Popular Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry Sees Snaking Queues On Its Last Day Of Operations Today

20-pax queue stretching out the door

The queue apparently started even before Galicier opened its doors for the day; when we arrived shortly after it opened, we were promptly greeted by a snaking line that stretched out the door and along the row of shophouses beside the bakery.

Although it was barely 10.30am, we counted at least 20 customers ahead of us. At around lunchtime, the queue had stretched even further to a crowd of almost 30.

Super popular putu ayu sold out by 11am

The queue moved rather quickly as the staff behind the counter dished out orders with almost militant efficiency. That said, we still aren’t early enough to snag a box of their beloved putu ayu, as it was already sold out before we even reached the counter. Sadness.

One last taste of kueh dadar

Our 30-minute wait wasn’t a complete waste though, since we still managed to snag a box of their scrumptious kueh dadar – though that might be because the bakery limited each customer to just two boxes of their three most popular kuehs (putu ayu, kueh dadar and ondeh ondeh).

Longtime customers hope Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry will live on

Some longtime customers queuing with us included Edwin Wee, 28, who shared that he had grown up enjoying Galicier’s pastries since he was “six or seven years old”. He recalled: “When I was a kid, after every exam when I got good grades or even when I got not-so-good grades, my mum would either cheer me up or reward me with this (laughs). So to me, it kind of reminds me of my mother’s love,” he shares, adding that the bakery’s kuehs were also a staple for “every Chinese New Year celebration”.

Ng Wei Meng, 64, has been patronising the bakery with her son Conal Lee, 27, “every other day this week to try and get as much as we can before it closes.” Today, they are leaving with a bag full of custard puffs, Swiss rolls and kueh salat.Having frequented the bakery for “10 years or more” as her family lives in the area, she says: “For my generation, I grew up with this kind of pastries, so I was really glad to have it around.” She hopes to see the brand continue its run: “We were very sad to hear the news [of the bakery closing]. We were wondering, why don’t they sell the business to someone? So at least there’s some continuity lah.”

Meanwhile, Ng Kiat Lam, 70, another longtime customer of over a decade, concurs: “I’m hoping someone will carry on lah. This kind of taste, you cannot find it [elsewhere these days].”

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