GEORGE TOWN, May 7 — Scones, a light-as-air soufflé and traditional biscuits like tau sar pneah and beh teh saw are part of a superb afternoon tea set served at the newly-opened Teels Heritage Cafe here.

A combination of English tea staples and traditional biscuits born in Penang; perfect East meets West treats.

The British Malaya-themed cafe, under the Ghee Hiang Group, re-introduced Ghee Hiang’s signature traditional pastries in its extensive afternoon tea sets.

The traditional phong pneah, a light flaky pastry with stringy sticky sugar filling, is given a new twist with the addition of an egg and baked to a golden crispy brown.

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Labelled as “Mothers’ golden hot-baked phong pneah”, this unique pastry was actually a confinement food served to new mothers by confinement ladies back in the old days.

The flaky pastry was first filled with a beaten egg then deep-fried in sesame oil over a low fire until the egg became a soft, creamy custard but at Teels, this specialty has been given a modern, healthy twist by being baked instead of deep-fried.

The phong pneah is filled with a beaten egg, then brushed with sesame oil before it is baked to crisp golden goodness.  

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What you get is a crunchy crust that crumbles at the first bite followed by the soft, creamy egg custard while the fragrant aroma of sesame oil envelopes everything.

As Ghee Hiang’s Group Chairman Datuk Ooi Sian Hian puts it, this is one traditional recipe that should be re-introduced and passed down the generations.

Ghee Hiang Group Chairman Datuk Ooi Sian Hian in the Queen Victoria's Parlour room he decorated at Teels.
Ghee Hiang Group Chairman Datuk Ooi Sian Hian in the Queen Victoria's Parlour room he decorated at Teels.

“We want to bring back the beauty and delicious flavours of tradition and this is one recipe that most have forgotten,” he shared.

Other than the phong pneah, Teels Heritage Cafe’s afternoon tea sets include hot-from-the-oven traditional biscuits like tau sar pneah, almond cookies, hneoh pneah and beh teh saw.  

“We are bringing back our old tradition of fresh and hot biscuits that made Ghee Hiang so well-known so many years ago,” Ooi said.

He said Ghee Hiang made its name when people would queue outside its old shophouse along Beach Street for a taste of their hot-from-the-oven biscuits.

Today, due to all biscuits being immediately cooled and pre-packed to maintain freshness, many newer customers have never tasted the biscuits hot from the oven which Ooi insists is vastly different.

Teels, tastefully decorated in a British colonial style complete with overstuffed armchairs, elaborate chandeliers and walls full of black and white photographs, was opened in part to push Ghee Hiang’s biscuits and also for the group to venture into running a cafe.

On top of these traditional biscuits, the usual scones, cakes, macarons, brownies and mini-tarts are also available in the cafe’s afternoon sets.

For groups of three or more, they have three selections of premium platters served in four courses starting with the scones, then a selection of bite-sized pastries and kuih in an ornate lacquer box followed by platters of the traditional biscuits and paired with a choice of coffee, tea or sparkling wine.

Only three sets of these afternoon tea sets are available for walk-in customers each day so those planning to try out the sets should call to make reservations first.

Stevedore soy chicken stew served in a hot stone pot (left) and Sargeant-major fish and wedges served with quinoa pumpkin salad.
Stevedore soy chicken stew served in a hot stone pot (left) and Sargeant-major fish and wedges served with quinoa pumpkin salad.

For heavier meals, Teels has a basic six-item menu of beef brisket sliders, sambal king prawn noodles, fish and wedges, herbed lamb envelopes, stevedore soy chicken stew and avocado and mushroom char-bread for vegetarians.

Each item on the menu is a fusion of local flavours and Western influences using mostly local produce. The herbed lamb envelopes are made from local lamb seasoned with a mint sauce and wrapped in a light puff pastry.

The chicken stew is a twist to the local claypot chicken rice where the chicken thigh, seasoned in soy and sesame oil, is braised and served on top of jasmine fragrant rice with baby spinach and a side of acar (spicy pickled vegetables).

The cafe is also introducing special out-of-menu items such as charcoal grilled chicken and lamb, both of which are only available upon prior ordering at least a day earlier.

The cafe takes up the whole upper floor of the Ghee Hiang outlet along Burmah Road and has four different themed rooms. They have two private rooms called “The Pahlawan” and “Attorney General’s Chambers” for formal small events, meetings or simply for evening drinks with friends.

The Merchant's Tea Room at Teels.
The Merchant's Tea Room at Teels.

The other two larger rooms are the “Queen Victoria’s Parlour” with black and white pictures of Queen Victoria on a wall while the “Merchant’s Tea Room” has more of an Oriental feel.

All four rooms boast vibrant colours, comfortable seatings and a luxurious feel thanks to Ooi’s personal touch. The trained architect designed and planned the decor for the whole interior.

“We want to give them a nice, posh surrounding but we also want them to feel comfortable enough to be casual here too so we maintain this as a cafe without being too upscale and uppity,” he said.

Ooi said the prices are also affordable for all who drop by for a meal or an afternoon tea.

Teels Heritage Café
144G&H, Burmah Road,
10400 George Town, Penang
Tel: 04-2288177
Time: 11.30am-3pm (lunch)
3pm - 6pm (afternoon tea only)
6pm - 10pm (dinner)
(Closed on Mondays).