A subtly sweet and delicately flaky crust that conceals an explosion across the palette of your choice between sweet and savory or anything in between. That’s what a pie is, and that’s what people came to Pop Pie Co. in hopes of experiencing.
Although Pop Pie Co. advertised the start of their Grand Opening Celebration as beginning at 7 AM, we encountered a rather long queue of eager neighbors and friendly locals at just 7:10 AM.
After over an hour of waiting, we finally made our way inside the monochromatic shop and were immediately greeted by the pungent aroma of freshly-ground coffee beans and the welcoming scent of buttery pastry dough.
While there were ten tantalizing flavors of savory and sweet pies available, and we would have liked to select all of them, each customer was allowed to order a maximum of two because #SharingIsCaring.
Ming-Ray opted for the savory, vegetarian option of a Jackfruit Pot Pie and the sweet, matcha option of a Green Ceremony Pie whereas I opted for the Steak & Ale Pot Pie as well as the Coconut Cream Pie.
The Jackfruit Pot Pie was the acclaimed option among vegans, and as I bit into the luscious morsels, I understood why. Pop Pie Co. uses young jackfruits before they develop the nectarous sweetness of a fruit and it works amazing as a meat substitute.
The young jackfruit has the substantial texture and absorbent quality of chicken, and I thought I accidentally ordered the chicken pot pie instead.
The Coconut Cream Pie was a greatly appreciated surprise as what I assumed to be empty, lackluster cream turned out to contain chunks of young coconut flesh!
Artificial or substitutes pales in comparison with the real deal. The flesh gives the pie a more solid and satisfying bite, and carried a very natural and inviting sweetness that tempted me to order another one.
Pop Pie Co. also offers a diverse assortment of coffee from local roasters Bird Rock and James Coffee, to Heart Coffee from Portland. The cortado was a desirable ratio between milk and espresso, allowing the two spectrum of aromas to fuse into a much needed pick up on an early Saturday morning.
During our breakfast, we even encountered the pastry mastermind and co-owner behind this hot, new concept – Suebtrakarn Suebsarakham (Gan).
Despite being raised in Thailand, Gan started making American pies at a very early age and mentions taro as being his specialty. Over the years, he has worked tirelessly to perfect his crust recipe with just three simple, secret ingredients – something he greatly prides.
As his empire is taking off, Gan is armed with 16 savory tastes and 20 sweet tastes for his pies that he hopes to begin rotating once all of the administrative matters settle down. He even hinted to us a debut of his famous taro pie.
#SpoonTip: Try the more unique flavors like jackfruit, green curry, and coconut to experience the fusion of Southeast Asian staples with the American classic.