TE AmOR Bakery & Confectionery – delightful pastries, bread loaves and buns
Mr James Loh bakes with passion. With no baking experience except raw enthusiasm, James honed his skills in the field of baking through first-hand experiences. He worked at various bakeries in Penang, six to be exact, before venturing out on his own. He established TE AmOR Bakery & Confectionery in June 2015 at a shop along Anson Road before relocating to 63, Gat Lebuh Chulia in December 2020.
James wakes up in the wee hours of the morning, about 3:00 am to prepare baked items ready for 8:00 am when the doors are open to the public. He pushes the boundaries of creativity and his great passion is evident in his creations. Let us take a look at some of my favourite items at the bakery.
The honey cinnamon rolls are sold in a pair. They are pillowy soft and deliciously addictive, perfumed with the fragrant aroma of cinnamon. James uses only unbleached flour in all his bakes, as well as brown sugar and sea salt. He believes that good ingredients are key factors in producing quality baked items.
To enjoy the cinnamon rolls in the comfort of my home, I top them with a drizzle of glacé icing and roasted crushed almonds. Serving them with fruits makes them a delicious breakfast treat.
Moist and buttery bread pudding is also a must-try item. The plump raisins add texture and taste to the pudding. The bread pudding is ideal for tea time. I would often drizzle some Baileys Irish cream over it to booze it up a notch.
James makes truly delicious quiches! The buttery, rustic shortcrust pastry is topped with a custardy egg filling, flavoured with turkey ham or smoked duck. The portion is just right for a snack or light meal when served with a refreshing salad on the side.
The classic apple pie is also among some of my favourite items. Since the crust is an all-butter pie crust (no shortening), it is flaky and tender. The irresistible homemade apple pie filling is spiced with cinnamon and star anise. The lattice top makes it a beautiful offering - it is rather labour intensive.
The savoury curry kapitan chicken puff is truly scrumptious as well. The filling has a rich and distinct Nyonya signature, encased within flaky puff pastry. I am quite certain that James must have Peranakan parentage, being able to reproduce flavours right down to a tee. Be warned, one is never enough!
The creamy mushroom pie is one of James' signature offerings. The rich filling is creamy, packed with mushrooms and chicken cubes. It is best enjoyed when freshly baked.
The fruit tart, filled with creamy vanilla custard and topped with cut fruits, is also tempting. The pastry is beautifully arranged – almost too pretty to eat! James bakes butter cupcakes, butter and chocolate marble cakes and madeleines, as well as customised cakes for birthdays and special occasions.
The bakery has a wide range of bread loaves, pastries and cakes. Loaves and buns include parsley bread loaves, butter loaves, an assortment of petite multi-grain buns, wholemeal buns with lemon cream cheese filling, garlic butter sausage rolls, onion cheese buns, Japanese purple sweet potato buns, chocolate custard rolls, red bean buns, cranberry walnut buns, sesame potato buns and chocolate Mexico buns.
Pastries include premium butter croissants, mini croissants, almond butter sugar sticks, cranberry white chocolate scones and orange peel raisin scones. During festive seasons, James will be busy making festive cookies. His jam tarts are to die for!
James bakes daily in order to control the quality. Everyday, he offers a limited range of items (4-8 items) announced via Whatsapp. James started the Whatsapp group since its inception. Customers we updated daily on items available, enabling them to place their orders respectively. Collections were made at the bakery or delivered right to your doorstep (a delivery fee applies). Thus, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, James had already established a successfully operating business that was not hampered.
Operating hours are from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm daily except on Sundays and public holidays. From 1:00-4:00 pm, James makes his delivery rounds.
His humble beginnings is a testament to his calling in the field of baking. I have known James since he first started business in 2015. He continues to grow, expending his repertoire of creativity bakes. "Te amor" is Spanish for "I love You" and James, the feeling is mutual.
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TE AmOR Bakery & Confectionery
63, Gat Lebuh Chulia, George Town, 10200 George Town, Penang.
Tel: +6012-441 1893
Open: 8am - 1pm daily except Sundays and public holidays
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Written and photographed by Adrian Cheah
© All rights reserved
28 February 2023