Thye Moh Chan 泰茂栈 @ Chinatown Point

Tau Sar Piah freshly baked from the oven

I was at the Chinatown area and my friend wanted to buy some traditional tau sar piah back home for her mum.  I thought she will bring me to one of those traditional confectionary, but instead we went to Chinatown Point and I had such a surprise to see a modernised shop with very tasteful deco selling tau sar piah!

Original Signboard of Thye Moh Chan

Not all is new.  Look up and you will see the 70 years old signboard of Thye Moh Chan hangs on its all new pristine flagship store.  Yes 70 years!  Thye Moh Chan is an old shop that used to be located at Liang Seah Street that got a facelift after being relaunched by the BreadTalk Group.  This iconic revival of an old brand like Thye Moh Chan is only possible when a modern corporation finds meaning in investing so that the legacy of the art of traditional Teochew confections, customs and history can continue to flourish.

Assorted Candies

Assorted Candies ($7.80/bottle)

Other than tau sar piah, Thye Moh Chan also specialised in producing authentic handcrafted Teochew pastries such as peanut and sesame candies.  Now they individually wrapped neatly and beautifully.  All these candies are used in Chinese customs such as weddings, new birth in the family, as well as treats during Chinese New Year and Mooncake Festival.

Coconut Egg Roll (14.80) 

Seaweed Egg Roll ($14.80)

Peanut Candy ($16.80/ box)

I often ask my friend if they are a tourist and visit Singapore, what would they buy as gifts?  Whenever my friends visit Taiwan, I would pester them to buy the Sun Biscuits (太阳饼) or Pineapple Tarts.  When friends come back from Japan they would buy Japanese pastries or cookies.  When people return from Thailand they bring back traditional Thai snack of rice crackers with pork floss on top.  Now tourist coming to Singapore need not just buy Bengawan Solo Kueh Lapis… now you can buy some freshly baked tau sar piah or candies in boxes.  How cool is that?  Thye Moh Chan should open at the Changi Airport Terminal.  And if I can borrow a pharse from my BFF, “remember you heard it here first! “

If you think making these petite tau sar piah is easy, that actually is the reason for the succession problem of a lot of traditional confectionaries in Singapore.  Each pastries requires the raw ingredients of mung beans to be steamed, washed, drained, cooked and thoroughly hand-ground for hours, steps that require great attention to detail and physical strength.  While machinery are used to speed up these process however, it is the human touch that creates the magical essence in these Teochew pastries.  Aren’t we glad that now we can continue to savour all the goodness of these tradition flavour, thanks to BreadTalk Group.

Thye Moh Chan 泰茂栈
133 New Bridge Road
#01-45 Chinatown Point
Singapore 059413
Contact Number: 6604-8858
Open Daily: 10am to 10pm

Click on to see more interesting pictures inside the store @_@ and I have interesting stories to tell >>

Wedding Baskets

The wedding baskets are used during the Betrothal Gift Exchange (过大礼).  I remember (from TV shows and museum visits) that they used it to carry all the bethrothal gifts and wedding confectionary items.  Even live chicken are carried in these big baskets!

Tea Set for Tea Ceremony

This is a tea set for the customary tea ceremony.  While many use the modern tea set, nothing really beats these glisttering gold looking tea set.  My mum has a set which she used during her tea ceremony and it is still prominently displayed in our showcase at the living area.  Apparently one has to take good care of the tea set because breaking a tea cup signifies a broken marriage.  So handle them with care!

Jewellery Box for Gold

It is important to have have a jewellery box to keep all the jewellery items.  During the tea ceremony, the bride will receive many gold or jewellery items from the relatives and she has to wear and carry all the jewellery items till the end of the day.  The more jewellery the bride wears, the more proud her parents is because it signifies that she is marrying into a good family.

Candle Sticks

Candles with the engraving of dragons and phoenix are also an important element in traditional marriages.  During the Betrothal Gift Exchange (过大礼), the man has to bring a pair of dragon and a pair of phoenix candles to the brides.  The bride’s family will them keep the pair of dragon candles and return the phoenix candles to the groom.  This signifies the bride agreeing to keep the man (by keeping the dragon candles) and agreeing to marry him (returning the phoneix candles).  In Chinese it is called 守龙放凤。Alot of people actually go through the motion these days without really understanding the true meaning behind the practises.  It is important we keep these traditions and meaning alive.

Candle and Tea Cups

It is also important that the newly wed places a pair of candles beside their newly-wed bed.  The candles signifies long, enlightened life for the newly-wed.  With technologies these days, both people place bed-side lamps in place of the candles (fire hazard!).  I remember during my sister’s wedding, they were told that the lamp cannot be diminished so that they can have sons.  I reckon my sister did kept the lights on because I got a nephew!  The word lamp in chinese is phonetically similarly to son. （添丁/灯).

Thank you for Lishi from BreadTalk Group for showing me around the shop at Chinatown Point and snopping many pictures to make this blog possible.

Thye Moh Chan is also available at Parkway Parade within the Food Republic.  Please go try their tau sar piah, you’ll love it.

Thye Moh Chan 泰茂栈
Parkway Parade Basement
Food Republic, #B1
Singapore
Contact Number: +65-6344 8885
Open Daily: 10am to 10pm

Corporate Sales Hotline:  6854-9732