I’m the first to admit that I haven’t much covered Mandaluyong, the “Tiger City of the Philippines” or “Metro Manila’s Heart,” as much as it deserves. While I have eaten my way through Chinatown and most malls in Manila, my coverage starts to thin out in restaurants in Quezon City, Eastwood, Ortigas, etc. The lack of posts though doesn’t mean there is a lack of options.
It’s frustrating because some of the most quintessential eats (that are not of Chinese cuisine) are far from my place. Reaching for the best vegetarian-friendly burger, ramen, macarons, cupcakes, paella, etc. I’ve ever sampled means sitting in an hour or more of traffic jams. Get the picture?
Recently, I have been absolutely smitten with the idea of Project Pie: EVERYDAY ARTISAN PIZZA CUSTOM BUILT BY YOU. The concept is really cool, whereby customers can choose the kind and amount of pizza toppings they want to have on a 12″ thin pizza for PHp 285. Preparing and making the pizza normally take only seven to 10 minutes.
So I was much allured and the only problem was accessibility to the location. This restaurant is not conveniently accessible by public transport. I thought to bring a car but then again, I don’t want to drive around areas such as Shaw Boulevard, Wack Wack, Highway Hills which I’m not familiar with. Fortunately, Louie agreed to tag along with me and my friends to have lunch here last Sunday. Translation: I can be a “free rider.” Wee. π
Review of Project Pie (Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong)
Ambiance: β β β ββ
The decoration was plain and sparse. “Zigzag” light bulbs encompassing the ceiling brought sheer luminance to the entire area. Also adding to the brightness were the transparent walls and windows covering one side of the restaurant.
The Project Pie logo on the opposite wall was large to encourage interested dining customers to take it as a background for photo opportunities. On the other two sides of the wall were favorite sayings of famous people. They were very catchy and inspiring.
The queue to the counter was insanely long. Project Pie is a quick-server restaurant; however, customers tend to linger and enjoy their stay. Turnover is not as quick as other fast food chains. So there was a large number of people who stood and waited beside the taken tables, staring at the food and hoping for them to be finished immediately.
Of course those were awkward scenes. Somehow, seated customers can feel guilty and the same cycle would go on all day.
The tables and chairs can accommodate up to about 60 people, but according to my count, there were about double the number of customers who were present that day. Because of this, the environment was noisy and air conditioning did not seem to be enough. On a positive note, the place was clean as a whistle.
Service: β β β ββ
Initially, you would think that the staff would be responsible for finding and reserving seats for you upon your entrance. But after a few minutes of observation, you would notice that this is mainly a self-service restaurant. As you order and pay the cashier, you would get a tray of pizzas or pies and serve food to your table.
It’s best to come here when you have company or be prepared to stand still alone after getting your order from the counter until you find an available seat for yourself. Napkins, disposable forks and knives and spices/condiments can be taken from a station.
Food: β β β β β
Design. Build. Eat. I can describe Project Pie’s food as simple but perfectly executed. The menu is pretty straightforward as well. You can have the preset combination of toppings and/or pick your own toppings (for no extra cost) to add on. The pie is placed in the wood-fired oven at the end of the assembly, and you get the finished product easy-peasy.
We had the pre-set combinations no. 2, 6, and 7 and the banana nutella pie for dessert:
2 (PHp 285): red sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, Italian sausage, garlic, crumbled meatballs
6 (PHp 285): grilled chicken, sliced red onion, cilantro, mozzarella, gorgonzola, barbecue sauce
7 (PHp 285): prosciutoo, caramelized onions, mozzarella, parmesan
Banana Nutella (PHp 145): banana and nutella
The pizzas looked unassuming, no big deal. The bottom didn’t get perfectly brown but they were nicely cooked and tasted great. A minute or so could be used under the broiler to brown up the cheese and toppings a bit more. Requiring slight chew, the base was thin and crispy but it has to be eaten quickly or it would be rubbery when cold.
I especially liked the banana nutella. It had the most unique, drool-worthy presentation. Yum! π You can never go wrong with nutella, I guess.
Consider the following in building or designing your own pizza:
1. White pizza (with Olive Oil only) or Red Pizza (with their signature red sauce)
2. Meat options: Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Crumbled Meatballs, Grilled chicken, Canadian Bacon, Prosciutto, and Bacon
3. Cheese options: Gorgonzolla, Ricotta, Parmesan, Feta Cheese, and Mozzarella
4. Chili: JalapeΓ±os, Green Bell Peppers and Roasted Red Peppers
5. Pineapples?
6. Vegetables and spices: Red Onions, Caramelized Onions, Cilantro, Tomatoes, Black Olives, Garlic, Pesto, Artichokes, Freshly Chopped basil, Rosemary, Mushrooms, Anchovies
Price for Value: β β β β β
Project Pie is an awesome find. It’s is like a Subway (niche: sandwiches) or The BRGR Project (niche: burgers) for personal-sized pizzas. PHp 285 for one pizza cut to four slices good for 1-2 people is not bad.
Operating Hours:
Every day: 10AM-10PM
No reservations available. No phone available. No home delivery.
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Wow create ur own pizza! I want to try present combination 7. it looks awsome
The taste was not too strong; rather, it was light but still delicious. π
Delicious naman pala eh..Okay na un ! =))
You can add more toppings but don’t be too “swakao” and add everything there is haha. The crust might not carry all of them properly and you’d end up with an epic pizza failure. π
create your own pizza looks like a good idea. kagutom π
According to a friend, “The idea came from Kramer! ‘Cosmo Kramer’ of Seinfeld TV Series (1989).” π
On the other two sides of the wall were favorite sayings of famous people.
> I have also seen a bar here in our place having this type of design and I could really say it’s pretty cool to look at. Also, the banana nutella looks weird but I’m willing to give it a try.
When you’re bored, you can just read all of these writings on the wall. They can also be good conversation starters when you feel too shy to break the ice with comrades. π
I simply love pizzas.. and the thought of designing it by yourself excites me most. WOw, I could have framed mine if I were in your place. Whoever came up with this project pie is a real genius. Good marketing strategy too.
Project Pie PH is actually a franchise from the original Project Pie in the US. I was quite surprised that the Philippines was chosen and approved to be the first extension in Asia. James Markham was the founder and he built the restaurant in 2008. π
Wow! The first thing I’ve seen your post, I remember Avenetto. I really wish they’ll have a branch somewhere in the south. I rarely go to Shaw and I want to visit here. It really breaks my heart every time I see places I want to visit but it’s just too far from my area π I love the banana nutella btw! π all your orders look so tasty! nom nom!
Then we’re same π My boyfriend thought one of the pizzas looked like an empanada. Haha.
Make your own pizza at Php285 is already a good deal, the ambiance looks okay but I guess I will schedule my visit there on a weekday to avoid long waiting for area to dine.
Great thinking. Ohh too bad I can’t do the same. Hope you also get a memorable experience dining here. Be as creative as you can with creating your own pizza toppings combination. π
The concept looks interesting but I think there is a very large room to improve on their service and capacity.
You’re right. The management should notice the trend and start working on extension plans.
you and your boyfie are really compatible. also, i really love how you write about food and you are not getting fatter or bigger
Haha thanks, Sef, for those two accounts. π And thanks for reading as well!
I wanna try this pizza even the bottom looks over cooked. I also wanna try the pie. π
What’s interesting is that they have a pizza salad (classic Caesar with mixed greens) for PHp 245. We saw how other customers eat it and it didn’t look bad.
Nevertheless, you had dined or eaten in this place which seems for you to be inaccessible to public transport. Your effort has been saved and your curiosity has been satisfied, Isn’t it?
Yes, very! You should visit this place some time maybe with your co-teachers, Sir Gil. π
kahit hindi accessible, at least you find time to dine at this simple place. Banana plus Nutella, seems yummy yun. Ma try nga.
Yup, they also have another unusual flavor for pizza. I can’t remember though if it was mango or strawberry but I’m sure it is just as delicious. π With so many possible combinations, you may feel confused but don’t worry. The crew are very friendly and enthusiastic to suggest and answer your questions.
Omg!! the pizzas look so delicious!!!! I want to visit this place now! maybe tonight with my friends. :)) Thank you for covering this restaurant dear β₯.
You’re much welcome, Michael. I have also read about this restaurant first in a friend’s blog/review before coming. I salivated in anticipation, tempted to get the Project Pie experience myself! π
Oh gosh. The nutella and banana combination. Just perfect <3 Ang mura naman ng mga pie na yan!
Well, the pies here are not really cheap or super affordable but they are somewhat just worth the price. π This restaurant opened only last July so expect that there are floods of people coming into their doors excited to be served with as many toppings as they want on their pizza pies.
Create, Build and Design your own pizza??? I love it! Love the whole concept , its cool because you have to make a personalize pizza. And I am now salivating with the banana-nutella pizza you have here.
That’s right, Pal Raine. π Every pizza can be a one-of-a-kind creation. It’s also good that customers don’t need to create the dough by hand and instead just select among the 29 toppings to add on over the 9-inch crust pizzas. The crews make fresh dough every two to four hours!
Wow! The price ain’t that bad at all! I’ve actually been seeing Project Pie from several colleagues that I follow on IG. I’ll probably heed your advice on bringing a few more people with me, so that the visit would be more worth it. Then again, if the pizzas are delish, I wouldn’t mind going there with just me and my beau — regardless of the long line or other waiting customers. π
Hi Mai! π Probably why you often see your colleagues post Project Pie pictures on Instagram is that Project Pie has a mounted iPad on one of its walls near the door (entrance) that allows customers to take a photo of themselves and post the picture on IG instantly. The place does not have wi-fi connection for the diners though. If it has then I suspect it to be crowded even more. ^_^
Personalize your own pizza… great idea! There’s Project Burger and now, Project Pie. Being creative is limitless especially when it comes to food.
After a “Google” look around, it seems like people are just fond of everything personalized and tailor-made to enable them to differ from everyone else. Talk about uniqueness. π
I like the idea of “creating” your own pizza. It would not only suit your taste but moreover, it’s fun to do!
It looks yummy naman based on photos. And it’s affordable. π
Yup, the only downside is that its popularity makes it hard to find seating.
A very nice concept! Para sa mga tulad kong mahilig na tikman ang lahat ng flavor pero hindi kayang bumili o kumain ng tig-iisa nito, patok na patok to… π
Haha. Yeah you can even have one half of the pizza with a different flavor from the other half. π
Hmmm, those are yummy treats! And they’re affordable at less than P300. I have no other comments on their food, but I guess this business should have their own telephone installed.
Agree! Or maybe they can have an interactive live chat on their Facebook page or local website just to engage more with customers.
Waaah I really love your footwear! You’re a very stylish foodie Roch! =)
HAHA thanks, Kim. I wear those to look decent at least when standing beside my boyfriend who’s 6 feet tall. π
As I could recall, Project Pie is the food place featured by Kris A. in her show. Am I right?
Make your own pizza is really great to test our creativeness in combining the best tasted ingredients we wanted in a single plate.
I don’t know because I don’t watch her show. But maybe yeah it was.. it’s the only Project Pie in the Philippines at least now, anyway. π
They also have walnuts for the pizza! Haha praise be to the walnuts! π
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