I confess: I am not a big fan of pies. They’re soggy. They tend to crumble in my hands. They’re too messy to enjoy.
Then I discovered this pie shop tucked away in Wasl Vita, that new mini-mall which opened early this year along Al Wasl Road.
Pie Face has a fun and cozy vibe to it, with mismatched furniture and giant smileys on the wall. They even have postcards that you can take for free. What do they serve here? Coffee, shakes, cakes, sandwiches, quiches, wraps, rolls, and—of course—pies with attitude.
There are 15 varieties of pies to choose from—and most of them have pretty happy faces painted on (quite literally!). Each face is apparently a signature. Spot a smiley? You’re staring at their best-selling chicken and mushroom pie. In total, there are eight savoury pies and seven sweet pies to choose from.
Since my friends and I wanted to try everything, our trio ordered the smallest party platter of 16 mini pies, which came in a pizza box with 16 little compartments.
It turned out to be just perfect. The pies tasted more like pastry than a traditional pie, which I really liked. They weren’t greasy and they were in bite-sized pieces as well, which meant I could eat them without making a mess.
The fillings were consistently rich, dense and delicious, despite the size. My steak-loving friend loved the peppered steak and chunky steak—slightly sweet and very tender filling—while I liked the creamy chicken and mushroom. The spicy Arabian Lamb, Thai Chicken and Curried Chickpea went unexpected well with my palate.
Moving on to the sweet treats, I loved the Arabian date pie (part of their Ramadan special), apple pie and pecan pie. The lemon pie became an instant favourite. It had just the right kind of tart and sweetness to it.
All that pie was enough to spark food for thought. “I think I must start that café business back home,” one of my friends announced, quickly steering the conversation to that direction as we washed down our pies with refreshing berry iced tea mixed with crushed ice and fresh sliced berries, while this sweet tooth ordered the ice blended Belgian chocolate drink topped with whipped cream. “I’d like to invest,” my other friend said. I was already already thinking about a pie party at work, my fork on another pie.
Ratings
Food: ①②③❹⑤
Ambience: ①②③❹⑤
Price: ①②③④❺
Pie Face is located on Wasl Vita, Al Wasl Road. One mini pie costs Dh8, although you could also get 3 mini pies for Dh20, while a platter of 16 costs Dh75. Drinks cost between Dh12 to Dh22. The most expensive items on the menu (certain kinds of sandwiches) cost only Dh25. Contact 04 3434895 or visit piefaceme.com
