Cakes and dim sum always taste best when freshly made, and moon cakes are no exception. Although the traditional cakes are a must for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival, the general feeling is that there are just too many, all tasting the same. Pastry chefs at Traders Hotel, Beijing, are deftly avoiding that trap with freshly baked moon cakes. Take your pick, place your order, and the chefs will have it ready in half an hour. No preservatives are used, so the moon cakes are best eaten within a couple of days. The moon cakes are on sale at the hotel lobby from now until Sept 30, at 18 yuan each. - Ye Jun

Traders Hotel Beijing, 1, Jianguomenwai Dajie. 010-6505-7788