Gartien Pineapple Pastry Shop

Gartien, Penang (17 June 2015)


Gartien is a pastry shop along Penang Road, in George Town, Penang. The shop specialises in pineapple shortbread, often called the Taiwanese pineapple tart or pineapple cake. Gartien began in 2012 from its outlet along Macalister Lane. In May 2014 it opened a storefront on Penang Road, but continues to use the Macalister Lane offer as an outlet and office.

To ensure the freshest quality of pineapple for its shortbread, Gartien receives a steady supply from its business partner which runs the pineapple plantation in Jawi, Seberang Perai. Manually cut into small pieces, the pineapple is then cooked over a gentle flame for twelve hours to gradually caramelize into a golden brown. The result is an aromatic, buttery shortbread that encases the rich pineapple filling.

The friendly staff of Gartien at the Penang Road shop. (17 June 2015)


17 June, 2015
My wife and I are both Taiwanese pineapple tart enthusiasts, and we even made some at home for fun. So when we got to know the owners of Gartien, we were pleased to pay a visit to their shop, where we were warmly received and invited to partake their pineapple shortbread with yulong tea.

The pineapple shortbread is very delicious. Their tips about cooking the pineapple until it caramelises is a great idea - we shall try it the next time we make this, but I don't think we have the patience to cook the pineapple for twelve hours, as they do here at Gartien, but I can say that the effect is really nice. So, to taste it as the pros do it, have to buy the shortbread from Gartien.

Gartien's signature product: their pineapple shortbread, available in a lovely box of ten. (17 June 2015)


Gartien's pineapple shortbread is now also available in a box of six. (17 June 2015)


Gartien's new green tea shortbread. (17 June 2015)


In addition to the pineapple shortbread, Gartien has also rolled out a few other products including the pineapple jam. When we visited, they have three types: the regular pineapple jam, the pineapple jam with strawberries, and the pineapple jam with brandy and red wine. In addition, they are in the process of launching their shortbread with green tea filling.

Gartien's jam: pineapple (centre), pineapple with strawberry (left), pineapple with brandy and red wine. (17 June 2015)


The various pineapple jam available at Gartien. (17 June 2015)


Gartien has a lounge area where customers can enjoy their shortbread while sipping tea. (17 June 2015)


In addition to the lounge area, the Gartien shop also has an upstair level which is presently empty and may be rented out for art exhibitions. We were taken on a tour of the upstairs to see the space as well.

Gartien pineapple shortbread (23 June 2015)

Contact

Gartien
380 Penang Road
10000 George Town, Penang
Phone: +60 4 229 0068
Email: info@gartien.com
Website: gartien.com

Opening Hours
Daily from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and closed on Mondays.

List of Bakeries in Penang