I have long been waiting for this and now it is here! All the way from the US, Project Pie, the brainchild of James Markham, is a newly-opened establishment along the lengthy Shaw Boulevard. Carrying a sellable concept in its sleeve, Project Pie lets everyone in on a different kind of dining experience.

Brought by the same group who operates the Shakey's pizza chain here, fast and casual, this restaurant mainly appeals to those individuals who want a fuss-free environment to enjoy their food! And of course let us not forget the main selling point of Project Pie and that is they let their customers customize and build their own pizzas! Really, how cool is that to garnish your pizza with only those toppings that you love? Isn't it a dream come true to have your pizza in however and whatever way you want it to be? The possibilities are truly endless and I bet that each time is a different experience than the previous ones.

Sitting at 515 Shaw, this franchise is the first outside of US. The good vibes of the place and the crew are contagious; you will instantaneously catch it upon entering. The airy space, wood accents, hip font and doodles and quirky things that abound the restaurant largely contribute to the overall fun vibe and look of the place. The bulbs lined up above with those red valves helped in establishing the mood inside.

Fast, casual assembly line-style, Project Pie was teeming with people who wanted to have a quick fix of those personalized pizzas when we got there. We immediately fell in line and scanned their menu printed on those lengthwise kraft papers scattered around. Anticipation heightening with each step, it took a great deal of time before we had our turn.

Once we were there, we wasted no time on building our 11-inch thin crust pizzas (Php 285). It was an overwhelming experience to see firsthand how the pizzas were being done. There to greet us first was this ever-smiling girl who put us at ease and who put our dough in the Cold Dough Press Machine. In between small talks, she proceeded on asking us our preferred sauce: are we going for red or white? Since I am feeling a little less indulgent, white sauce won the battle!

She then passed us to her equally happy colleagues assigned to pile up our pizza with the toppings of our choice. Likewise overwhelming was the number of choices they have for the toppings! Do not fret though as the assembly-line folks are very much accommodating to walk you through each choices, especially if some is unfamiliar to you. You could actually ask them to put only meat, only vegetables or to put every topping imaginable in your pizza but hey, what is the point of being that uncreative and unimaginative anyway? This is the perfect opportunity to go wild, gaga and creative with your pizza! Once you are already happy with the toppings, your pizza will then be subjected in a stone-hearth oven which will cook your raw pizza in just a couple of minutes! You can already pay up and fill your cups with the drink of your choice while you are waiting to be called out. Once it is ready, they will call your name and leave the pizza on the counter for you to pick up. Grab it, bring it on your reserved table and enjoy it with your bare hands!

These are our "kustom" built pizzas! All of us went for the white sauce. Maybe I would have to make a red-sauce based pizza the next time that I am here! My pizza is at the right bottom corner and I call it Sunday Bliss which consists of a dash of parmesan and mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, red onions, mushrooms, italian sausage, bacon bits, Canadian bacon, jalapenos (which my mom forced me to put!), pineapple and LOTS of garlic! I super love the outcome and the mix of flavor of my pizza since I love everything that I placed in here (except the Jalapenos which I ended up removing from my pizza!). Since the ingredients are fresh, the taste of the pizza is also fresh! There is just a different feel, compactness and texture when the dough is pressed as compared to when it is tediously hand-tossed. Nonetheless, it is something that I could definitely disregard! Also, I advise for you to eat it immediately as the pizza gets cold fast.

If you could not be bothered, you can just choose from the 7 options (all for Php 245) they offer. My mom and grandma picked the #5 (mozzarella, ricotta, gorgonzola, parmesan, cracked black pepper, olive oil, garlic, fresh chopped basil) and the #6 (grilled chicken, sliced red onion, cilantro, mozzarella, gorgonzola, topped with bbq sauce).

Do not forget to try their dessert pizzas especially this very addicting Nutella & Banana pizza (Php 145). This is definitely a must-try! We would have gotten another pie of this if we were not that full yet!

Two opposite walls have this some kind of graffiti wall with a few quotable quotes from famous people in different handwritings.

This hip and cute trash can here actually encourages the guests to clean their tables as they go. How hard is it really to dump your trashes here and to pile up the used trays there?

There are a lot of quirky doodles, quotes and things that can leave you bemused and amused in Project Pie like this sign that dubbed the restroom as the Oval Office!

The funny and animated Mr. Cito Martelino, General Manager of Project Pie Philippines, was the one calling out the names of the guests when we were there. I was actually stifling a laugh when he called out my name (Lav) as I saw the unusual spark in his eyes upon realizing what he just uttered. He repeated my name by the way with a comedic come hither look, complete with his chin resting on his hand. So bubbly! I love the people here!

Since I had a wonderful experience here, I made a video of my full-pizza making experience in Project Pie. Just click the image above to watch it! Come visit Project Pie at 515 Shaw to build your dream pizza! Coupled with a lovely crew and a fairly new concept, I have this huge hunch that this "kustom" restaurant is here to stay, for the long run.