Penang tau sar piah is a crispy, flakey, and sumptuous mung bean biscuit popular in the island state of Malaysia. You can also call them tambun biscuits or mung bean pastries. ‘Piah’ means biscuit in the Hokkien dialect.
When you bite into the deep-fried pastry, you taste a satisfying greasiness before hitting the sweet mung bean. However, you will find that the famous tambun biscuit in Penang is usually a smaller version of the original palm-sized mung bean pastry.
Many people, including ourselves, love this biscuit because it tastes so unique. You can also eat this snack for breakfast or tea time as it is relatively light. We loved having these as a light snack between visiting attractions at a nice Penang cafe.
If you find yourself in Penang and want to buy these local delicacies for your home, you can! They will keep well in an airtight container, away from heat, for at least a week.
After that, microwave them or pop them into an air fryer for 3-5 minutes when ready to consume. You might find that the temperature settings can differ depending on your appliance, but we recommend 150 to 180 degrees Celsius as an ideal range.
Mung bean pastries are delicious, but they're about 120 calories each. Therefore, we wholeheartedly say it's still worth busting your diet to enjoy one of these lovely piahs!
Although you can also find these at Penang night markets, we think the ones we tried at the stores below were much nicer. So if you're wondering where to get the best tau sar piah in Penang, check out our list now.
Jump to:
- Best Tau Sar Piah in Penang
- Penang Tau Sar Piah Him Heang
- Soon Seng Heang Bakery
- Penang Tau Sar Piah Ghee Hiang
- Wei Shiang
- Ban Heang Tau Sar Piah Penang
- Cheong Kim Chuan
- Chuan Peng Hiang
- Soon Hiang Biscuit Shop
- Tean Ean Local Products
- Seng Seng Hiang
- Hock Lok Siew
- Can you buy Tau Sar Piah at the airport?
- Penang Tau Sar Piah in Singapore
- Top Tau Sar Piah in Penang
Best Tau Sar Piah in Penang
We have picked out 11 spots for you that sell the best tau sar piah in Penang!
First, we recommend trying the famous tambun biscuit in Penang at the well-known pastry shop Ban Heang. Another one we like is handmade mung bean pastries at Cheong Kim Chuan - simple and unassuming but oh so good.
Penang Tau Sar Piah Him Heang
Him Heang is a famous Penang tau sar piah place where you usually see a long queue waiting for their preservative-free pastries. Unfortunately, you cannot eat in as their biscuits are only for takeaway.
They sell one of the more famous tambun biscuits in Penang, which are well-loved because there are bits of deep-fried onion within the pastry. Sesame seeds sprinkled atop also add to the crunchiness of the biscuit.
Him Heang makes their biscuits with pork-free ingredients. However, please check the ingredients with them before you buy any.
You should go there on a weekday before they close at 3 pm. We suggest you avoid Saturday because of the crowds, and the shop is closed on Sundays. Plastic bags are chargeable, so bring your shopping bags to get this famous Penang tau sar piah.
Penang Tau Sar Piah Him Heang
162A, Jalan Burma, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Soon Seng Heang Bakery
According to online reviews, Soon Seng Heang sells the best tau sar piah in Penang. But that's also because they are available for purchase online in Singapore. Therefore, many who travel from Singapore to Penang are familiar with the brand and deliberately visit to see the actual shop.
The small, brightly lit shop sells various local pastries in colourful packaging. But, unfortunately, you cannot eat in. Nevertheless, it's a great place to shop if you want to bring some local snacks home as souvenirs.
Their speciality is their traditional tambun biscuits, which come in a small box with 16 pieces. Many fans say they love the intense sweetness of the paste within. If you don't like sweets, grab a box of the Penang tau sar piah mixed with chicken floss. It's an exciting twist that you won't regret!
They are not halal certified, but they state on their online shops that the mung bean pastry is halal and vegetarian friendly. The best time to go is on a weekday before they close at 7 pm. We also recommend their brown sugar biscuits, wife pastry, pineapple biscuits, and shrimp biscuits.
Soon Seng Heang Bakery
23, Jalan Besar, Taman Tangling Jaya, 14100 Simpang Ampat, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
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Penang Tau Sar Piah Ghee Hiang
This iconic Penang Tau Sar Piah shop is worth visiting to purchase its beautifully packed biscuits. If you want to bring home pastries housed in an ornamental red box with intricate designs, this is the place to go.
The shop is in a small two-storey bungalow, with two adorable sculptures to invite you. Spaces are limited, so it's best to purchase as a takeaway. Many laud their extremely fragrant, traditional mung bean pastries with a rich filling and crispy exterior.
However, the bakers cook the mung beans with fried onions and salt so that it is not cloyingly rich. Also, Ghee Hiang's flagship product is their locally-made sesame oil, which is halal-certified. They use this very sesame oil to fry their famous Penang tau sar piah.
It's usually relatively quiet, so you can go anytime. A tip is to check the quantity within the box before you buy. Some customers have expressed that while the boxes are exquisitely made, there must be more biscuits within each package because there are too few.
Penang Tau Sar Piah Ghee Hiang
216, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Wei Shiang
Wei Shiang sells one of Penang's most famous tambun biscuits. Located near Prangin Mall, it's in the middle of Georgetown, where you'll find many museums and Penang hotels. So if you're staying nearby at one of the hotels, you can come here to buy Penang tau sar piah. It only serves takeaway food.
The shop's exterior might look slightly outdated, but don't let it fool you. Many people love its vintage look and simple packaging. While the paper boxes might look less glossy than other shops, it hides their freshly baked tambun biscuits.
Each biscuit hits you with a sweet burst of flavour. They are also famous for their pandan tambun biscuits. The pandan adds an elevated sweetness.
We could not find any information on whether Wei Shiang is halal-friendly. The brand is one of the Penangites' best local secrets, so only a few tourists visit to get their hands on the famous Penang tau sar piah. You won't find a long queue, and you can go anytime. Our pro tip is to buy their sambal nyonya and white coffee pies.
Wei Shiang
67, Jalan Magazine, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Ban Heang Tau Sar Piah Penang
This famous Penang tau sar piah shop has an interesting motto: "made now, bake now, sell now". This is because so many people go there for its biscuits, baked freshly with high-quality ingredients.
The shop stands out along the street with its wood-lined facade and golden Chinese characters for its name emblazoned on a signboard. Inside, there are more than 200 types of souvenirs that you can purchase for friends and family back home. You can only do takeaway at the shop.
Their speciality pastries include some of the most famous tambun biscuits in Penang. They have orange-flavoured, pandan-flavoured, and coffee-flavoured, and the most unique one is the spicy shrimp flavour. Ban Heang is halal certified, so this is where you go if you're looking for halal food in Georgetown.
This shop is popular amongst tourists looking to purchase the famous Penang tau sar piah. So if you want to head there, go on the weekday before 4 pm. Another tip is to try the samples at the counter or ask for them before you buy.
Ban Heang Tau Sar Piah Penang
200, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Cheong Kim Chuan
You might miss this unassuming small shop when you walk past it until you're drawn in by the aromatic fragrance of its famous Penang tau sar piah wafting from its oven. Yes, Cheong Kim Chuan sells the best tau sar piah in Penang, but they are a well-kept secret among the locals. Their vast selection of mung bean pastries is stacked on a small shelf.
What's unique about their pastry is the perfect pastry-to-filling ratio. When you bite into the flaky biscuit, you get a decent portion of the mung bean filling, which doesn't overwhelm your taste palette. In addition, their mung bean pastries are halal-certified. You can go there anytime since few tourists frequent the shop.
This shop selling famous tambun biscuits in Penang is also well-known for another local pastry called 'mi ku'. These are steamed red bean buns coloured red and used to form a tortoise. The Chinese usually buy these to celebrate birthdays since tortoises symbolise a long life. But you can also purchase singular buns to try. So our insider's tip is to try these buns along with the biscuits!
Cheong Kim Chuan
99-B, Lorong Selamat, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Website
Chuan Peng Hiang
If you're looking for the best tau sar piah in Penang but don’t like long queues, then we recommend Chuan Peng Hiang. A small shop located alongside a street, there is little parking here. Still, its fans go there despite the limited parking slots to take away their delicious mung bean pastries. A cafe is beside the shop if you want to eat them immediately because there are no seats in Chuan Peng Hiang.
They make their mung bean pastry sweet and light, with a hint of saltiness. The flavours are well-balanced, and there's a satisfying crunch when you bite into the biscuit. Try their famous tambun biscuits, which many locals love!
Unfortunately, there is no information on whether their biscuits are halal-friendly, so do ask the shopkeeper when you are there. Another tip is to avoid lunchtimes. Parking is limited, so it's best to take a cab there or have the driver wait at the back of the alley.
Chuan Peng Hiang
11600, 88-06-01, Jalan Jelutong, Jelutong, 11600 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Soon Hiang Biscuit Shop
For people who swear by handmade pastries only, check out Soon Hiang Biscuit Shop. It's one of the few shops left where everything, including the mung bean paste and the biscuit dough, is handmade. The mung bean paste is delicious, with the perfect blend of sweet and salty flavours intermingling.
Famous tambun biscuits in Penang and regular-sized mung bean pastries are sold here. They use lard to fry the pastries, which is not halal-friendly.
One thing to note is that it's almost impossible to purchase their famous Penang tau sar piah via walk-in. You need to call and order one day in advance. It's a small shop which only does takeaways.
One tip is to try their other local snacks, such as lotus biscuits and roti jari (finger-sized sponge cakes). Their wares are priced much more affordably than in other shops.
Soon Hiang Biscuit Shop
33, Jalan Kuantan, George Town, 10000 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
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Tean Ean Local Products
Tean Ean is beside Fisherman Man's pier. So if you're done exploring the scenic stretch of beach beside the pier, you can walk to this confectionary shop. It's a highly well-organised shop with more than 300 local products available, including the famous Penang tau sar piah.
What's unique is that they have an exposed kitchen behind a glass wall, so you get to see the pastries put together by the staff in real time. That is one of the reasons why people love going there!
Unfortunately, you cannot eat here, but there are plenty of snacks to buy. This is one of the shops that sell both the famous tambun biscuit in Penang and the original-sized mung bean pastries. Many people love the biscuits here because the crust is smooth and not too flaky. It is also halal-certified, perfect for your Muslim friends.
While you will see a lot of tourists at the shop, it's spacious enough to accommodate large groups. So there is no best time to head to the shop. Additionally, we recommend buying their packet Bak Kut Teh mix, a blend of dry soup spices.
Tean Ean Local Products
90, Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Seng Seng Hiang
If you are visiting the Kek Lok Si, the biggest temple in Penang, stop by Seng Seng Hiang. Many people go there after seeing the beautiful hilltop temple, a tourist attraction. You can't eat at Seng Seng Hiang, but you can take away their pastries.
Try the famous tambun biscuit in Penang here. It comes in traditional flavours, but they also have pandan, sambal udang, and durian flavours! For the uninitiated, durian is a rich and creamy Asian fruit. The infusion into the biscuit is unique. This exciting mix makes it one of the best tau sar piah in Penang, but that's our opinion. You just have to try it for yourself to decide!
Due to the temple, the shop draws a crowd on weekends, so go on a weekday instead. If you can't find it, our tip is to head to the car parks of the Penang temple. It's located amid eateries selling other local Penang delights.
Seng Seng Hiang
613-D, Jalan Pasar, Pekan Ayer Itam, 11500 Ayer Itam, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Hock Lok Siew
On first look, this famous Penang tau sar piah shop looks like a house, not a confectionery shop. But step inside the shophouse, and you will find that this well-kept local's favourite sells one of Penang's more famous tambun biscuits.
Many people go to Hock Lok Siew because the prices are affordable. The packaging is simple, with biscuits in airtight plastics or paper boxes. It might not make a good gift unless your receiver doesn't mind. It's all about the biscuits here. Locals love their traditional Penang tau sar piah, which they swear tastes more authentic than big brand names.
There is not much of a queue when you come on weekdays and weekend noons. Pro tip - there is minimal parking, so try to get a cab, or if you stay nearby in the hotels, walk there. Looking at the ingredients listed, this should be halal-friendly. However, do check with the owners when you're there.
Hock Lok Siew
120, Lebuh Noordin, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Can you buy Tau Sar Piah at the airport?
You can get Penang tau sar piah at Penang Airport if you run out of time while on holiday and forget to grab a box. That's understandable since there are so many things to do in Penang. You can buy them from the well-known brand Ban Heang as they have a retail outlet there.
Penang Tau Sar Piah in Singapore
But if you travel to Singapore, you can also buy the famous Penang tau sar piah there. Due to the two countries' proximity, it's easy to find many similar delicacies, and mung bean pastries are no exception. You don't have to buy them fresh, as you can keep the pastries for up to a week, but if you prefer crunchy pastries, get them fresh.
Top Tau Sar Piah in Penang
- Him Heang
- Soon Seng Heang Bakery
- Ghee Hiang
- Wei Shiang
- Ban Heang
- Cheong Kim Chuan
- Chuan Peng Hiang
- Soon Hiang Biscuit Shop
- Tean Ean Local Products
- Seng Seng Hiang
- Hock Lok Siew
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