As C'est la vie a Maggi and I were about to go our separate ways after a short food date, I shamelessly mentioned that we have to make another stop because I was not satisfied. I needed to kill a craving for something delicious in order for my stomach to feel full, so we searched the available eateries in Chinatown. And as it turns out, The Pie Shoppe has been on my wish list without me even knowing!
The Pie Shoppe is run by two ladies, who I presume are sisters because of an overheard phone call of one saying, "I love you too, mom!" as the other lady was about to end the call. The small shop serves housemade and fresh pies daily, with a focus on locally sourced and seasonal fruit. The pies are also made on site!
When we walked in, we headed straight towards the pie display. There are no tags in the display because the selection can change daily so a chalkboard menu is conveniently located high up and at the back of the shop. Our our visit, the selection included Caramel Apple, Chocolate Pecan, Rashberry Rubarb and Blueberry Apple Crumble. The prices range from $5.00-$7.00 per slice and $20.00-$30.00 as a whole.
After getting our pies, we grabbed the only table that was available. I will admit, I was a bit uneasy having the pie here rather than to go because the interior does not look very clean. Maggi calls this the "grungy" atmosphere however, and is supposedly sort of popular nowadays… But to me, the decor resembles a thrift store. There are stained stools and the atmosphere is not my cup of tea. I even felt uncomfortable with the idea of sitting on the stools too and preferred a seat on the short wooden coffee table, which I confirmed if I could sit on just in case it broke LOL.
As one of the ladies was cutting my choice of pie, I eagerly waited for her to ask if I wanted the slice heated. But she did not ask. Like I am really going to be one of "those" annoying customers too… Plus, there must be a reason why she did not offer and I did not want to be a nuisance. Fortunately though, the pie was a bit lukewarm. Talk about fresh!
On my first bite, I tasted the very tart and sour rhubarb filling. I was embarrassed of Maggi seeing my cringing and sour face, and even told her not to look LOL. I wish I had asked if ice cream was available at the time of ordering, which could have helped cut some of the tartness. Ice cream and pie is always a perfect match too! But again, since I did not see ice cream on the menu, I did not want to be labelled as "those" who expect every business to run the same. Asides from the few bites of nothing but sourness, the crust really stood out. The crust tastes impeccably flaky and buttery! We both agreed The Pie Shoppe serves the best pie crust we have had.
In addition, I like that the soft rhubarb is not mushy and the flavour from the raspberries are apparent. Also half way through the slice, the filling tasted less tart but I could not help to think how much better the pie would taste if it was topped with vanilla ice cream! And heated!
BLUEBERRY APPLE CRUMPLE ($6.00).
As for Maggi's choice, the pie is served fridge cold. There is a blueberry preserve and slices of apple which are neither too mushy nor crunchy, but I could not get past the cold temperature. The crumble is also very loose and fine, which unfortunately masks the flakiness of the crust a bit. Since Maggi did not finish her slice, I had to try really hard to because I could not get over the cool temperature (which is selective).
TOTAL: $12.00.
On our visit, I liked watching the staff prepare the pies on site, literally behind the pie display. But it was hard to get over the fact that the staff did not wash their hands before serving the pies, especially when they also deal with cash. Essentially it comes down to this, a slice with partial missing portions of the crust and drippings of filling because the staff chose not to use their hands to help guide the pie during the transportation onto the plate… or a perfect slice with no missing pieces because the staff used their hands. I do prefer the latter in the end, and not like this is the first time someone who handles cash has touched the pie without washing their hands (Aphrodite's Pie Shop).
The Pie Shoppe overall offers fresh and housemade pies with a thick filling, the way it should be. I would consider revisiting after trying a few more pie shops, and if this one really does serve the best crust! But I will make sure to ask if the pies can be heated because it should taste way better, as well as hopefully above average. However, I rather get the slice to go in a disposable container along with disposable cutlery. I dislike the atmosphere quite a bit and even the inconsistency with the plate bugged me, which was curved rather than flat and I even thought it was served upside down when comparing to Maggi's. The cutlery is also the flimsy kind which bugs me because I am heavy handed.
POSITIVES
- Very fair prices
- Great crust (4/5)
- Prepared on site and fresh pies
- Staff asked how we liked the pies, rather than ignoring our presence
NEGATIVES
- Cluttered interior
- Limited seats for those who want to dine in
- If it is an option, the staff could ask if the pies would like to be heated
Food: 2.5/5
Service: N/A
hahaha "Don't look, don't look!" WHEN SHOULD WE GO ON OUR ROMANTICAL DATE?
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