DonChef's Original Chicken Pie follows the recipe Chef Don Lim created in 1983, developed since and, in our words, the same recipe since the China Square days. It has tender chunks of chicken, potato and vegetables in our spice blend, half a hard-boiled egg, and a golden, flaky crust from dough made in-house. It comes in Personal (feeds one) and Whole (feeds four to six).
What is the Original Chicken Pie?
The Original Chicken Pie is the original Don pie: Chef Don Lim’s chicken pie, made to the recipe he began in 1983 and baked today under the DonChef name at 39 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore. It is the pie our tagline refers to, “Singapore’s original Chicken Pie, since 1983”, and the first pie on our menu. Our printed menu calls it “the true Raffles Place original”, a nod to Chef Don’s first shop at Far East Square, in the Raffles Place area.
Where does the recipe come from?
The recipe comes from Chef Don’s years baking for the Hewlett-Packard staff cafeteria, where, by his own account, he created it in 1983. He took it to his own shop, DON: Your Personal Pie Club, at Far East Square in 2000, then to China Square Central, then, after a break of several years, to Toa Payoh in 2019 and to Tyrwhitt Road in 2021.
Our product notes describe the recipe as “constantly developed and improved upon since 1983” and “the same recipe since the China Square days”. Both are true at once. A cook refines the details; the recipe stays his. The whole journey is told in The Original Don story, and the pies that grew up around this one are on DonChef’s pie range.
What is inside the Original Chicken Pie?
Inside the Original Chicken Pie you will find:
- Tender chunks of chicken. Pieces, not mince. Food writers have described boneless chicken leg meat.
- Potato, in chunks that keep their shape.
- Vegetables, such as peas and carrots.
- Our spice blend, which stays in the family.
- Half a hard-boiled egg, our signature.
- A creamy gravy that binds the filling together.
- A golden, flaky crust from pastry dough we make in-house.
The exact proportions and seasoning are not published. What you see when you cut the pie open is the honest part: everything in it is recognisable.
What does the Original Chicken Pie taste like?
The Original Chicken Pie tastes the way an old-school Singapore chicken pie should, and then a little more generous. The crust gives first, golden and flaky, with a slight crispness on top and a softer layer where it meets the filling. Then the filling: creamy, savoury, warmly seasoned rather than hot, with chunks of chicken and potato that you have to actually bite. The half egg arrives somewhere in the middle and turns a mouthful richer.
Food writers have reached for similar words. One described a buttery, flaky crust, a rich, creamy filling and an even crust-to-filling ratio, and said a bite took them back to childhood. Another valued the pie’s old-school Hainanese character and judged the personal pie substantial for its price, while wishing the pastry were a little more buttery. We think both are fair. The full list of coverage is on press and mentions.
What sizes does it come in?
The Original Chicken Pie comes in two sizes on our printed menu:
| Size | Feeds | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | One | Lunch, a snack, a first taste |
| Whole | Four to six | Family dinners, office tables, gatherings |
Prices change from time to time, so we keep them on one page: where to get the original Don pie, which links to our official ordering sites for live prices. If you would rather it came to you, a guide to pie delivery in Singapore explains fees and lead times across bakeries.
How is it made?
In principle, the Original Chicken Pie is made the way it always has been, by a kitchen that makes its own pastry. Our pastry dough is made in-house and rolled on a dough sheeter. The pies are baked in small batches in deck ovens at Tyrwhitt Road. And we keep a strict zero overnight pies policy: a pie is sold on the day it is baked.
We go through each part in Anatomy of the original, and explain the no-overnight rule in zero overnight pies.
How should I eat and keep it?
The Original Chicken Pie is best eaten warm, soon after you buy it. Our ordering guidance is to enjoy it within about four hours of purchase. If you are keeping it longer, refrigerate it and eat it within three days.
To reheat, our guidance for an air fryer is 150C for about five minutes, then 200C for about five minutes. Whatever you use, heat the pie until it is piping hot all the way through the centre (75C if you have a food thermometer), and let it stand for a minute before you cut it so the gravy settles. Oven, air fryer and microwave methods are compared step by step in this guide on how to reheat chicken pie.
Is the Original Chicken Pie halal?
No pork, no lard; not Halal-certified. We use no pork and no lard in our kitchen. Our restaurant serves alcohol and welcomes pets, so we are not Halal-certified, and we do not claim that any of our products are Halal. Our ordering FAQ lists nuts, eggs, dairy and gluten among the allergens in our products; please ask at the counter if you have an allergy.
How do I know it is the original?
You know it is the original by where you bought it. We have no franchises and supply our pies to no one else, so the Original Chicken Pie is sold only at our five outlets and through our official ordering sites. Use the seven signs of the original to check the rest.
Sources and how we checked
- Chicken Pie Kitchen & Don Signature Crab, printed menu (February 2026) and Original Chicken Pie product page (chickenpie.sg)
- buy.chickenpie.sg ordering FAQ. For storage, reheating and allergen guidance
- SethLui.com, December 2022
- ieatishootipost, April 2023 (partnership post)
