then comes the masterstroke: sea salt crystals scattered throughout provide momentary bursts of salinity, cutting through the sweetness and elevating the entire composition. The interplay creates a sophisticated bittersweet profile—cocoa’s inherent astringency tempered by praline sweetness, all punctuated by mineral brightness.
Color Palette: Deep espresso brown exterior, warm caramel-toned ganache interior flecked with ivory cashew fragments.
BreadTalk: Tozzo Mustang
Whimsy Meets Tradition
This Italian-inspired cream bun arrives as pure visual charm—a golden-bronze pillowy dome adorned with chocolate features forming an almost cartoonish horse face. The “mane” of dark chocolate contrasts beautifully against the bun’s warm wheat-gold surface, which bears the telltale blistering of proper baking.
Structural Analysis
The bun itself exemplifies the maritozzo tradition—impossibly soft, almost cloud-like in its airiness. Tearing it reveals a delicate crumb structure with tiny, uniform air pockets that compress gently under touch. The exterior maintains just enough structure to contain the generous cream filling without collapsing.
The vanilla white chocolate cream filling proves unexpectedly restrained. Rather than cloying sweetness, it offers a gentle milky flavor with vanilla’s warm floral notes and white chocolate’s subtle cocoa butter richness. The cream’s consistency sits between whipped and mousse—stable enough to hold its shape when bitten, yet dissolving almost instantly on the tongue. The white chocolate adds a faint granular quality that prevents the cream from feeling too airy or insubstantial.
Color Palette: Honey-gold bun exterior fading to ivory crumb, pristine white cream filling, dark chocolate accents creating visual contrast.
Home’s Favourite: Snow Skin MSW Horse Mochi
Durian’s Creamy Embrace
The snow skin presents as delicate porcelain white, its surface possessing an almost talc-like matte finish that feels cool and slightly tacky to touch. The decorative horse head sits atop like a miniature sculpture, demonstrating impressive molding precision.
Textural Journey
Biting through the mochi skin reveals its characteristic QQ texture—that distinctively Asian chewiness that’s simultaneously yielding and resistant. The skin stretches slightly before giving way, cool against the teeth, with a subtle sweetness and rice flour’s gentle starchiness.
Then the Mao Shan Wang filling floods the palate. This isn’t the timid durian experience—it’s unapologetically pungent, creamy to the point of being almost buttery. The filling possesses a custardy smoothness interrupted by occasional fibrous strands that authenticate its fruit origin. The durian’s complex flavor profile emerges: initial sweetness followed by sulfurous depth, hints of caramel and almond, finishing with that characteristic lingering aftertaste that devotees cherish.
The temperature contrast proves crucial—the cool mochi against the slightly warmer durian cream creates textural drama, while the chewy skin provides resistance that makes the creamy center feel even more luxurious.
Color Palette: Porcelain white mochi exterior, rich custard-yellow durian filling with occasional cream-colored fibrous streaks.
Crystal Jade: Pistachio Coconut Water Chestnut Cake
Emerald Innovation
This tiered kueh presents as a study in pale green gradations—pistachio’s natural sage-mint hue layered with coconut’s ivory cream, creating subtle striations that catch the eye. The water chestnut pieces appear as translucent white gems suspended throughout, visible through the kueh’s semi-opaque surface.
Textural Complexity
The kueh achieves that characteristic wobble—a gentle jiggle that promises the right balance between set and yielding. When sliced, it reveals clean edges that barely slump, indicating proper gelatin ratios.
Chilled, the kueh offers a cool, slippery-smooth texture on the tongue, the starch and coconut milk creating a pudding-like consistency with faint grain. The water chestnuts provide crucial textural counterpoint—crunchy, juicy bursts that interrupt the uniform smoothness, each piece offering a fresh, slightly sweet snap.
The flavor profile balances delicate elements: pistachio’s subtle nuttiness with its characteristic green, almost grassy undertones; coconut milk’s rich, tropical creaminess; water chestnut’s mild sweetness and clean finish. Pan-fried (the alternative serving method), the exterior caramelizes to golden-brown, developing a crispy crust with deeper, toasted flavors while the interior remains creamy.
Color Palette: Soft pistachio green marbled with coconut white, translucent water chestnut pieces creating crystalline pockets, golden-brown when pan-fried.
The Pine Garden: Salted Egg Murukku
The Snack Redefined
These spiral coils arrive in varying shades of amber and gold, each piece coated in a dusty, sunset-orange powder that clings to fingers—the telltale sign of salted egg yolk coating.
Crunch Factor
The murukku delivers an aggressive, shattering crunch—the kind that echoes in your skull. The spiral structure, achieved through traditional pressing techniques, creates multiple thin layers that fracture sequentially with each bite, maximizing textural satisfaction.
The salted egg coating has been applied with restraint yet effectiveness. Rather than thick clumps, it forms a thin, even dust that seasons each piece comprehensively. The flavor bursts immediately: salted egg yolk’s characteristic umami richness, that unique combination of savory saltiness with creamy, almost fatty depth. Underneath, the murukku itself contributes roasted rice flour flavors, subtle spices (likely cumin and sesame), and a background heat that builds gradually.
The coating’s slightly grainy texture contrasts beautifully with the murukku’s glassy crunch. Unlike other salted egg snacks that can feel heavy, this version maintains airiness—each piece feels light despite its intense flavoring, making it dangerously easy to consume handful after handful.
Color Palette: Golden-amber spirals dusted with salmon-orange salted egg powder, darker toasted patches adding visual depth.
Qin Restaurant: Golden Fortune Turnip Cake
Floral Elegance
This turnip cake arrives as a presentation piece—pristine white daikon ribbons arranged like flower petals, edible blooms in purple, yellow, and orange creating a garden tableau, all enveloped in tender green cabbage leaves. It’s almost too beautiful to disturb.
Substance Beyond Beauty
Slicing through reveals a dense yet tender interior studded with visible chunks of Chinese sausage (pink-red) and dried shrimp (peachy-orange). The texture achieves the elusive middle ground: substantial enough to hold together during pan-frying, yet never gummy or starchy-heavy as lesser versions become.
The turnip itself provides a neutral, slightly sweet base with earthy undertones. The Chinese sausage contributes fatty richness and subtle sweetness with hints of rose wine, while dried shrimp adds concentrated umami and subtle brininess. Small bits of scallion provide occasional sharp, fresh notes.
Pan-fried as recommended, the exterior develops a gorgeous golden crust—crispy, almost lacy edges where the batter makes contact with hot oil. This textural contrast between crunchy exterior and soft interior transforms the dish. The cabbage wrapper, initially decorative, chars slightly and contributes a sweet, mineral quality.
Color Palette: Ivory-white turnip base flecked with coral-pink sausage, orange shrimp pieces, green scallion bits, topped with snow-white daikon ribbons and vibrant edible flowers.
Peony Jade: Baked Orh Ni Cake
Contemporary Taro
This modern interpretation abandons orh nee’s traditional rustic appearance for refined layers visible through the cake’s cross-section: purple taro mousse, golden pumpkin, topped with sandy Biscoff crumble in warm brown tones.
Textural Innovation
The taro mousse achieves remarkable airiness—almost cloud-like, yet with enough structure to maintain distinct layers. It melts on contact with the tongue, releasing taro’s characteristic flavor: subtly sweet with earthy, almost vanilla-like undertones and a hint of nuttiness. The texture recalls premium ice cream in its smooth creaminess.
The pumpkin layer provides denser richness, its natural sweetness and subtle vegetal flavors grounding the lighter taro. Then comes the controversial Biscoff element—the speculoos cookie crumble introduces caramelized sugar notes, warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg), and crucial sandy-crunchy texture that prevents the mousse layers from feeling monotonous.
The fried shallots, traditional in orh nee, appear as subtle crispy bits scattered throughout, contributing savory punctuation that keeps the dessert from veering too sweet. The cake base (also Biscoff crumble) provides structural foundation and additional crunch.
This isn’t purist orh nee—it’s a reimagining that honors the spirit while embracing modern pastry techniques. The combination works because each element maintains distinct character while contributing to the whole.
Color Palette: Lavender-purple taro mousse, bright orange pumpkin layer, golden-brown Biscoff crumble, occasional translucent fried shallot pieces.
Origin + Bloom: Radiant Butterfly of the New Spring
Artistic Refinement
This patisserie creation exemplifies contemporary fine dining pastry—a study in controlled elegance. The delicate chocolate butterfly perched atop appears almost weightless, its wings detailed with careful piping. The cake itself presents clean geometric layers visible through the cross-section, each distinct in color and texture.
Layer by Layer
The lotus mousse forms the dominant layer—pale greenish-white, airy yet stable, with lotus seed’s characteristic floral sweetness and subtle bitterness. The texture hovers between mousse and bavarian cream—substantially creamy rather than whipped-airy.
Beneath lies the chocolate cremeux, a darker stratum providing visual and flavor contrast. “Cremeux” promises richness, and it delivers—a pudding-like consistency, intensely chocolatey without overwhelming sweetness. The chocolate’s depth grounds the delicate lotus.
The sesame praline feuilletine introduces textural drama—thin, crispy wafer fragments (feuilletine) bound with sesame praline create sudden crunch amid smoothness. Sesame contributes nutty, toasted notes with slight bitterness that complements both lotus and chocolate.
The bergamot lotus sponge base surprises with citrus brightness—bergamot’s distinctive Earl Grey-like flavor cutting through richness, while maintaining sponge’s characteristic tender crumb and light sweetness.
Each forkful ideally captures all layers, creating a progression: airy lotus, rich chocolate, crunchy praline, citrus-bright sponge—a complete flavor journey in one bite.
Color Palette: Pale jade lotus mousse, rich brown chocolate cremeux, golden praline feuilletine fragments, light tan sponge, dark chocolate butterfly garnish, finished with gold leaf accents.
Final Assessment
This year’s offerings demonstrate that Chinese New Year treats have evolved beyond simple tradition into genuine culinary innovation. The best pieces—Wong’s chocolate horse, Crystal Jade’s pistachio kueh, Peony Jade’s orh nee cake—balance novelty with substance, ensuring they’re enjoyed for flavor and texture, not just appearance.
The textures span the full spectrum: shattering crunch (murukku), creamy luxury (durian mochi), airy delicacy (butterfly cake), yielding chewiness (snow skin), crispy-creamy contrast (turnip cake). The color palettes reflect both tradition (golds and reds suggesting prosperity) and contemporary aesthetics (pastels, natural tones, artistic plating).
Whether these treats justify their premium pricing depends on individual priorities. As showpieces for entertaining or gifts, they excel. As pure eating experiences, most deliver genuine pleasure beyond their Instagram appeal—a victory for both form and function in festive food.