Chinese Bakery at Rua de Cinco de Outubro

Established in 1936, the third-generation Pan Fong Bakery is one of the traditional chinese bakery store established more than 80 years; it’s also claimed as the oldest brand in the making of Mid-Autumn Moon Cakes and Bridal cakes in Macau.

Healthy balanced diet became a part of everyone’s life in the past decade. Thus, the market has emerged high quality vegetarian hand crafted chinese bakeries as their selling point. Pan Fong currently sell chicken egg biscuit, twister crisps, cashew coconut crisps, almond cookies etc, all suitable for vegetarian individuals; guests can even custom made their orders few days prior their pick up time. It doesn’t taste too sweet or greasy at all, which is quite hard to buy in Macau.

In the midst of the strong typhoon, Hato, that happened in 2017, the destruction of the damages and losses can not be imagined. Moving all the goods lifting up in the store can not avoid the serious loss of the disaster. All operating tools, equipment and raw material have damaged entirely; all inventory and resources need to reorder.

After the disastrous rectifications, renovation and brand reforms, Pan Fong became what we see today. With the newly introduced online retail platform, the price set were so reasonable and appealing to the diverse markets, roughly by average each pack costs $20; With consumption $200 more include free shipping delivery.

Despite not only this, Pan Fong insist producing high quality cakes in limited quantities daily, providing a diverse range of more than thirty selections. With use of ingredients such as peanut butter, green bean powder, special made vegetable oil and other natural flavorings etc; all freshly made every day. Recommended tasting time within seven days after purchase. Their focuses not solely aimed for tourists; but also to Macau locals that look for homey chinese bakery taste; Is definitely the right place they will reach out.

For Boss Chan operating a souvenir store and a bakery shop are two different things. If wish to guard its traditional tastes, the first thing bear in mind is to purely focus in operating a bakery shop only; Second is to manage your own production line and supply chain developments, do not take too many orders per day – otherwise the quality will not be up to standards; Lastly by doing what you like is the only way to keep the eighty years’ of traditional cake shop reputation.

Traditional Moon Cakes

Boss Chan from Pan Fong insist using his own lotus paste. The old, traditional copper pot that used to make lotus paste have been using more than half of a century. Most lotus paste used in local restaurants in the past was once originate from the Pan Fong’s. Regrettably most restaurants, food malls, casinos and junkets now have converted their lotus paste production back to China at lower costs; some even approach other manufacturers create their own packaging and branding, eventually have stopped ordering from them now.

The worth introductory item: Doubled Egg Yolk Lotus Paste Moon Cake and Shredded Coconut Moon Cake, is rare to find in the market. Pan Fong still insist using Wu Nan lotus mixes, kneading flour every day. Each Moon Cakes shaped out from wooden molds in the most traditional way. The taste is not too sweet, so munchy and soft from the inside out. Not a lot of store can manage to do such products.

All Pan Fong Moon Cakes do not contain alkaline water or preservatives. Instead, they use oil, salt, sugar and other formulas to slow down the rate of deterioration. They insist to make ordered Moon cakes only three or four days before guest picking up, ensure the oil in it are well strained, before handed over in good hands. They will pass it over to the guest on the spot which, the after taste can be so different. The statement “overnight oily taste” have entirely wiped out.

Vegetarian or light food lovers might consider Pan Fong’s Fruit Vegetarian Moon Cakes and Black Sesame Lotus Seed Moon Cakes; They are always the must-buy this year!

Macau’s favorite Wife and Bridal cake

There are also traditional Wife cakes worth to mention here. The Preserved Red Bean curd Salty Wife Cake and Sweet Wife Cake are two of the most popular must-buy products. Secondly, the cant missed out Bridal cakes are also the best buy in store. Definitely an iconic, symbolic traditional bridal cake gift when most local plan for their weddings.

Preservatives not recommend in all Pan Fong products; hence, all Wife cake are extremely crunchy. Many traditional Wife Cakes have added large portion of sugar during the making and flouring process; therefore it appears very sticky when eating. On the contrary, Pan Fong’s product is never too sweet; made to fit new generation tastes. Apart from that, most Bridal cakes present in different colors, stamped with red colored mark on top and placed in individual packing. Not all other stores can provide such handcrafted items.

Other must buy snacks

The coffee almond sticks, brown sugar light shortbread, pumpkin seed cake, the crossed shortbread, abalone shortbread, etc; are the famous first choices. Compared to what other supply-chain branding store that sells, only Pan Fong can provide such unique taste. Each piece is so brittle when picked up, not too sweet either; When placed in the mouth is so soft crisp, not greasy at all again, and tastes very fresh.

Keep its Perseverance till the end

Boss Chan, who constantly looking for novice successors; His philosophy way of management is to encourage constant innovation and change. “The ingredients are old; New logical way of thinking is the only way that can change.”

As just said, “It’s crucial to obtain the best interests. You must like it yourself first”. Imagine his insistence making traditional bakery in persistent ways; everyday looking for resolutions, to improve his third generation hand crafted art – and pass it onto his next successor. It’s a shame that it took so many years to find a perfect fit, taking over his bakery skills.

Two months later, the Mid-Autumn Festival will arrive soon. Why don’t just walk around Rua de Cinco de Outubro; spend some time and buy Pan Fong snacks; Try and check it out if that taste so yummy than what I said here!