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Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah – The Original Balestier Tau Sar Piah

Rating:

By Veron Ang

They say imitation is a sign of flattery. You know you are successful when other people start emulating your idea. Just look at how the Ya Kun success story spawned numerous other air-conditioned shops also selling kopi and toast not only in Singapore but in Malaysia, too!

It’s the same thing for tau sar piah. Along Balestier Road, you would find a whole stretch of dated shops all specialising in this flaky pastry with bean paste filling; I count at least five of them! Reminds me of the Selegie tau huay sibling rivalry! So which is the original?

Let’s go back in history to 1948, the year when the Hainan-born Mr. Li Fanlong established Loong Fatt at the present Balestier site. His cake business thrived initially, but sales dwindled towards the early 70s. To improve sales, he tried blending butter cakes with Teochew tau sar piah. So in 1972, the tau sar piah as we know it today was invented.

Even with the fierce competition at Balestier, many people still swear by Loong Fatt for the best tau sar piah in Singapore. Well, nothing beats the original!

Tau Sar Piah (sweet or salty)
$0.70 each
Rating:

Two flavours are available — sweet or salty. The sweet tau sar piah is marked by the sprinkling of sesame seeds on its crust. You may also notice that the shape is atypical; it’s flatter than the usual ones.

When you sink your teeth into a Loong Fatt tau sar piah, you may be surprised by how soft and light the crusty skin is. Due to the use of butter, it boasts a smoother texture that is less dry than that of the competitors.

Tau Sar Piah

Then, there is the lovely bean paste filling. The sweetness and softness of it automatically puts you in a good mood :)

Between the two flavours, it’s a hard pick to choose between the two. Both are equally tasty! For me, I slant towards the salty version, which still maintains a touch of sweetness. The combination of both sweet and salty flavours is really enticing and keeps me craving for more! My Mom, on the other hand, prefers the sweet version as she has a sweet tooth!

Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah

I would recommend buying a big box of this tau sar piah for sharing with the whole family at breakfast or for pleasing the mother in law!

Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah
Photo by hyacinthus

The original Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah is located at the extreme right end of Balestier Road by the junction of Thomson Road. It seems that the shops here like to use their 3-digit unit number for identification. Loong Fatt is 639, while the tau sar piah neighbours are 529, 603, 631, etc!

At the shop, you can see the bakers in action at the kitchen where new batches are freshly baked daily. Drinks are also sold here so you can sit down to enjoy your pastry with a cup of Kopi.

Oh, they have other delights like egg tarts and cream puffs, too.

Best eaten warm from the oven!

Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah
639 Balestier Road
Singapore 329922
Tel: +65 6253 4584

Bus services: 5, 21, 54, 56, 57, 130, 131, 139, 143, 145, 162, 166, 167, 851, 980, NR1, 162M
Nearest MRT: Novena

Opening hours: 8am – 4:30pm (Closed on Sundays)

Tags: bakery, Balestier, breakfast, casual, Chinese, pastry, Singaporean

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About the Editor

Veron Ang is the Founder and Chief Editor of Sparklette, a Singapore restaurants guide, lifestyle and travel blog. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and runs a web design firm at Sparklette Studio. To get in touch, head on over to the contact page or follow @Sparklette and @VeronSG on Twitter.

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Responses Leave a comment

Leon
5 comments

I’ve eaten at all the Tau Sar Piah along Balestier Road and my favorite is 603. I do like Loong Fatt (and House of…) but will make sure to buy one at 603 Balestier.
Reply
Posted August 20, 2009 at 9:03 pm
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  You are one localised ang moh! I’m impressed!
  Reply
  Posted August 21, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Diana
1 comment

price increase again?! So far, this is really the best tau sar piah I’ve ever tasted.
Reply
Posted August 21, 2009 at 7:51 pm
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Looks like it. I know it used to be 50 cents… then 60… and now…
  Reply
  Posted August 21, 2009 at 11:25 pm
proud mom to maximus
29 comments

i always drive past this tar sau piah shop everyday to work to ttsh…
the downside is to find a good parking coz its always jam packed during peak hours…
Reply
Posted August 22, 2009 at 2:45 pm
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Yeah, most people buy these as takeouts. Just park somewhere first then quickly run in to buy the food and then run back out to the car!
  Reply
  Posted August 23, 2009 at 11:40 am
Charlie
2 comments

Hi all
I’ve heard of the shop’s famous tau sar piah and there are reviews tt say their pastries are very oily. Wonder if they indeed are? I’m pretty much very health conscious. > <
Thanks in advance for any response given.
Reply
Posted August 27, 2009 at 4:09 pm
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Hmm I don’t remember seeing much oil on this tau sar piah. I do recall that my fingers were oily after eating though. But the pastries themselves did not appear visibly oil.
  Reply
  Posted August 27, 2009 at 11:07 pm
- Leon
  5 comments
  
  I would say definitively that these are very rich are a treat in my eyes. The butter content is very high and that makes them flakey and delicious, but high in fat content.
  Reply
  Posted August 28, 2009 at 11:13 am
Melissa
133 comments

Aren’t we a nation of emulators? Other than the Balestier tau sar piah and Ya Kun coffee which you have already mentioned, there are also copycats of Breadtalk, bubble tea shops, doughnut shops and many many more.
Reply
Posted September 3, 2009 at 8:39 pm
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Gosh! You’re right! And they all seem to be doing well, except for the many bubble tea shops that opened during the craze and closed down when the fad passed.
  Reply
  Posted September 4, 2009 at 7:39 am
Candy
1 comment

Do Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah sell fresh eggs tarts?
Reply
Posted September 19, 2009 at 5:35 am
Wong
1 comment

Wat other cookies they sells for all occasions?
Reply
Posted September 19, 2009 at 5:40 am
Lil
1 comment

You people must try the tau sar piah at HOUSE OF TAU SAR PIAH at 529 Balestier Road They have 12 flavors to choose and the most important of all – they are vegetarian and they are crispy and tasty NOT OILY. I personally like the Salty flavor, Coffee, the new Black sesame. Prices range from 50cents to 70cents.
Reply
Posted October 13, 2009 at 10:20 am
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Coffee tau sar piah sounds intriguing. I’m sure we people will try it.
  Reply
  Posted October 13, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Sparklette
195 tweets

Enjoying a couple of the original Tau Sar Piah from Balestier. Mom bought a box of ten! http://sparklette.net/food/loong-fatt-ta...
Reply
Tweeted October 27, 2009 at 2:24 pm
- sensiblecharity
  2 tweets
  
  @sparklette Like that menu. Could have some of that.
  Reply
  Tweeted October 28, 2009 at 8:58 am
Cobalt Paladin
16 comments

Oh yes, I love Love Fatt tau sar piah. I used to finish 6 to 10 of them in one go… :p
Sinful but heavenly!
Reply
Posted October 27, 2009 at 10:30 pm
- Veron
  3438 comments
  
  Respect! I feel full after having just 2 of them.
  Reply
  Posted October 28, 2009 at 1:53 am