Traditional Chinese Pastries in Penang: Iconic Delicious Delights

Penang’s rich culinary heritage extends far beyond its famous street food and Instagram-worthy cafés — its traditional Chinese pastries are cultural treasures steeped in local history. Whether as a delightful snack or a memorable souvenir, these bite-sized treats encapsulate Penang’s vibrant flavours and traditions. In this guide, we explore the most beloved pastries and recommend where to get them in George Town.

Popular Traditional Chinese Pastries in Penang

We have shortlisted some common types of traditional Chinese pastry. One of the best known pastries is Tau Sar Pneah. Furthermore, other varieties include pepper biscuits, coconut tarts, wife’s biscuits, egg tarts and more. 

1. Tau Sar Pneah (Tambun Biscuit) – A round, flaky pastry enveloping thick sweet or savoury mung-bean paste. It boasts a delicate, crumbly crust and typically comes in wax paper rolls of five.
2. Tambun pneah (Dragon ball) – The smaller version of Tau Sar Pneah. It is a miniature bite size biscuit that has thicker crust and less mung bean filling. Additionally, Tambun pneah is usually wrapped in boxes.
3. Horse hoof biscuit (Beh Teh Saw) – Its flaky body with sweet filling that is also a sticky sweet concoction made from brown sugar, white sugar and maltose. The biscuit is thicker on one end and resembles a ‘horse roof’.
4. Brown sugar biscuit – The filling of this biscuit is sweet and soft brown sugar. Part of the filling is oozed out from the biscuits during the baking process, resulting in the unique appearance of the round biscuits. 
5. Coconut tart – It is a layered dough base with a filling of moist sugared grated coconut, topped off with a swirl effect top crust and brushed with egg yolk.
6. Pepper biscuits – It’s thinly sliced with the taste of five spices and pepper for a fragrant and fiery taste.
7. Egg tart – It has a flaky outer shell with a creamy but firm egg custard in the centre.
8. Heong pneah – It is small bite-sized morsels. The filling is brown sugar paste with a smoky flavour.
9. Wife cake (Lao Po Bing) – It is a round flaky pastry with a translucent white winter melon paste in the centre.
10. Husband cake – It is a companion pastry to wife cake with fermented red bean curd, sesame and peanuts in the centre.

Traditional Chinese Pastry Shops in Penang

Some of the traditional pastry shops can trace their roots back for over 100 years to when the first pastries were baked in Penang. Hence, we have listed some of the chinese pastry shops in Penang where you can get those delicious pastries. 

Ghee Hiang

Ghee Hiang Bakery is a 150-year-old brand, which is famously known for their sesame oil among other products. Likewise, their pastries are carefully crafted with age-old proven traditional methods and techniques to ensure the best quality pastries are served. 

Address:
216, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Penang. | 04-227 2222

95 Beach Street, 10300 Penang. | 04-262 0635

144-G & H Burmah Road, 10050 Penang. | 04-228 1077
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Him Heang

Him Heang is an iconic pastry manufacturer in Penang that offers a wide range of local pastries. In fact, it is one of the famous brands in Penang where there is usually a long queue. Moreover, their pastries are made with passion and freshly handmade each day.

Address: 162A, Jalan Burma, 10050 George Town, Penang.
Website | Facebook

Ng Kee Cake Shop

Ng Kee is an ordinary neighbourhood cake shop. It is best regarded for their Cantonese pepper biscuits as well as its sweet and flaky coconut tarts. Their egg tarts and coconut tarts are sold out early in the afternoon. Hence, make sure to reach there as earlier as possible.

Address: 61, Lebuh Cintra, 10100 George Town, Penang.
Instagram | Facebook | 04-261 2229

Ming Xiang Tai

Ming Xiang Tai is one of the popular Chinese pastry houses in Penang. The brand has several outlets throughout Penang Island. For instance, one of the most popular outlets is the corner shop at Victoria Street and Armenian Street Ghaut. Their signature is the Signature Trishaw Egg Tart. The flaky egg tart with puff pastry is a must-try in Penang.

Address: No.26, Lebuh Armenian, Ghaut, 10200 George Town, Penang. | 04-261 9887

133, Jalan Burma, 10050 George Town, Penang. | 04-227 9880

475-A, Jalan Penang, 10000 George Town, Penang. | 04-261 2511

22c, Lintang Mayang Pasir 3, Bayan Baru, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Penang. | 04-643 1840
Website

Hock Lok Siew

Hock Lok Siew is a local biscuit shop that produces authentic flavour of Tau Sar Piah. It is one of the major suppliers of bakes in Penang. Their reputable products include mini mooncake (Gong Zai Peng), Tambun pneah and more. With the combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology, Hock Lok Siew produces quality pastries daily. 

Address: 120, Lebuh Noordin, 10300 George Town, Penang.
Website | 04-262 2162

Ban Heang

Ban Heang has more than 200 types of product available but their signature pastries definitely are Tambun biscuits and Heong pneah. Its principle never changed since it was established, which is “Made Now, Bake Now, and Sell Now”. Ban Heang biscuit recipe is a closely guarded family secret.

Address:
245 & 247, Jalan Penang, 10000 George Town, Penang. | 04-262 7125

200, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Penang. | 04-229 5018

Loong Nam

Loong Nam is one of the oldest Chinese biscuit shops in Penang. It is a century-old biscuit shop that has managed to keep its tradition of handmade biscuits since 1928. Loong Nam specialises in different types of crackers for Chinese families. For example, Roti Jari, Tau Sar Pneah, and Biskut Susu are among their most popular biscuits.

Address: 7, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, 10100 George Town, Penang.
Website | Instagram | Facebook | 018-278 0128

Seng Heang

Kedai Biskut Seng Heang is a recognised Chinese biscuit specialised retail. Their signature is the Tau Sar Pneah made from the founder’s recipe since 1986. In addition, others recommendations from Seng Heang also include the Penang famous Sun Biscuit or locally known “Pong Pneah”.

Address: 136, 138, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 George Town, Penang.
Instagram | Facebook | 04-227 2818

Soon Hiang

Soon Hiang Biscuit Shop is a small yet handful of traditional handmade Tau Sar Pneah shops where the locals go to. Their production rate is low and everything is made from scratch. Hence, if you’re coming for their Tau Sar Pneah, make sure to come early!

Address: 33, Jalan Kuantan, 10000 George Town, Penang.
Facebook | 04-229 5799

Seng Seng Hiang

Seng Seng Hiang is a biscuits shop selling Penang’s native products. The signature Tau Sar Pneah comes with a variety of choices of flavours. Besides, Seng Seng Hiang also sell other traditional pastries, Seng Seng Hiang Siew Pau, Phong pneah and more.

Address: 613-D, Jalan Pasar, Pekan Ayer Itam, 11500 Ayer Itam, Penang.
Facebook | 04-828 4818