Don chicken pie FAQ
21 questions people actually ask, answered in a few sentences each, with a link to the deep dive.
About the pie
What is a Don chicken pie?
A Don chicken pie is DonChef's Original Chicken Pie: a golden, flaky pie filled with chunky chicken, potato, vegetables, a spice blend and half a hard-boiled egg. It follows the recipe Chef Don Lim, the founder of Don Pie, created in 1983, and it is baked today at Chicken Pie Kitchen & Don Signature Crab in Singapore, the kitchen he co-founded.
Who is DonChef?
DonChef is the name Chicken Pie Kitchen & Don Signature Crab bakes under today. Every pie that leaves the kitchen is a DonChef pie, made to the original recipe that Don Pie founder and kitchen co-founder Chef Don Lim created in 1983. Chef Don Lim still appears at the kitchen's events.
About the recipe's creator: Chef Don Lim, the founder of Don Pie.
What is inside a Don chicken pie?
According to the kitchen and reviewers, the Original has tender chicken chunks, potato, vegetables such as peas and carrots, a secret spice blend and half a hard-boiled egg, inside a golden, flaky crust. The spice blend is not public.
Why does a Singapore chicken pie have a boiled egg in it?
Half a hard-boiled egg is a hallmark of the old-school Singapore chicken pie. The egg adds richness and a soft contrast to the chunky filling. The tradition is commonly linked to Hainanese cooks who made Western-style food in Singapore, though the exact origin is hard to pin down.
What is the difference between the Original and Black Pepper Don chicken pie?
The menu describes the Black Pepper Chicken Pie as the same pastry with an extra peppery kick. The Original is the 1983 recipe and tastes gently seasoned. If you like heat, try Black Pepper; if it is your first Don pie, start with the Original.
How big is a Don chicken pie?
The menu lists two sizes: Personal, which feeds 1, and Whole, which feeds 4-6. The kitchen does not publish weights or diameters, so neither do we.
Is the Don chicken pie halal?
No. The kitchen uses no pork and no lard, but it is not Halal-certified. The flagship serves alcohol and admits pet dogs indoors.
If you need a certified pie, see this guide to halal pies in Singapore.
Buying
Where can I buy a Don chicken pie?
At the Chicken Pie Kitchen & Don Signature Crab flagship, 39 Tyrwhitt Road in Jalan Besar, and at takeaway kiosks in AMK Hub, Wisma Atria, White Sands and Tiong Bahru Plaza, as of October 2026. Advance orders go through the official ordering site.
How much does a Don chicken pie cost?
The printed menu dated February 2026 lists the Original at $6.80 for a personal pie and $33.80 for a whole pie. Prices are as of October 2026; check the official site before you go, because online and delivery prices can differ.
Is there a Don chicken pie shop in Toa Payoh?
Not any more. The Toa Payoh stalls have closed. The nearest current outlets are the AMK Hub kiosk, three MRT stops north on the North-South Line, and the Tyrwhitt Road flagship in Jalan Besar.
Storing and reheating
How do you reheat a Don chicken pie?
The kitchen's published air fryer setting is 150C for 5 minutes, then 200C for 5 minutes. In an oven, use 150-180C for 20-30 minutes. Heat it on a rack or tray, uncovered, until piping hot in the centre, 75C if you have a probe.
How long does a chicken pie last in the fridge?
The Don pie maker's current advice is to keep its pies chilled for up to 3 days. Cool the pie, cover it and refrigerate it within 2 hours of buying, sooner on a hot day. When in doubt, throw it out.
Can you freeze a chicken pie?
You can freeze a baked chicken pie once it has cooled, wrapped airtight; general guidance is up to about 3 months for best quality. Thaw it in the fridge, not on the counter, and reheat until piping hot. Expect the egg white to turn a little firmer after freezing.
How long do you air-fry a chicken pie?
For a chilled personal pie, start with the kitchen's two-stage setting: 150C for 5 minutes, then 200C for 5 minutes. Air fryers vary, so check that the centre is piping hot and add a minute or two at 150C if it is not.
Why is my reheated chicken pie soggy?
Trapped steam. Reheating on a plate, inside a box, or in the microwave alone softens the pastry. Reheat on a rack in dry heat, uncovered, and finish microwaved pies in an air fryer or toaster oven.
Can I leave a chicken pie out overnight?
No. A cooked chicken pie should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours, and less in Singapore heat. A pie left out overnight should be thrown away, even if it looks and smells fine.
Eating and nutrition
How many calories are in a Don chicken pie?
We do not know, and we will not guess. We have not seen published nutrition figures for the Don chicken pie, and the kitchen is the authority on its own numbers. Our nutrition explainer covers what drives calories in any chicken pie.
What is the difference between a chicken pie and a curry puff?
A chicken pie is a round, baked, lidded pie with a creamy chicken filling, eaten as a light meal. A curry puff is a half-moon turnover, usually fried, filled with curried potato and chicken, eaten as a snack.
What goes well with chicken pie?
Our crew drinks kopi with the Original and kopi-o with Black Pepper, and keeps chilli sauce on standby. A simple soup or green salad turns a personal pie into a fuller lunch. These are opinions, and we tested them.
Can I make a Don chicken pie at home?
Not the real one: the recipe is not public. We wrote a home recreation in the same spirit, with a hand-made flaky crust, chunky chicken, potato and half an egg, clearly labelled as our own attempt.
About this site
Who runs donchickenpie.com?
A small crew of home cooks in Singapore who treat chicken pie like a research subject. We are fans with a kitchen, not the bakery itself. The pies are real. The opinions are ours.