Penang's renowned Ghee Hiang biscuits coming to Singapore from March 24

SINGAPORE — If you have been to Penang, chances are you had returned with boxes of traditional tau sar piah (mung bean biscuits) from Ghee Hiang bakery for gifting.

From March 24, you can save the trip, and buy the pastries in Singapore from halal-certified restaurant chain Penang Culture. 

Ghee Hiang, established in 1856, is regarded as one of the oldest and most famous tau sar piah makers in Penang. Its biscuits are still made by hand.

Four of its best-selling halal-certified biscuits will be available in limited quantities at the five Penang Culture locations here — at Jem, VivoCity, Nex, Changi Airport Terminal 1 and Compass One. They will be flown into Singapore every fortnight. 

They are its small Tau Sar Pneah ($13 for 16 pieces), Phong Pneah (pastry with melted sugar, $11.50 for five pieces), Hneoh Pneah (wheat pastry filled with brown sugar, $13 for 16 pieces) and Beh Teh Saw (horseshoe biscuits with malt filling, $12 for five pieces). 

The biscuits will cost significantly more here than in Malaysia. On its website, a box of 16 small Tau Sar Pneah (mung bean biscuits) costs RM$12.90 (S$3.67).

Its instant coffee will also be available, from $10.80 for eight 30g packets. 

The coffee is used at Penang Culture in a new White Kopi Chicken dish ($12.90), in which the chicken is deep-fried in a white coffee-infused sauce.  

Other additions to the menu include stir-fried royale chives (qing long cai) with fried hae bi ($11.90), sambal prawn with petai ($15.90), and claypot sesame chicken ($12.80). 

They will be available at Penang Culture's outlets from March 24, which is when its Compass One restaurant in Sengkang reopens with a refreshed look. 

The collaboration between Penang Culture and Ghee Hiang stems from a partnership that dates back to 2011, says Penang Culture's executive director Shawn Lim, 44, in a statement to The Straits Times. 

Since then, his restaurant chain has been using Ghee Hiang's famous sesame oil in its dishes. 

In late 2023, he reunited with Ghee Hiang's executive director Ch'ng Huck Theng, when the 52-year-old came to Singapore for a visit. 

Over a cup of coffee at Penang Culture, Dato' Ch'ng told Lim that Ghee Hiang had obtained halal certification for its traditional biscuits. They then started to explore opportunities to sell the biscuits here. 

Lim says: "Ghee Hiang's pneah is not just a delightful treat, but also a symbol of the rich tradition and craftsmanship that go into each creation. It is a further continuation of our partnership."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.