Pie Press

I’ve been ordering from this Kiwi for a good 5 years now. This girl is the real deal. I haven’t had a pie this good since we were in NZ and this is the best pie place in all of LA, SF, NY and even MI! Every time I go back I ALWAYS place an order for some pies to take back home.
One thing I wish she did was ship, because I would LOVE to have pies here in MI. You can test on me!!! I’ll do whatever just start shipping those pies!!!

Alka makes some seriously tasty pies! Not only are they flaky and stuffed with delicious filling, but there’s also an incredible consistency in quality which is pretty amazing considering that she runs a home business. PLUS she is willing to deliver in SF! My favorite thus far is her chicken and vegetables; my half-​Kiwi friend says that the lamb curry was his favorite and that these pies are legit. (Alka is actually South Asian, so her grasp of curry flavors is on point.) We’re planning on ordering more; there’s a minimum of 6 pies of a given flavor per order, so it’ll amount to over 20+ pies between the 2 of us. My only wish is that the pies were a little larger (I can polish one off in about 5 bites) which I would totally pay more for, but that could just be me wistfully dreaming of the hefty and heavenly pies at Fergbaker in Queenstown (best meat pies I’ve ever had). If you’re craving some pies, convince some of your friends to put in a joint order together, you won’t regret it!

Me mate and I saw a story in the New Zealand Herald about the pie press and had to check it out. This pair of ex-​pats were in our happy places as we got them home to heat up. We got the sausage rolls, mince, curried lamb, and yam. They were DIVINE! A true taste of home and well worth the trip to pick them up. Alka made a Kiwi and an honorary Kiwi, very happy!
I’m more a fan of old fashioned mince and sausage rolls, and these tasted just like the ones from home. The curried lamb pies were perfectly seasoned and the lamb was delicious and tender. If you are a fan of savoury pies, looking for a new taste experience, or are a Kiwi or even an Aussie looking for a taste of home, pay Alka a visit. You will not be disappointed.

We picked up a bunch of pies for a company event. They were a delicious change of pace and a big hit. Especially the butter chicken. Yum!

I was turned on to Alka & the Pie Press through a member of my Rugby Club and placed a custom order with her through her web site. Easy pick up in SF and even a hot pie for me along with my ready to heat ones. Very reasonably priced, super tasty & friendly to boot! I’ll never support the All Blacks but I will gladly eat these Kiwi Pies!

Yet another stop in my quest for a replacement chicken pot pie (see my review for Cornucopia in Eugene, OR). From my first bite I had no doubt that Pie Press makes some very delicious pies. These are small, hand-​held pies, with a crispy flaky crust and tasty tasty filling (this coming from someone who doesn’t even like vegetables).
I tend to get the roast chicken and vegetables. I had another one at some point with mushrooms in it and that was really good too. But for now, I can really only speak about the roast chicken and vegetables as I remember that one best and get it most often. I really like the gravy that they use in the filling. The chicken is well roasted and flavorful. The vegetables are not oppressive, and are very fresh. The gravy drowns out most of the vegetable flavors anyway, which I really like because again, I do not like vegetables.
Two beefs with this place: the heat and the price. The stand has a conventional oven hooked up to the car I think, or maybe a generator. When you order, the pie guy collects the money and puts your pie in the little oven and tells you it will be ready in 10 minutes. I usually walk around the rest of the Stonestown Farmer’s Market in the meantime and then go back to collect and then gobble my treat. The crust is burn your face off hot (which I like), but the inside is often still a little cold. It may just be better for me to buy it cold and take it home to heat it to the desired core temperature… The price is the same either way. Speaking of the price, I just think that $ 5 is a little pricey. Not completely cost-​prohibitive, since these are very good pies and I understand that it is a small operation and I know they must use excellent ingredients. Still, I’m cheap, so I’m just going to go ahead and complain about this. However, since the Stonestown Farmer’s Market is once a week, I’m fine with treating myself to this weekly, or maybe monthly in especially skinny times.

Closing time was around the corner at the Stonestown farmer’s market, and Bun and I hadn’t eaten lunch. I find it funny we came here for the sole reason not to look for fresh fruits and vegetables, rather take a peek at what food stands are set up. After circling around, of all the food stands, this one was my favorite.
Pie Press is one of those little stands at the farmer’s market, located behind Macy’s and next to the UA Stonestown Twin. The pies have an offering of about seven different fillings to choose from. The list of choices hints of Indian flavor. The pies are about 5 – 6 inches in diameter and are priced around $ 5 – 6 bucks.
As much as I wanted to buy one of each, Bun and I’s final decision came down to getting two, the minced steak and the butter chicken. They ran out of the lamb curry which sounded really good (probably most popular). The guy offered to toast it up for us right on the spot, but decided on eating them at the comfort of home.
The vendor instructed us to pop the pies into the toaster oven for 10 minutes. Wish I could take credit at how great I toasted them because the pies were simply delectable. Encased in a soft, flaky crust, both pies’ meats were packed full of warm flavor. Of the two, it’s hard to grade which one was better. The butter chicken had a fantastic creamy and milky combination while the minced steak was very easy to going down with nothing overpowering.
One pie would be a great appetizer for two people. Two pies would be close enough for a lunch for many. Three pies would be just right for a midnight snack for me. I kid, I kid (Not really, because I can envision myself being able to pack three down).
A tiny hitch in the pies is exemplified on your fingers. They’ll be greasy when finished, so prepare to grab a few napkins. Outside of that, the Pie Press pies are tubular. Next time, we’ll have to get our hands on some of the other different fillings (lamb curry!) and maybe, just maybe, eat it with a fork.

Pie Press the piemaker makes pies you can warm up at home.
locale: stonestown farmers market (¹⁰⁄₂)
varieties:
–butter chicken
–lamb curry
–chicken & vegetable
–sausage roll
–sweet potato
–steak mince
–mushroom & broculli
sampling:
–curry lamb (5)
crust flakey, buttery
nice sauce, meat chewy, a little dry
besides crust, not much else in pie. just a few pieces lamb.

I love meat pies. I’ve eaten meat pies from New Zealand. These are truly New Zealand meat pies made by an authentic Kiwi! I would visit my mother’s family in New Zealand and my visits would always involve delicious meat pies. My family owned bakeries and so I would get the best and freshest meat pies.
I stumbled upon these pies at the Stonestown farmers market and was so excited. I love Indian food and so to me it was a great marriage of two foods I love.
Side note: meat pies from New Zealand are way better than meat pies from England.

This is the perfect pie! For all of you, pot pie seekers, your quest is over. These individual hand held pies are fantastic! Each one is wrapped in plastic and comes in a paper sleeve with heating instructions. You can
pick up these pies at the farmer’s market at the Stonestown Galleria on Sundays.
Trust me, I know the anticipation sucks when you’re hungry. After 10min in the oven you’re rewarded as the crust browns and it’s ready to eat. The pie crust is golden, flaky, and buttery as a croissant… perfection! You could put any filling in this crust and it’ll taste so good. Luckily, the filling choices are also amazing. All are excellent but my favorites are:
Butter Chicken– big moist chunks of chicken with an Indian flair
Lamb Curry– Moist, tender lamb in a savory sauce
Chicken Vegetable– chicken, carrots, broccoli… traditional comfort food!
I’ve been wanting to try these pies for awhile now. With the rainy weekend, these pies were a great excuse to leave the house. Again, these amazing little pies with have the greatest pastry crust ever. I sure wish the owner opens a store front so I can get these hot over the counter!

We’re definitely coming back to get more pies!!!
The lady there makes the best pie that we’ve ever tasted in the US. She makes Marie Callender’s savory pies look like a joke Haha…
We tried the spicy butter chicken and the bacon, egg, leek and cheese. Both were ohhhh so delicious! Highly recommended!
If you want to eat it straight away, the pies can also be heated there.

You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Well, in this case you can.
The savory pies from Pie Press have an exterior that complements the inside filling so well that its really hard to eat just one in a single sitting.
My wife and I were fortunate to meet up with Alka, the creator of these awesome pies and get her suggestions as to what we would like.
We bought 4 pies:
* Butter Chicken
* Roasted Chicken and Vegetable
* Vegetables in a Tarragon/​Mustard filling
* Lamb Curry
We first tried the Roasted Chicken and Vegetable pie. It was pretty much your well-​known chicken pot pie that you can get from grocery stores and restaurants. Except, I was impressed by a couple of things. First off, the chicken wasn’t gamey. Every time I get a chicken pot pie, it will usually have a gamey piece of meat in it. This one didn’t. Secondly, the crust and doughy exterior was wonderful. Flaky and rich in flavor and went well with the filling.
We tried the lamb curry next. To my surprise, the lamb curry wasn’t too rich in flavor (like you would find in Indian restaurants) but was a nice and light curry flavor with chunks of lamb and potato in it. Not too saucy either which is a good thing. Don’t want your pie to be soggy right? Again, the exterior went very well with the interior.
Next was the vegetable with tarragon and mustard sauce. This one I didn’t like as much as the others, only because I’m a carnivore. My wife loved it which leads me to believe that any veggie lover would enjoy it as well.
Last but not least, the butter chicken. This one was my absolute favorite. Again, no gamey chicken. The butter chicken flavor was outstanding and went so well with the crust. The flavor was pretty much on par with what you would get in restaurants, but not as saucy like the lamb curry so your pie wouldn’t get all soggy.
Each pie is $ 5 and are about 4 – 5 inches in diameter. I could probably eat 2 – 3 of them and have a happy tummy. They are also very easy to cook. Stick them in the over for 15 minutes and voila! They are done.
Pie Press is definitely worth trying — I love the New Zealand and Indian flair put on these savory pies. Definitely recommend and I will be coming back for more!!!

I have been dying to try these pies for months now and the only regret I have is not getting more pies! The pies are super simple to make, just pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes and they come out golden, crispy & delicious! We sampled 4 of the pies:
Butter chicken — this was my husbands favorite pie, great authentic flavor, nice fresh chunks of chicken & the crust was so flaky and delicious!
Roast chicken & veggies — it was like a fresh homemade chicken pot pie, great flavor with fresh crisp veggies!
Lamb curry — delicious chunks of quality lamb and the flavor was excellent, I loved this pie!
Garden veggies in a herbilicious sauce — this one was my favorite, the veggies were cooked perfectly, soft but still firm, they definitely were not soggy and the sauce was delicious!
All the pies we tried were absolutely delicious! The quality of the ingredients is amazing and the crust is just so soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. I cannot wait for more pies!

Tried the butter chicken pie… it was awesome… good taste, but not overpowering. I only wish they would make some traditional lamb and onion meat pies… would be awesome for football season!

we got more pies for our labor day wkend bbq, awesome! these pies rock!

I love pie. I love pie so much that when Luis C recently wrote about Pie Press I had to check it out right away.
This morning was my first visit to the Stonestown Farmer’s Market. I sampled the egg and bacon pie. It was very good … flaky crust, scrambled egg, BACON! Well, I kind of knew that one would be good because it had bacon; bacon makes almost anything taste better.
So I was still apprehensive, and I bought just one pie to take home. I chose the Chicken and Vegetable since I love chicken pot pies and that sounded like a close match.
Twenty five minutes ago I popped that mini pie into my toaster oven and baked it for fifteen minutes. It smelled good, it looked good (
), and man-​o-​man it tasted awesome! Inside that flaky crust was white meat chicken, firm broccoli, crunchy carrot, mushrooms and onions that melted in my mouth all held together by a delicious Indian style gravy with all the right spices. And to think I only bought one! Damn! Now I have to wait a whole week before I can go back and get more.

Pie Press is another vendor of the recent wave of street food that have popped up in the bay area. The food stand can be found at the new Stonestown Farmer’s Market (parking lot facing Buckingham Way).
According to Alka Patel, the owner, these are New Zealand-​style pies, but the fillings use Indian influenced recipes. She’s very friendly and willing to answer any questions. These pocket size pies are really well made, and have a flaky and buttery crust similar to those often found at expensive restaurants.
The fillings are very tasty. You can tell that the quality is good and that the meat is lean. If you doubt me, just stick around her food stand to wait for a free taste, fresh from her toaster oven.
This time I bought 2 pies to take home.
Both were excellent. The Butter Chicken was tender and delicious!
and the Lamb Curry was tasty and had lots of lean meat!
The most interesting new flavor is the Yam, blue cheese and onion marmalade. I’m getting that next time!
These pies are way better than those from The Cravery, also better than Peasant Pies although the crust is different (if you’re vegan stick with Peasant Pies). It’s important that you follow the reheating instructions carefully (12 – 15 min at 350°F), you don’t want to burn that perfect buttery crust. I almost came close to burning one of the pies in my toaster oven.
Prices are $ 5, except for the lamb curry which is $ 5.95.
I recommend that you get there early, because she closes as soon as sold out.
Cash only.
Hours: 9am until sold out.

Bapre baap. We had a family sized order made with a variety of each type on the menu…
quick summary.
I enjoyed the lamb, chicken/​veg and butter chicken pies the most. both meats were very very juicy and contained a very distinct taste. The veggie pies were also very tasty with yummy mushrooms… Between 5 – 6 people, we were able to finish off about 11 pies… Pop them in the oven for 15 or so minutes and they come out amazing!
I would def recommend their pies to everyone. Check their site for their «pie in the sky» specials! thanks again for the pies! cant wait til I place another order!

I stumbled upon this place last Sunday at the Stonestown farmer’s market and I must say… WOW! As soon as we approached the booth, we were greeted by a very friendly woman who offered us samples of the butter chicken. To be honest, since I’m not a big fan of the whole chicken pot pie thing, I didn’t have high hopes but when I took one bite I was sold! We were pleasantly surprised by the crust and flavors! They were unfortunately completely sold out of the sweet potato pie as well as the bacon egg pie but we were also able to try the chicken and vegetable pie which was delicious as well. We decided to purchase 2 butter chicken pies and baked them Monday night. They were soooo good. After finishing my pie, I completely regretted only buying two! Thank God they’ll be there this Sunday again because I just can’t stop thinking about those pies! I’m so looking forward to trying their other flavors and this time buying more than two.

OMG. are their pies ever good!!! If you hadn’t tried it yet, you DEFINITELY have to get your hands on their delish savoury pies. You seriously can taste the incredibly freshness of the ingredients and awesome flavor delivered by Alka’s talent.
We decided to do a «Pie day» at the office. So we ordered a few of each flavours for a total of 2 dozens.
Alka was wonderful and accommodating, arranging for me to pick up the still hot pies on my way to work at 8am.
All the pies were great, but of the 6 types of pies we had, Butter Chicken, Bacon & Egg and the Sweet Potato was ooh’ed and aah’ed over the most.
The Butter Chicken has this incredible «kick» to it.
The bacon in the Bacon & Egg was just heavenly.
The biggest surprise was how well the gorgonzola and the sweet potatoes had complimented each other in the Sweet Potato pie!
oh gosh, I’m drooling now just thinking about the pies. (wipes desk)