I knew it was gonna be an especially lucky day (yesterday) when I was greeted by the little lady bug above that flew over to me for a bit. I walked over to the Moon Festival festivities just in time to meander a bit and then catch the small parade come through, complete with dancing dragons and dogs, and yes I touched them for luck as they raced by. Chinatown is always bustling, but the festivals bring all of the locals out and quickly outnumber the tourists. Children play with paper lanterns hanging from a short string and adults buy orchids, lucky bamboo, and or course moon cakes (below) and maybe a warm egg custard tart. Moon cakes are essential (NY Times cover them), even though their pricey by Chinatown standards $4-8 which helps understand their prized value. You can order one with an egg inside... I opted for one without and this bakery had quite the selection with more traditional red bean paste or lotus seed filled, but I picked went for the coconut. Soft dough is worked around a ball of filling and then the beautiful decoration is pressed on top. They're about the size of the palm of my hand and the coconut cake is similar to a dense fruit cake with shredded coconut and dried pineapple (?) dotting the cake. These are tasty and decadent so a little slice goes a long way and best shared over tea. Happy Moon Festival from San Francisco.
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