Try Don Pie in Tiong Bahru
Don Pie - Tiong Bahru
Neighbourhood bakery-café in Tiong Bahru known for handheld savoury pies and specialty coffee....
10 Best Chicken Pies in Singapore: From Don Pie to Polar
A neighbourhood-first guide to the 10 best chicken pies across Singapore — from Don Pie counters to Polar favourites, with tips for where and when to makan.
A great chicken pie in Singapore is comfort food you can eat on the go — flaky, warm and nostalgic.
Don Pie and Polar are where many Singaporeans learned to love the humble chicken pie — but the best surprises are often from small neighbourhood bakers.
Why chicken pies are a Singapore favourite
Chicken pies sit at an intersection of Western comfort and local convenience: portable, familiar and endlessly adaptable — you’ll find them in kopitiams, mall bakeries and even zi char stalls. They’re a classic lunchbox or supper pick for the CBD lunch crowd and heartland families alike.
Through the years brands like Don Pie and Polar have anchored the pie scene, while bakery newcomers and artisanal cafes have given the dish new life with flaky puffs and creative fillings. This guide focuses on where locals queue and what to order across neighbourhoods from Tiong Bahru and Jalan Besar to AMK and Orchard.
The 10 best chicken pies (quick list and what makes each one stand out)
1) Don Pie (Tiong Bahru / AMK / Raffles Place) — dependable, slightly sweet crust, generous chicken filling that’s comforting and familiar; great for takeaway. 2) Polar Puffs & Cakes — known for consistent pastry and a creamy filling that’s crowd-pleasing for families. 3) Chicken Pie Kitchen (Jalan Besar) — more homestyle, hearty chunks and a savoury gravy; perfect for a sit-down kopitiam meal.
4) Han’s Chicken Pie — a mall staple with a smooth, even filling, good for kids. 5) Windowsill Pies (Joo Chiat) — artisan take with a flakier puff and cleaner, herb-forward filling. 6) Elijah Pies (Tanjong Pagar) — modern flavours and well-browned tops. 7) Flaky Puff Pastry Chicken Pie (home-style recipe) — if you want to recreate the flaky texture at home. 8) Hainanese Chicken Pie (traditional crust) — a uniquely local hybrid with Hainanese-inspired aromatics. 9) Roasted Chicken & Corn Pie — sweeter corn notes with tender roast chicken. 10) Leftover Roast Chicken Pie — a great value, often available at bakeries using roast-chicken remnants for extra depth.
These picks balance nostalgia, neighbourhood fame and bakeries pushing the craft forward; later sections explain when to visit and how to combine them into a pie crawl.
- Best for takeaway: Don Pie counters in MRT-linked malls
- Best flaky crust: Windowsill Pies (Joo Chiat) and artisan cafes
- Best value: mall bakery pies and chain outlets like Han’s
- Best for a sit-down kopitiam experience: Chicken Pie Kitchen (Jalan Besar)
How to order, eat and spot a great chicken pie
Ordering is simple but there are local cues to watch for: a glossy, evenly browned top suggests proper egg wash; steam from the display means fresh batches; flaky layers point to puff pastry rather than a shortcrust. If you’re at a kopitiam, ask for reheating — they’ll warm it in a toaster oven for that fresh-out-of-the-oven texture.
Taste-wise, look for balanced seasoning, juicy chicken pieces rather than just cream, and a filling that’s neither gluey nor too runny. For an authentic local pairing, try a kopi or teh tarik — the sweet bitterness complements the pastry richness.
- Do: ask for a quick reheat in a toaster oven for crisp pastry
- Don’t: microwave a pie (it makes pastry soggy)
- Tip: try a pie with a simple side like pickled cucumber or fresh salad to cut the richness
Build a chicken-pie makan trail around a neighbourhood
Turn a morning or lunch into a pie crawl: start at a bakery in the neighbourhood for a flaky puff, move to a kopi shop for a traditional crust pie, and end at a mall outlet for a Polar or Don Pie classic. Good neighbourhoods for a mini-trail are Tiong Bahru (cafes and kopitiams), Jalan Besar (heritage hawker energy) and AMK (family-friendly mall counters).
A sensible route: grab a flaky pie at a Joo Chiat cafe, walk to nearby hawker stalls for a kopi, then head to a mall like AMK Hub for Don Pie — you’ll get different textures and atmospheres within short walking distance.
- Morning start: artisan cafe pie + kopi
- Lunch: kopitiam or Jalan Besar sit-down pie
- Afternoon: mall counter for a takeaway pie to bring home
Where to find our top picks and final tips
Most of the names on this list are available across multiple outlets: Don Pie has counters in AMK Hub and Raffles Place for the CBD crowd, Polar Puffs & Cakes has island-wide reach, while independent bakers like Windowsill and Elijah are best sought in their neighbourhoods. If you’re in town for a short trip, combine a pie stop with nearby attractions — Tiong Bahru for heritage bookstores and cafes, Jalan Besar for murals and hawker eats.
Final practical notes: pies travel well for short distances, so they make excellent picnic food at East Coast Park or a quick supper after a night out. For dietary needs, many outlets offer chicken-only options (no pork) or halal-certified counters — check signage at the counter.
- Halal-friendly: look for halal-certified counters (many mall outlets display this clearly)
- Best time to go: morning for fresh bakes, lunchtime for kopitiam variations, late afternoon for cooled-but-still-tasty pies
- Bring home tip: reheat in a toaster oven at 180°C for 6–8 minutes to restore flakiness
