YES, I KNOW the circus is in town complete with performing and dancing clowns, and this usually happens every three years or so, and we call that “election”.
But we’re not going to talk about politics and all that nonsense. Let’s talk about something else, something pleasant that leaves a wonderful feeling and tastes literally in the mouth. It’s everybody’s favorite, something we can’t do without.
Of course I’m talking about food. But not just your common everyday fare for lunch. It is something that goes well with the perfect cup of coffee i.e. pastries.
There are a lot of pastries that are a perfect partner for the perfect cup of coffee – from muffins, cakes to pies and yes, we’re going to talk about pies, the best pies in town.
I’m almost in my December years and there are a few pleasures left in life for this aging hippie to enjoy and which won’t get me in trouble with the law, although I must admit that once in a while there’s nothing more pleasurable than having a joint or two with a bottle of chilled Chablis and “grooving” to Pink Floyd and Pat Metheny, then having great sex afterwards.
Perhaps one day those politicians will decriminalize marijuana, hopefully in my lifetime, but that’s another story. We’re here to talk about the best pies in town.
Back then when we were still residing in West Avenue, Quezon City, one of the simple things I liked doing was enjoying the passage of time hanging out in my favorite coffee shop, usually in Mary Grace Café at The Block in SM North.
In any given afternoon you’d find Moi there in a quiet corner table with a lovely cup of Café Americano and a hefty slice of apple pie enjoying the passage of time, sometimes reading a novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, maybe Albert Camus, or with earphones listening to Miles Davis in the iPhone.
Call it a simple twist of fate but after almost three decades away we found ourselves back in “I Am Iloilo City” and one of the first things I did was to look for a good coffee shop for my caffeine fix.
There was the usual Starbucks and this local one, Coffeebreak. The coffee’s not bad, in fact it’s good. Unfortunately they don’t have pies. So for some time I just make do with the usual muffins and cheesecakes.
That is until I discovered this quaint little bakeshop aptly called Nang Palang’s Pies along the road somewhere in Oton, Iloilo where they bake probably what is one of the best Buko pies I’ve tasted. The buko is just right soft and creamy and the crust doughy, not flaky, with just the right texture. All in all, the perfect blend.
Let me put it this way: Collette’s, that famous buko pie from Laguna, pales in comparison to Nang Palang’s.
So what I’d do any chance I get, I’d buy a couple of Nang Palang’s pie bring it to Starbucks and enjoy it with my usual Café Americano and bring the rest to enjoy at home with my home brew.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and suddenly the whole city was in quarantine. All malls were closed including all the coffee shops. Good thing almost all the restaurants and coffee shops went into take-outs and delivery while everyone was stuck at home waiting for this pandemic to pass.
It was one of those afternoons. While writing my column for Panay News, I was also browsing the internet and social media looking for what’s new in food deliveries that I saw this – Pies R Hot and they have a menu of pies to choose from: Apple Pie, Peach Mango Pie, Egg Caramel Pie, Buko Pie, Lemon Custard Pie, and Banapple Walnut Cake Pie.
I thought to myself, wow, that’s lot of pies. And they also have meat pies. But I didn’t bother checking them out bearing in mind that we’re vegetarians.
It was during the early days of the pandemic and we’re all in ECQ stuck at home so it did not matter that this shop didn’t have a physical store. What you do is just order and they’ll deliver.
Sounds good if you can’t come to the pie let the pie come to you.
With that I started with an order of Apple Pie and I must say it’s the best I’ve ever tasted, way much better than Mary Grace Café’s apple pie. Heavenly, to put it mildly. And that started my “love affair” with all their pies.
From day one till today I’ve ordered and eaten all their pies except for the meat pies and the Lemon Custard Pie, and I love them all. My all-time favorites are the Apple Pie and the Egg Caramel Pie. Definitely the best pies in town and I mean that from my taste buds down to the bottom of my stomach. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com)/PN
