Dona Manis Chocolate Tarts

[Jennifer Curtis]

Assomeone who is not a fan of anything sweet, especially chocolates and pastries, I seldom crave it. However, from time to time, I would think of the crumbly melt-in-my-mouth chocolate tarts and the old school gooey banana pies from Dona Manis Cake Shop.

There used to be a wider selection comprising bakes like hotdog buns, butter buns and red bean buns. However, they have stopped baking these breads since 2020 due to the lack of manpower. It was devastating news for me because I absolutely LOVED their butter buns that had a core of thick, flowy butter mix that oozes out easily! Sadly, now I can only dream of it.

Everything they have is handmade from scratch. From mixing to piping, to baking, everything is done by hand by the elderly team. I really have a lot of respect for the team who work so hard to produce these delicious bakes every day.

It is possible to pre-order the whole banana pie but remember to call them up before heading down. Leave your particulars and make payment upon receiving your pies. Do note that they only accept cash payment!

The couple, Madam Soh Tho Lang and Mr Tan Keng Eng, begins their day as early as 6am daily. They have to start preparing the dough and crust for their breads, pies, and tarts since everything is baked fresh here. There were only occasional customers when we arrived, but Madam Soh was rushing about from station to station, doing everything from mixing and boiling to piping and slicing.

The trays were then ready to go into the oven. She explained that only people her age would be willing to continue doing her profession daily, and besides, her customers would miss her pastries. I had to agree; there is nowhere else I know of that sells the same chocolate tarts and banana pie as Dona Manis did.

With the cream puffs in the oven, she took the time to pack freshly baked buns into plastic bags. The phone rang; someone had ordered four whole banana pies and she was going to bring it up to the pick-up point. She stacked the boxes into big, white plastic bags and strode off, and I was left to savour their lingering aroma.

Shortly after the co-founder of beloved retro bakery Dona Manis Cake Shop left to open her own biz called Auntie Peng Banana Pie next door, 8days.sg hotfooted it to Katong Shopping Centre to try the nearly identical bakes from both shops.

While their banana pies are the star of the show and the first thing we reviewed, there are folks who actually prefer the chocolate tarts at Dona Manis. Of course, its former head baker and co-founder Mdm Soh Tho Lang aka Auntie Peng, 74, also offers the same bite-sized treats at her new shop next door.

Ms Tiffany Chok, a 31-year-old executive administrator, told ST that she has frequented Dona Manis since she was 18 and would pop by after her church services on Sunday for its chocolate tarts and banana pies.

Dona Manis is an old-school bakery run by an old uncle and several aunties. They used to do the chocolate tarts on a daily basis but stopped doing so due to a combination of age and lack of manpower. In fact, I probably only get to savour their chocolate tarts on 1 out of 5 visits as there are no fixed days as to when they are baking them.

Their chocolate tarts can be a little fragile so my suggestion is to eat them immediately or the chocolate gets molten and messy, and the tart gets crumbly. I kept mine in the fridge overnight which kinda explains how they end up being #uglydelicious with the little cracks on the chocolate filling.

When eaten fresh, the chocolate is slightly molten. I like that it strikes a nice balance between sweet and buttery, and is not too rich and creamy. The tart is buttery and savoury. I recommend popping the entire tart into your mouth at one go so as not to waste any of the delicious chocolate gold.

You can have these mini tarts right out of the fridge, but I like it more after letting it sit for a few minutes - you get a more viscous chocolate filling. These are pretty pricey little bites, but no doubt a nice treat!

I was expecting dry and super sweet chocolate tarts like those neighbourhood bakeries but wow, their chocolate is bittersweet and taste like chocolate ice cream! Tart shell is v fragrant too. Two thumbs up ?? ??

I like to eat chocolate in room temp so I prefer thawing these buttery and crumbly cups for that melty chocolate ganache consistency. Some Burpplers recommend eating it out of the freezer or fridge if you prefer an ice cream or mousse-like treat! Will try that next time.

Why visit? Savour the taste of heritage at Sweetlands Confectionery and Bakery, one of the remaining traditional bakeries in Singapore that continue to prepare its bakes utilising old-school techniques.

Established in the 1980s, the folks at Jie Bakery are unfazed by the ever-changing food trends dominating our F&B scene. They have kept to the same recipe for over 30 years (and counting), and continue to bake their goods the old-fashioned way.

Crowd favourite: We hear the pandan waffles (from S$2.60) are a must-order item here. Touting an adorable honeycomb shape, luscious filling is sandwiched between two crispy waffles. Pick from various spreads to go with the treat, which include the likes of homemade kaya, chocolate, peanut and more.

Helmed by Mdm Soh and Mr Tan, the pastry shop has been around for more than 30 years. Thanks to its gooey banana pies and fudgy chocolate tarts, the stall has garnered a loyal fan base that consistently returns to savour its nostalgic confectioneries.

The couple begins the grind at 6am daily, where they bake their goods from scratch. From preparing the dough and crust to meticulously piping and slicing the cakes, the duo ensures their bakes are of the highest quality and freshness.

Crowd favourite: The buttercream cakes (S$1.50) are the bestsellers here. The frosting is whipped with margarine instead of butter and each slice boasts the same fluffy sponge base. The only difference is its toppings, which come in peanut, chocolate sprinkles, coconut and more.

Armed with refined culinary techniques and self-developed recipes, he wishes to share the traditional flavours of Hong Kong fare with Singaporeans. Today, the bakery is reputed for its flaky egg tarts (S$2 each), which are baked to perfection using fresh premium ingredients.

Why visit? Opened in 2009, Happy Oven is a halal-certified bakery that doles out old-school pastries and traditional bread in Singapore. All bakes are prepared with natural ingredients and made from scratch daily.

What sets this bakery apart from other big-name brands is not just its extensive lineup of pastries, but its incredibly low prices. Happy Oven counts the elderly among the bulk of its clientele, so the bakery keeps prices affordable to cater to the needs of customers.

With a dream to sell one million ang ku kuehs, the couple opened their first outlet at Everton Park nearly 35 years ago. At present, the brand can be found all over the island, with nine branches dotting our sunny island.

In this case, I actually went for Auntie Peng Banana Pie and got myself a couple of their pies for my mom, the mister and his mom and the wifey and her hubs, alongside their popular mini chocolate tarts and a raisin Scone that I heard was good. Would have loved to try their butter cakes in the future so maybe next time!

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