What is Don Pie? The short answer and the long one

“Don Pie” is one of those names that means slightly different things to different people. To an office worker who ate lunch at Raffles Place in the 2000s, it is a shop. To someone from Toa Payoh North, it is a food-centre stall that came and went. To most people searching today, it is simply a particular chicken pie: round, golden, heavy in the hand, with half an egg inside. This page pins the name down.

What is Don Pie, in one sentence?

Don Pie is the name for the chicken pies created by Chef Don Lim, who founded the Don Pie shop, “DON: Your Personal Pie Club”, at Far East Square in 2000, and who co-founded Chicken Pie Kitchen & Don Signature Crab in Jalan Besar, Singapore, where the same pies are baked today under the DonChef name.

People also say “Don pies”, “Don’s pie” and “Don chicken pie”, and the kitchen itself now says “DonChef’s Original Chicken Pie”. They all point to the same thing: Chef Don’s pies. We untangle the variants on what Don Pie is actually called.

Who is Chef Don Lim?

Chef Don Lim (林德發) is the baker and cook who founded the brand. By the brand’s own account he created his chicken pie recipe in 1983 while baking for a staff cafeteria, opened his first shop in 2000, sold the Don Pie brand around 2014 to 2015, rebuilt in Toa Payoh North with a crab bee hoon stall, and reopened as a restaurant at 39 Tyrwhitt Road in 2021 with his nephew. The longer story is on Chef Don Lim: the man behind Don Pie.

What does a Don pie look like and taste like?

A Don pie is a round pie with a golden, flaky crust and a generous filling. The brand describes “tender chunks of chicken, potatoes and vegetables in a secret spice blend”, and every Original Chicken Pie has half a hard-boiled egg inside, the old-school Hainanese touch reviewers always mention.

Reviewers do not agree on how to classify the pastry. Some call it puff, some call it buttery and flaky, one pie review site called it thicker and more biscuit-like than French-style pastry. We stick to the brand’s own phrase: golden and flaky. For the difference between the two pastries, ovenmarvel.com’s explainer on puff pastry vs shortcrust is a good primer, though it is about a different bakery’s pie, and the DonChef kitchen has written its own note on why it avoids both labels. Our honest view is that the crust is sturdy enough to hold a lot of filling without going soggy, which is exactly what you want from a pie eaten standing up at a kiosk. For how the Singapore style sits among chicken pies around the world, chickenpie.net’s Singapore guide is a useful international reference.

What does Don Pie sell?

The core of the menu is the pie range. As of the February 2026 menu:

A personal pie feeds one; a whole pie feeds four to six. Prices are as of October 2026; check the official site before you go. Beyond pies there are cakes (kueh lapis, prune lapis, cheesecake and a fruit-and-nut rich cake) and, at the Tyrwhitt Road flagship and AMK Hub, a full crab bee hoon and seafood menu. Details are in our menu and prices guide.

Where can I buy Don Pie?

Five places, as of October 2026:

1. Tyrwhitt Road flagship, 39 Tyrwhitt Road, Jalan Besar. Dine-in restaurant, full menu.
2. AMK Hub kiosk, Ang Mo Kio. Pies and crab, takeaway.
3. Wisma Atria kiosk, Orchard. Pies only.
4. White Sands kiosk, Pasir Ris. Pies only.
5. Tiong Bahru Plaza kiosk. Pies only.

You can also order ahead for pickup or delivery. There is no Toa Payoh outlet, despite what some old listings say; we explain why on is there a Don Pie in Toa Payoh.

Is Don Pie the same as Chicken Pie Kitchen?

They are connected through the chef. Chicken Pie Kitchen & Don Signature Crab is the restaurant and kiosks Chef Don Lim co-founded, and it is where DonChef’s Don pies are baked and sold today. The brand’s line is “Singapore’s original Chicken Pie, since 1983”. We explain how the names relate, without the confusion, on Don Pie and Chicken Pie Kitchen.

Is Don Pie halal?

No pork, no lard, not Halal-certified. The full explanation, and the reasons the brand gives, are on is Don Pie halal.

Why does this guide exist?

Because the web gives conflicting answers about Don Pie: two possible founding years, two possible sale years, closed stalls that still appear on maps, and prices from 2012 presented as current. donpies.com puts the dated facts in one place, says where sources disagree, and tells you where to get a pie today. You can read who we are and how we work.