AUNTIE PENG’S SON SAID THEIR PIES TASTE DIFFERENT FROM DONA MANIS’
Ee Hsing clarified that while “it’s possible that Mr Tan gave her the recipe, the fact is that the banana pies taste different”.
He explained: “Everybody can have a recipe – just go to YouTube, and it’ll teach you how to make a (copycat) Dona Manis banana pie. The only thing is – can you make it taste the same as ours, which captured so many people’s hearts and taste buds?”
But he laughed it off and said: “It’s an open market, anybody can sell anything. Whose banana pies will capture more people’s taste buds? It used to be my mum’s (at Dona Manis), now there’s one more version to try – isn’t that a good thing also?”
ON SETTING UP SHOP NEXT TO DONA MANIS
Both Aunty Peng Banana Pie and Dona Manis sell pretty much the same items, with both shops’ banana pies going for S$33 for a whole pie (10 slices); S$3.30 a slice, and their chocolate tarts similarly costing S$6 for five pieces.
Isn’t it awkward for both rival businesses to be located right next to each other? Ee Hsing noted that this wasn’t exactly an intentional decision.
“We did not originally plan to (open our business next to Dona Manis), but it just so happened our unit used to belong to ice cream shop Humble Scoop, which closed down. So we decided to take over the unit,” he explained.
He added: “We didn’t take it up immediately but three months later, it’s as if the shop (space) was waiting for us”.
Meanwhile, Esther admitted that while she was initially “surprised when (Auntie Peng Banana Pie) appeared next to us”, she went on to say: “It’s okay, people can go to whichever shop they want to buy from, there’s enough room for the banana pies to go around”.
Auntie Peng Banana Pie is at #B1-92 Katong Shopping Centre, 865 Mountbatten Rd, Singapore 437844. Open Mon – Sat 9am – 6pm; Sun 9am – 3pm. Tel: 8088 9639. More info via Facebook.
This story was originally published in 8days.
