In Search of Sandakan’s Next Iconic Pastry

13 April 2025

SANDAKAN: A local café is inviting the people of Sandakan to create an original pastry that could one day sit alongside the beloved UFO tart as a symbol of the town’s culinary identity.

The Sandakan Pastry Competition, organised by San Da Gen Kopitiam, aims to ignite creativity among locals and discover a new pastry that embodies the town’s flavours and spirit.

Organising chairman Anton Ngui described the initiative as a small yet significant step towards encouraging innovation in Sandakan’s food scene.

“We hope to inspire the people of Sandakan to innovate in pastry making and develop unique creations that will represent our town as a distinctive food destination,” he said. “We simply want to play our part in supporting this effort.”

Ngui noted that the UFO tart—a soft sponge cake topped with creamy custard and a signature swirl of butter—has become a point of pride for Sandakan, with many directly associating it with the town.

“Now, we hope to inspire the next generation of pastry makers to create something equally iconic,” he added.

He mentioned that the competition also seeks to engage home-based bakers, who have been thriving in recent years.

“There are numerous home bakers in Sandakan these days, and we hope this will provide them with a platform to showcase their talents,” said Ngui.

The competition welcomes both sweet and savoury entries, with originality, creativity, and commercial viability as key judging criteria.

Winners will have the opportunity to claim RM500 for first place, RM200 for second place, and two RM100 consolation prizes. Entries will be assessed based on taste (45%), creativity and presentation (45%), and ease of production (10%).

Participants must deliver their entries to San Da Gen Kopitiam between 2pm and 3pm on 27 April (Sunday). Winners will be announced at 5pm on the same day.

The registration deadline is 25 April. Further information can be acquired from 012-2716988.