“Honestly, I’m not sure why I agreed—I had absolutely no experience making mooncakes,” she laughs. “I spent over a month on YouTube and Google learning techniques, testing 20 or 30 different recipes.”

When it came to hosting the workshop, How’s customers loved the interactive, approachable sessions, and How loved connecting with those that attended: “I kept getting more requests to host workshops, then requests to order the mooncakes from me directly.”

So, in 2018, How began The Line Kitchen and making snowskin mooncakes with her mother from her own kitchen. While customers loved the mooncakes, it had another purpose to How—a means for bonding with her mum.

“Since I was abroad from a young age, spending this quality time with my mum meant a lot to me,” she smiles. “That year (2018), we spent everyday together making mooncakes, which really improved our relationship.” 

Running the business came with its own share of struggles, especially during the initial few years. “I knew next to nothing about ingredient costs, finance, and even designing packaging,” she reminisces. “It was difficult, especially since we struggled with manpower with it being just the two of us.”

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While hiring more staff or automating the ordering process through a third-party website was toyed with, How thought back to her mooncake workshops and the interaction with customers that she enjoyed very much. “I’ve always maintained that the human touch is so important,” she emphasises, explaining how it allows her to build lasting relationships with her loyal customers of six years.

Her intimate service, along with her innovative flavours, earned her customers' hearts. While she maintains a traditional shape for her mooncakes, she lets loose when it comes to the flavour profile, infusing the treats with Japanese-inspired flavours (matcha, sakura, sweet potato, and yuzu) or locally-inspired fillings (chicken floss, salted egg, and gula Melaka).

She also caters her mooncakes to those looking for healthier options: “We use honey instead of sugar, and only all-natural ingredients are incorporated so everyone can enjoy them, from kids and pregnant women to those with health concerns and the elderly.”

Shedding light on the process of mooncake making, How says: “We begin in June with research and development, playing with different flavour combinations.” Once this is decided, she sets out the production flow before the process begins.

“There is a ton of portioning, rolling, flattening, and pressing,” she emphasises. “People often overlook the incredibly tedious and laborious process in the case of handmade mooncakes.” How values customer feedback, and every year, she incorporates their suggestions. For instance, she has enhanced the snowskin's durability to withstand the local, humid climate, ensuring her mooncakes reach customers in pristine condition.

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“Initially, we struggled with quality control since customers may store mooncakes out of the fridge or in the car for a few hours before gifting them,” she recalls. This resulted in How tweaking her snowskin recipe, resulting in a mochi-like texture that customers have grown to love. “Those who have tried my mooncakes every year have commented they actually really enjoy the new texture,” she smiles.

When it comes to ingredients, How does not compromise, which also lengthens the process. “We try to use all-natural, homegrown produce when we can, such as pandan leaves or blue pea flowers from our own garden,” she enthuses.

In the case of pandan, the leaves are cut, chopped, and blended before a cloth is used to squeeze the juice out. Blue pea flowers must be soaked overnight for a darker, more concentrated colour. “Each mooncake flavour requires a set of different steps and ingredients,” she says.

Such effort does not go unnoticed by customers, who religiously order from The Line Kitchen every Mid-Autumn festival. “There was a year during the pandemic when my arm physically stopped moving due to the constant motion of pressing mooncakes for two months straight—I had to refund the remaining orders,” she recalls, chuckling. 

While each year comes with its own set of challenges, it also comes with abundant rewards. “Now, my mum and I look forward to spending every Mid-Autumn season together, which is something I treasure,” she smiles. “She never had the opportunity to have a business of her own, so I am grateful to be able to share this with her.”

Touching on the future, she hopes her mooncakes bring families together during the festive season. “Hearing stories about how family members have fun tasting the different flavours in the box warms my heart,” she enthuses. “I hope my mooncakes can bring laughter, excitement, and celebration to more households—to me, that is what the Mid-Autumn festival is all about.”

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