Elijah Pies opens Joo Chiat flagship with souffle pies, ‘pizza pies’ and treats for dogs

Twelve years after starting as a home business, the Instagram-famous pie brand has taken over a heritage shophouse for its biggest cafe yet.

Limin Wong and Elijah Tan started Elijah Pies 12 years ago, building it up into a successful business. Their newest outlet opens on Sep 12, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

Elijah Pies is a case study in how an Instagram-era home business matured into a decade-old brand without losing the visual identity that made it famous.

Now in their 12th year, founders Elijah Tan and Limin Wong, both 36, are opening a second dine-in cafe in the Joo Chiat neighbourhood.

Occupying a heritage shophouse, the cafe, opening Saturday (Sep 12), has 60 spaciously-arranged seats, including a light-filled private room and a pet-friendly outdoor area.

(Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)

After opening their Tanjong Pagar cafe three years ago – they also have a baking studio at King George's Avenue where they run workshops – they observed that many of their customers lived in the east, making Joo Chiat a good location for a flagship outlet, Wong shared.

Following a nearly two-year search, they finally found the perfect space; it was “love at first sight” when they viewed the shophouse.

The interior, designed by architectural firm Nice Projects, is full of polished design touches, including tabletops incorporating blue Brazilian crystal and flooring featuring 1,480 hand-cut, hand-placed Italian travertine tiles.

The goal for the cafe was to be able to accommodate larger families, and the new spot allows for a massive 10-seat dining table with a lazy Susan. There’ll also be free babyccinos and housemade cheese crisps for young children, Wong said.

The married couple also wanted the space to be welcoming for pets, having acquired their first dog, a Shih Tzu-poodle cross named Snoopy, a year ago. Observing that many dog owners walk their dogs in the area, “We’ve designed a pet service corner outside where you can grab some water for your pet,” Wong said. Doggie visitors will also get a free dog cookie.

The new space is also an opportunity to showcase a few “more elevated techniques” and artistry, Wong said. Cue the “flagship dine-in special”, Elijah’s Souffle Pie (S$18), baked a la minute and served warm. It’s a gianduja souffle with almond joconde and hazelnut praline, topped with a chocolate flower that melts slowly into the dessert.

"Elijah's Souffle Pie". (Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)

Another new addition to the regular menu is a Kaya Toffee Pie (S$9). Inspired by the Peranakan shophouse and its surrounds, it features housemade kaya, gula Melaka toffee and grated coconut.

Then, there’s a new series of “Pizza Pies”. Inspired by Chicago deep-dish pizza pies, these are made with a croissant crust: the hand-laminated dough is thrice-folded into 27 alternating layers of French butter and flour. “It took a lot of effort and research” to “capture the essence of pizza, while presenting it in a way that is on-brand, nice to eat and aesthetically pleasing”, Tan said, adding that the R&D process “took us a good four to five months”.

"Garlic Ebi" (left) and "Ruffles" pies. (Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)

The six-inch pies, designed for sharing, come in four flavours: Garlic Ebi (S$22), Truffle Croque (S$24), “Cheeseburger” (S$23), and sour cream and onion potato chip-inspired “Ruffles” (S$23). The last, which features potato gratin and portobello duxelle, is finished with espuma piped at the table, and drops of chive oil.

Doggie pies for furry friends are also available, supplied by pet bakery Petissier. They come in “Wild Berry Lavender” and “Matchamisu” options (S$9) to resemble Elijah Pies’ signature bakes, but are made with chicken breast, potato, Chinese yam and coconut cream.

On top of the classic drinks, there’s also a new range of mocktails. The “Berry Bubble” (S$12) is Tan’s take on a strawberry matcha, with cold-brewed green tea topped with strawberry foam. A Champagne-inspired mocktail (S$12) blends white tea with sauvignon blanc grapes and non-alcoholic Prosecco. Then there’s a fun drink inspired by Tan’s favourite fruit as a child, mango, featuring clarified mango juice, grapefruit oleo saccharum and an orange blossom lollipop (S$13).

"1930" mocktail (Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)

Finally, the “1930” (S$13) is a mocktail that pays homage to the building and its culture: Coconut water infused with pandan leaves, layered with butterfly pea extract and served with a foamy topping that combines coconut cream with hazelnut milk.

RECIPE FOR LONGEVITY

As with all their menu offerings, thought was put into how beautiful and shareable the dishes would be, Wong said. And, as it turns out, she credits that with being one of the major factors for Elijah Pies’ continued success over 12 years and counting – ever since the seed of the idea was born when Tan first tried to impress Wong by baking her a Nutella pie, and one pie grew into an online shop.

“We invest a lot in social media marketing,” with photography being especially important, divulged Wong, who left a 10-year career in brand marketing to run the business full time. “We make the photos and the pies that we serve look yummy online, and people are intrigued enough to visit our store.”

This area of the cafe can be sectioned off into a private room. (Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)

It is a concerted strategy that has been honed over a long period. “We have been working for many years with a photographer that we trust. All the photos that you see on Instagram are by him. We kind of know what makes views and engagement go up – certain angles or scenes. Over the years. we’ve improved. I think it stems from how we started primarily as an online business,” she said. Equally important is making sure “the experience people have online is in line with what we have in the store”.

On top of Wong’s experience in marketing, there’s also Tan’s background in business.

“We know how to, in a sense, run it less like an F&B operation and more like a business, and I think that has kind of kept us afloat,” he said. It’s things like planning for the price of ingredients to go up, for example. “All the challenges you hear about – the cost of goods, increasing wages – we feel the exact same thing.”

Sour cream and onion espuma is piped onto the "Ruffles" pie tableside. The pie is then finished with a sprinkling of chive oil. (Photo: CNA/Kelvin Chia)

What helped was that “we didn’t start off with a full retail cafe. We started small, taking less risks. We set up a delivery-only model with a central kitchen, and that helped us a lot during COVID-19. It was only after the lockdowns were over, when everyone could go out, that we opened our retail shop at Tanjong Pagar.”

“It took us eight years to open that first dining concept because we want to be accountable to the team behind us as well – they rely on us to make good decisions for their livelihood,” Wong added. “We certainly could not do all of this on our own. From the baking team to the service crew, all of them have really made a difference.”

(Photo: Instagram/Elijahpies)

As for running a business as a married couple, yes, it does come with challenges, including little day-to-day squabbles. “You learn, lah!” Tan quipped. “It’s best to have a very clear division of job scope. You do what you're good at, and then trust the other party to execute it well, rather than trying to micromanage everything.”

For now, Wong said, they’re settling into the new neighbourhood, which has already welcomed them with warm greetings and eager enquiries.

Elijah Pies opens Sep 12 at 72 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427789.

A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day.

这家在 Instagram 上走红的馅饼品牌，从家庭作坊起步，历经十二年发展，如今已入驻一家历史悠久的店屋，开设了迄今为止最大的咖啡馆。

黄立民和陈伊莱贾12年前创立了伊莱贾馅饼店，并将其发展成为一家成功的企业。他们的最新分店将于2026年9月12日开业。（图片：CNA/Kelvin Chia）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

Elijah Pies 是一个案例研究，它展现了一个 Instagram 时代的家庭企业如何在保持其成名视觉形象的同时，发展成为一个拥有十年历史的品牌。

如今已走过 12 个年头，创始人 Elijah Tan 和 Limin Wong（两人均为 36 岁）将在如切区开设第二家堂食咖啡馆。

这家咖啡馆位于一栋历史悠久的店屋内，将于周六（9 月 12 日）开业，设有 60 个宽敞的座位，包括一个采光充足的私人包间和一个允许携带宠物的户外区域。

（图片：CNA/Kelvin Chia）

黄先生分享道，三年前他们在丹戎巴葛开设了一家咖啡馆（他们在乔治国王大道也有一家烘焙工作室，在那里举办工作坊），他们注意到很多顾客都住在东部，因此如切是开设旗舰店的好地方。

经过近两年的寻找，他们终于找到了理想的店面；当他们看到这间店屋时，就“一见钟情”。

室内设计由 Nice Projects 建筑事务所操刀，充满了精致的设计细节，包括采用蓝色巴西水晶的桌面和由 1480 块手工切割、手工铺设的意大利洞石瓷砖组成的地板。

这家咖啡馆的目标是能够接待更多家庭，新店面配备了一张可容纳10人的大型餐桌，并带有旋转托盘。黄女士表示，店内还会为小朋友们提供免费的儿童卡布奇诺和自制奶酪脆片。

这对夫妇也希望这个空间对宠物友好，因为他们一年前养了第一只狗，一只名叫史努比的西施犬和贵宾犬的混血犬。黄女士注意到很多狗主人都会在附近遛狗，“所以我们在外面设计了一个宠物服务角，您可以在那里给您的宠物拿些水。”狗狗访客还能免费获得一块狗饼干。

黄先生表示，新店也为展示一些“更高级的技法”和艺术性提供了机会。其中就包括“招牌堂食特供”——伊莱贾舒芙蕾派（18 新元），现点现烤，趁热享用。这道舒芙蕾以榛子巧克力酱为底，搭配杏仁巧克力和榛子果仁糖，顶部点缀着一朵巧克力花，入口即化，融入甜点之中。

“以利亚的舒芙蕾派”。（图片：CNA/Kelvin Chia）

常规菜单上新增的另一款甜点是咖椰太妃派（9 新元）。这款甜点的灵感源自娘惹店屋及其周边环境，以自制咖椰酱、马六甲椰糖太妃糖和椰丝为特色。

此外，还有一系列全新的“披萨饼”。这些披萨饼的灵感源自芝加哥深盘披萨，饼皮采用牛角面包的酥脆口感：手工揉制的面团经过三次折叠，形成27层交替的法式黄油和面粉。“我们投入了大量精力进行研究”，力求“在保留披萨精髓的同时，以符合品牌形象、美味可口且赏心悦目的方式呈现出来”，谭说道，并补充说，研发过程“耗时四到五个月”。

左图为“蒜蓉虾”派，右图为“Ruffles”派。（图片：CNA/Kelvin Chia）

这些六英寸的披萨饼专为分享而设计，共有四种口味：蒜蓉虾（22 新元）、松露法式火腿芝士披萨（24 新元）、“芝士汉堡”披萨（23 新元）以及灵感源自酸奶油洋葱薯片的“Ruffles”披萨（23 新元）。最后这款披萨饼底为土豆焗烤和波多贝罗蘑菇酱，最后会在餐桌上挤上泡沫，并淋上几滴韭菜油。

这里也提供专为毛茸茸的小伙伴们准备的狗狗派，由宠物烘焙坊 Petissier 供应。这些狗狗派有“野莓薰衣草”和“抹茶苏”两种口味（售价 9 新元），外形酷似 Elijah Pies 的招牌烘焙食品，但原料是鸡胸肉、土豆、山药和椰奶。

除了经典饮品外，这里还推出了一系列全新无酒精鸡尾酒。“莓果泡泡”（12 新元）是 Tan 以草莓抹茶为灵感创作的，以冷泡绿茶为基底，顶部覆盖草莓泡沫。另一款香槟风味无酒精鸡尾酒（12 新元）则融合了白茶、长相思葡萄和无酒精普罗塞克起泡酒。此外，还有一款趣味十足的饮品，灵感源自 Tan 儿时最爱的水果——芒果，以澄清芒果汁、西柚油糖和橙花棒棒糖为特色（13 新元）。

“1930”无酒精鸡尾酒（图片：CNA/Kelvin Chia）

最后，“1930”（13 新元）是一款无酒精鸡尾酒，旨在向这座建筑及其文化致敬：椰子水浸泡着香兰叶，分层加入蝶豆花提取物，并配以椰奶和榛子奶混合而成的泡沫。

长寿秘诀

黄女士表示，和他们菜单上的所有菜品一样，每道菜都经过精心设计，既美观又适合分享。而事实证明，她认为这正是Elijah Pies在过去12年里持续成功的关键因素之一——这一切都源于谭女士最初为了给黄女士留下深刻印象而烤制的Nutella派，而一个派最终发展成了一家线上商店。

“我们在社交媒体营销上投入了很多，”黄女士透露，其中摄影尤为重要。她放弃了长达十年的品牌营销工作，全职经营这家店。“我们把照片和店里的馅饼拍得在网上看起来很美味，这样就能吸引人们到店里来。”

咖啡馆的这部分区域可以隔成一个私人包间。（图片：CNA/Kelvin Chia）

这是一项经过长期精心打磨的策略。“我们与一位值得信赖的摄影师合作多年。你在Instagram上看到的所有照片都出自他之手。我们深谙提升浏览量和互动率的秘诀——某些特定的角度或场景。多年来，我们不断进步。我认为这源于我们最初主要以线上业务起家，”她说道。同样重要的是，要确保“人们在线上的体验与实体店的体验保持一致”。

除了 Wong 在市场营销方面的经验外，Tan 还拥有商业背景。

“从某种意义上说，我们知道如何把它经营得更像一家企业，而不是像经营一家餐饮企业，我认为这在某种程度上让我们得以维持下去，”他说。比如，提前做好应对食材价格上涨的准备。“所有你听到的挑战——商品成本上涨、工资上涨——我们都感同身受。”

在餐桌旁，服务员会将酸奶油洋葱泡沫挤到“Ruffles”派上，最后淋上少许韭菜油。（图片：CNA/Kelvin Chia）

对我们有帮助的是，“我们一开始并没有开一家完整的零售咖啡馆。我们从小规模做起，降低风险。我们建立了一个只提供外卖服务的中央厨房，这在新冠疫情期间对我们帮助很大。直到封锁结束，大家都可以出门的时候，我们才在丹戎巴葛开设了零售店。”

“我们花了八年时间才开设第一家餐厅，因为我们也想对背后的团队负责——他们依靠我们做出关乎生计的正确决策，”黄补充道。“我们当然不可能独自完成这一切。从烘焙团队到服务人员，每个人都发挥了至关重要的作用。”

（图片：Instagram/Elijahpies）

至于夫妻共同经营生意，确实会面临挑战，包括日常的小争吵。“慢慢就习惯了！”谭笑着说。“最好是分工明确。你做你擅长的事，然后相信对方能把它做好，而不是事事都管。”

黄先生说，目前他们正在适应新的社区生活，社区居民已经热情地欢迎他们，并积极询问他们的近况。

Elijah Pies 将于 9 月 12 日在新加坡 Joo Chiat Place 72 号开业，邮编 427789。

每天一篇，我们精心挑选一篇您不容错过的精彩故事。