By WU VUIDE
SANDAKAN: The local community has been invited to create an original pastry — a true Sandakan-style delicacy to stand alongside the UFO tart, a symbol of the town’s culinary identity.
Those keen to showcase their creations can take part in the Sandakan Pastry Competition, organised by San Da Gen Kopitiam.
The competition aims to spark creativity among locals and discover a new pastry that captures the town’s flavours and spirit.
Organising chairman Anton Ngui said the initiative was a small but meaningful step to encourage innovation in Sandakan’s food scene.
“We hope to inspire Sandakan people to innovate in pastry making, and come up with unique creations that can represent Sandakan as a special food destination,” he said.
“We just want to play our small 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 — had become a source of pride for Sandakan, with many people associating it directly with the town.
“Now we’re hoping to inspire the next generation of pastry makers to create something equally iconic,” he added.
He said the competition also hopes to attract home-based bakers who have been thriving in recent years.
“There are many home bakers in Sandakan these days, and we hope this will be a platform for them to shine,” said Ngui.
The competition is open to both sweet and savoury entries, with originality, creativity, and commercial viability as key judging criteria.
Winners stand a chance to win RM500 for first place, RM200 for second place, and two RM100 consolation prizes. Entries will be judged based on taste (45 per cent), creativity and presentation (45 per cent), and ease of production (10 per cent).
Participants must deliver their entries to San Da Gen Kopitiam between 2pm and 3pm on Sunday, 27 April. Winners will be announced at 5pm the same day.
The closing date for registration is April 25. For more information, WhatsApp 012-2716988.
