Moon Fest feted with Moon Cakes at Hard Rock Casino
Our Autumn Season for 2021 begins this year on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
The sudden turn to dry weather in the Midwest for the start of this month has our neighboring farmers already harvesting cornfields.
Around the globe, and also here in Northwest Indiana, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is also upon us this month.
It is traditionally celebrated when the appears the largest and marks the approaching end of the autumn harvest. The festival honors the legend of Chang’e the Chinese goddess of the moon.
Asian cultures celebrate by displaying paper lanterns and enjoying traditional pastries known as Moon Cakes. These small round cakes have a thin crust on the outside and a dense sweet filling on the inside. The top of the cake has an intricate design of a flower or a moon.
Chef Wing Chung of YOUYU Noodle Bar, which is one of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana’s five restaurants, is already busy planning his own Moon Festival celebration to welcome guests this month.
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is celebrating Mid-Autumn Moon Festival with a special treat courtesy of Chef
Wing Chung. YOUYU Noodle Bar will be giving out free moon cakes with any entrée on September
18, 19 and 21 during the hours of 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The moon cakes come in several special flavors, including pineapple, ice cream and traditional. The YOUYU restaurant will be decked out with special Moon Festival centerpieces during the events.
YOUYU Noodle Bar serves up a mouthwatering variety of Asian dishes as well as freshly made noodles in savory broths. The flavors are inspired by Asian street food, and guests have the advantage to enjoy these delicacies in YOUYU’s sleek Hong Kong-like atmosphere in the restaurant’s anchor location near the Asian gaming area at the casino.
“Our patrons enjoy the openness of the YOUYU kitchen where one can see an order prepared in front of you at the Noodle Bar,” Chef Wing Chung said.
“It’s an opportunity to closely observe all that goes into creating a delicious example of Asian cuisine.”
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana’s Asian gaming landscape includes an upscale Asian gaming lounge with a variety of exciting table games, including Pai Gow and Baccarat. I discovered earlier this month the
Hard Rock even has hosts that speak a variety of Asian languages including, Cantonese, Taishanese, Mandarin and Vietnamese.
Jenny Moy, the Director of Asian Player Development at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana describes the Mid-Autumn Moon Fest as an ages-old tradition.
“The Moon Festival is the second most celebrated holiday within the Asian community,” Moy said.
“We are so pleased to be able to share this fun cultural celebration with our customers.”
Hard Rock Casino
Northern Indiana’s $300 million casino and entertainment destination opened to the public on May 14, 2021.
Hard Rock’s premier, 200,000-square foot entertainment complex features over 1,600 slots and 80 table games totaling more than 2,100 gaming positions. Its other four food venues include Hard Rock Café, Council Oak Steaks and Seafood, Fresh Harvest Restaurant and Constant Grind Coffee Shop. It also features a retail shop and will soon open a 1,954-seat Hard Rock Live performance venue.
Ranking among my own personal favorite Asian dining dishes are roast duck and curry noodles, both specialties of Chef Wing Chung. They top my dining list for delicious feasts, and both are found on the YOUYU Kitchen menu, highlighted by the chef ’s own special signature details.
Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@ comhs.org or mail your questions: From the Farm, P.O. Box 68, San Pierre, IN 46374.
Chef Wing Chung’s Curry Singapore Noodles
Makes 2 servings
½ cup cooked shrimp
½ cup prepared julienned BBQ pork
½ Spanish onion, julienned
1 small scallion, julienned ½ small green bell pepper, julienned
½ small red bell pepper, julienned
¼ cup bean sprouts 1 whole egg
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of chicken flavored powder
2 ounces of curry powder 6 ounces-soaked rice vermicelli, strained Directions:
1. Heat wok until hot and cook the egg into a scrambled consistency, set aside.
2. Toss shrimp, bbq pork onion, scallion, peppers and bean sprouts in wok until heated. Set aside.
3. Add vermicelli to wok and toss until hot. Add in all previously cooked ingredients, mix well.
4. Turn off the flame, add all the seasoning and curry powder, fully mix in wok.
5. Return wok to flame and stir together, being careful not to burn it. Serve hot.