A PIE makes a good meal at any time of the day – this is the message that King Pie is perpetuating.

The latest fast food outfit in town, the King Pie concept originates from South Africa and made its debut in Malaysia late last year.

"Pies are usually found in cafes and bistros as part of the main menu, but we are introducing them as a lunch or dinner staple," said King Pie advertising, marketing and promotions manager Tabitha Kong.

What makes King Pie different from other fast food outlets is its pie-to-go concept, which enables shoppers to grab a meal while on the go.

Combo meals at King Pie come with chips and carbonated drinks.

"Our pies are for families, kids, working executives on the go. Everyone can have a pie!" said Kong.

King Pie serves 18 pies of which 17 are savoury and one sweet, in a light puff pastry.

The pies come in three sizes – Just Munch, Traditional Munch and Super Munch – as well as in combo meals at affordable prices to cater to "all (stomach) capacities and ‘pockets'", said Kong.

Kong said the pies were baked at the outlet on an hourly basis using the freshest ingredients, some of which were flown in from South Africa.

A worker brushing a thin layer of egg on to the pies before they are put into the oven.

The fillings are made daily at the Central Kitchen in Balakong and sent to its outlets in Tesco Damansara and Suria KLCC.

"We discard pies that are not sold within a couple of hours, and we don't use leftover fillings," said Kong.

Kong also said King Pie's Central Kitchen made about 4,000 pies a week – no mean feat for a three-month-old concept.

Some of the popular pies include Chicken Mushroom, Chicken Marinade, Pepper Steak and Salami & Cheese.

Despite being a typical pie filling, the Chicken Mushroom is one of King Pie's top-sellers.

It consists of boneless chicken bits and mushrooms cooked in a fragrant creamy sauce made with garlic and onions.

The Chicken Marinade is a popular choice because of its unique taste.

"It's slightly sweet and sour; something akin to, although not entirely like bolognaise sauce.

"It's quite tangy because of the tomato base, but it doesn't taste like your typical Chinese sweet-sour meat either," said Kong.

All King Pie outlets feature the bare essentials, in tandem with its pie-to-go concept.

Beef and cheese lovers can opt for the Pepper Steak or Salami & Cheese pies.

"We use only lean topside beef," said Kong.

King Pie is still a new concept and its outcome is too early to predict.

However, Kong is confident that it will be a success, given the taste and quality of the pies and Malaysians' love for food.

"We plan to open about 15 to 20 outlets in the Klang Valley this year and about 50 outlets nationwide within the next five years," she said.

Post your feedback >>