Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah has old-school tau sar piah in Balestier
We’ve been doing some deep dives into heritage bakes and food of late, and one more to add to the list is Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah: a true Balestier icon that’s been in the game since 1948.
On paper, Loong Fatt as a bakery is 75 years old, but in truth, the history of their tau sar piah is about 30 years younger than that. Before Hainanese native Lee Wang Long founded Loong Fatt, he was a housekeeper in a local home, where he learned to bake Western-style pastries. In 1948, he struck out on his own to open a bakery-kopitiam where Loong Fatt still stands today.
Image credit: @adibeevince
It was much later, in the 1970s, that he turned to making tau sar piah, though he elevated the humble Teochew pastry with the addition of butter, giving rise to a crispier crust—the very same one that’s synonymous with Loong Fatt today, and said to be the original Singaporean tau sar piah.
Image credit: @w_i_eatt_
There are 14 cakes and pastries on the Loong Fatt menu these days, two of which are the Sweet Tau Sar Piah ($1.20) and Salty Tau Sar Piah ($1.40). How you can tell them apart is by the sesame seeds sprinkled atop: the sweet version comes with, and the salty without.
If you’re not ordering single pieces, they come in boxes of five, six, or 10. Each of these boxes comes in a single flavour, but if you are getting the six- or 10-piece boxes, you can opt for half in each flavour.
In a nod to Loong Fatt’s beginnings, their selection also includes a spread of cakes and cream puffs. Some, such as Butter Cake ($1.40), Banana Cake ($1.20), and Swiss Rolls (from $1.20) are available daily, but Coffee Walnut Cake ($1.40) and Orange Cake ($1.20) are only sold on selected days of the week.
For example, Loong Fatt only bakes their Pandan Cake ($1.20) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Another old-school favourite with their customers is their Custard Puff ($1), filled with traditional, eggy custard.
Stepping into the Balestier shop space is like walking 50 years back in time; the original tiled walls and flooring are still there, and you’ll still find some of the wooden tables and chairs from back in the day in use! Everything in their display is baked fresh daily, and if you’re lucky enough, you might even get your hands on one of the 3,000 to 4,000 tau sar piah they make daily, right out of the oven.
While you’re in the area, check out our guide to eating in Balestier. Otherwise, we’ve got a list of old-school bakeries in Singapore for you to hit up before they’re gone!
Address: 639 Balestier Road, Singapore 329922
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7:30am to 3:30pm
Tel: 6253 4584
Website
Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah is not a halal-certified eatery
Feature image adapted from @adibeevince
Photos taken by Michelle P and edited by Jasper Juay.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg
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