Entree Kibbles: Don [Your Personal Pie Club] That Also Serves Claypot Crab Bee Hoon @ Cross Street [along China Street], China Square Central

Soft bread with savoury filling is a preferable option over crusty pies.

Therefore, i could not understand the affection my younger sister has for pies, to the extent of ordering one or even two full "cakes" [from Don Pie] every time we have a mini gathering amongst our family members.

Taste has always been subjective; one's medicine could be another one's poison. Well, the saying doesn't work this way but i guess you know what i mean.

And for such a straightforward product, it kind of caught me by surprise that despite having a pretty modest shopfront that looks like a takeaway counter, this pie company has a huge central kitchen!

Of course, it has its supporters (like my sister) and fantastic reviews from the media - there's one article proudly proclaiming that it's one chicken pie with the desirable oomph!

My motivation for taking the trouble to patronise the shop on a weekend is definitely not the pies.

Weirdly, it was mainly for the claypot crab bee hoon [soup and dry black pepper] which is gaining quite a following with the office crowd in Singapore's central business district.

Chicken Pie

This is the pie that plays a significant role in the history of the company; the owner, by the name of Don (surprise, surprise), brought it to Hong Leong Finance and a secured a loan to set up his first shop!

Fragrant, flaky crust, meaty chunky chicken, mixed delish vegetables and a supposedly unique blend of spices.

And half a hardboiled egg in every slice! Having said that, I still prefer my pork floss bread from BreadTalk. Frankly, i am just not a pie person and would likely crave for local food when i am in countries where such food thrives.

Chicken Shepherd Pie

Before i could even whip out my camera, someone had already taken a scoopful! And i could fully understand the reason why.

As compared to the chicken pie, i enjoyed the shepherd (the pie, not the person) better. The plain and soft mashed potatoes complemented the pepperish chicken perfectly! *Note: for friends (Karen Au etc) who don't take spicy food, you can actually request for non-spicy*

Claypot Crab Bee Hoon

(Soup)

Served in a claypot to lock-in the heat and flavour, this was said to be created by the owner himself although i prefer to use the word "innovated" or even "revised".

Create means something new and for many Singaporeans, claypot crab bee hoon is definitely not new to the local food scene.

In comparison to my recent one at Balestier, the milky crab bee hoon was more flavourful with a saccharine kick and hinted of traditional Chinese herbs! For unknown reason, pieces of yam were added to the soup.

Taking into consideration a typical crab bee hoon, i would say this is not the best. However, it did help to curb my recent craving for claypot bee hoon soup!

Claypot Black Pepper Crab Bee Hoon

(Dry)

Privately, this is more delicious!

Not only was the beehoon infused with the robust crab essence but even the peppery gravy was fully absorbed into the heart of the fresh crab, creating an optimal taste balance.