What Does It Take to Operate a Traditional Chinese Pastry Shop in Singapore ?
Traditional pastry shops are not easy to operate in this day and age. Due to globalisation, many traditional cultures in Singapore have been slowly fading away. Thankfully, not all is gone. All around Singapore, there are still some surviving traditional Chinese pastry shops.
PHOTO: A photo of Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries shop at Jalan Membina.
Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries is one of them. This traditional Chinese pastry shop was started by Mr Yip Chik Sang in 1992 and they specialise in egg tarts. Mr Yip, a pastry chef from Hong Kong was only 26 years old when he arrived in Singapore.
PHOTO: Mr Yip posing for a photo in his kitchen.
A Baker's Story
Back then, Mr Yip saw Singapore as a country with great potential. A large Chinese population in a rapidly booming society meant that there would be a strong customer base for his Chinese pastry business.
While that was true, globalisation brought about its own set of challenges. The younger generation now prefers consuming western cookies rather than traditional pastries. This led to a decline in business over the years.
Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries was not spared from this. Mr Yip also encountered typical setbacks that business owners would face: Manpower issues and the location of the shop is inaccessible. He only had himself to depend on. He hired local part-timers, but many of them left for alternatives with better incentives.
Mr Yip had to do something to keep the business going. He was determined to make things work because, in the Chinese culture, it is an embarrassment to return home empty-handed. He said, “I can’t be going back to Hong Kong because of little things like my business failing”.
So in order to drive more business, he came up with offers like ‘Buy 10 Get 1 Free’ and other seasonal offers. Their pastries are priced at $1.50 each.
PHOTO: Promotional board displayed in Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries' shop.
PHOTO: The variety of pastries Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries offers.
This did help to improve the business and he was able to hire more staff to support the operations.
“I have worked here for more than 10 years and it was Mr Yip who taught me how to make the pastries,” said Ah Xia, a staff of Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries. She mentioned that working in a traditional bakery requires a lot of hard work. Mr Yip agreed.
PHOTO: A tray of Polo Buns ready to go into the oven.
He explained that "hand-made pastries are definitely better". The strength used for each process can be controlled, for example, “using lighter strength can make the crust looser and flakier”. This is why, even though it is labour intensive, they continue to use the most traditional recipes and roll and mould the dough by hand.
PHOTO: Staff of Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries hand-making the pastries.
Staying Traditional
As other bakeries move to use modern technologies, they felt that it is important for them to use the traditional methods to keep this culture going. It would be a shame if this craft were to be lost one day.
A frequent customer of Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries, Ms Du Ping, commented on how unique the shop is. She said that “because their kitchen is open, you can really see that the egg tarts are made from scratch”.
PHOTO: Mixing the ingredients in a huge bowl by hand.
“The egg tarts somehow taste better than others that I have tried. It is flaky and has quality,” Ms Du Ping added, sharing that her children love the egg tarts from here. She hopes that more traditional shops can operate for a long time to keep the Chinese pastry culture going.
In response to that, Mr Yip emphasised that “interest is crucial in this industry,” He explained that making traditional pastries requires a lot of effort. Thus, without a strong interest in making such pastries, he would not have sustained this business for over 30 years.
To remain relevant in Singapore’s ever-changing food culture, Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries retains its traditional methods while ensuring that improvements are constantly made. Attracting the local crowd and the younger generation prevents the products from merely being a “passing trend”.
Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries
Address: 18 Jln Membina, #01-06, Singapore 164018
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun, 7.30 am to 7.30 pm
Directions: Turn left after Tiong Bahru MRT Exit A, you’ll see the shop on your right