Co-creator of Dona Manis cake shop’s famous banana pie dies at 93, took bus to work till 90
The late Mr Tan Tieow Teong was a familiar sight at the well-loved bakery at the basement of Katong Shopping Centre.
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Photo: Dona Manis Cake Shop
It is famous for its banana pie and chocolate tarts, which are snapped up almost as soon as they are freshly out of the oven.
The shop was co-founded in 1992 by two friends, Mdm Soh Tho Lang and the late Mr Tan Tieow Teong. Together, they created their famed banana pie, with Mdm Soh taking care of the baking and Mr Tan in charge of the bakery’s operations.
Passed away at 93
On Oct 14, Dona Manis Cake Shop announced on its Facebook page that Mr Tan had passed away aged 93 the day before.
No reason was given for his passing, though the post praised Mr Tan as a “well-known and humble boss who take bus to take til a ripe of age of 90 yo [sic]. Thank you for everything. You will be missed.”
Photo: Don Leow/ Heritage SG Food
Netizens remember him
Tributes poured in from netizens who grew up on Mr Tan’s pastries, including Facebook user Don Leow, who posted on foodie group Heritage SG Food.
In his post, he remembered Mr Tan as being well-spoken in English and was “always confident to promote his pie whenever you purchase his pastries.”
Don also recounted taking a one-hour bus ride to Katong Shopping Centre in his teenage years to buy PC games, and would buy banana pies and chocolate cream horns from Dona Manis as snacks.
“Dona Manis pastries are fast food for us kids be it banana pies or chocolate cream cones will be enough to feed and energise us to spend the whole afternoon till evening to shop and clone pc games [sic],” he wrote.
Dona Manis Cake Shop's old-school chocolate horns are also very popular (Photo: Dona Manis Cake Shop)
Gave free pastries to cash-strapped kids
He also recalled that Mr Tan was “always kind to us children and sometimes gave away free pastries to us knowing we have little to spare for food when all are used on PC games. He may be gone but not forgotten.”
Dona Manis Cake Shop, #B1-93 Katong Shopping Centre, 865 Mountbatten Rd, S437844. Open Mon-Sat, 9am-4.30pm. www.facebook.com/dona.manis.cake.shop
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