Welcome to Sydney, Australia, a place that I have been excited to visit my whole life! This was one of my real bucket list moments that I named when I met Mike and I was overjoyed to have actually realised it together. Honestly, I felt so lucky to be in the city, looking over the harbour at the Sydney Opera House - it felt like a dream, so surreal to see something that I have been seeing on TV, in magazines, and in my imagination for almost thirty years. And it didn't get old - seeing this view every day was magical, for the whole time we were there we must have viewed it from so many different angles and I loved every one of them.
Obviously this was a big one, but there was so much more to my dreams of visiting Sydney. Some of my absolute favourite travel moments happened in this city - seeing whales in the harbour, checking out the crabs in the rock pools as we walked up along the coast, and even better, getting my first taste of an Aussie legend: the humble Aussie Pie!
So tell us, what exactly is Aussie Meat Pie?
A traditional part of foodie culture in Australia, the Meat Pie has frequently been referred to as the country's national dish. The concept is simple: an individually portioned pie, filled with meat (diced or minced) and gravy. Occasionally vegetables make an appearance, and the pie is often served with a dollop of tomato ketchup on top.
This seemingly simple dish is deceptively adaptable: it can be found with all kinds of meat inside, and sometimes even cheese... these pies are usually locally produced and sold from all kinds of food outlets as a convenient takeaway dish. It is even celebrated in annual pie competitions; it is no exaggeration to say that the Aussie Pie is truly iconic.
Where did we try vegan Aussie Meat Pie in Sydney?
Obviously I was obsessed with the idea of tasting a vegan Aussie Meat Pie in Sydney since before we even booked the trip - so we quickly decided that we would head down to Funky Pies, a completely plant-based bakery located not too far from Bondi Beach. This awesome cafe has a comprehensive menu of vegan pies, smoothies, and treats - we wished we could have tried more!
With a range of sides, including mashed potatoes, mushy peas, and salad, Funky Pies' pies can be bought as part of a meal - but we just wanted the pies to speak for themselves! It took us a while to narrow down: from curry pies and tagine pies to mushroom pies and bean pies, there was so many to choose from! Ultimately though, we decided that our first pie should be as close to the traditional Aussie Meat Pie as possible: so I picked the Funky Chunky. This pie included mushroom-based 'meat' chunks, a rich gravy, and even a little bit of mashed potato too. Of course, I added a tasty dollop of ketchup on top! For comparison, Mike chose the Eezy Chic'N Cheezy, which included chicken-style chunks, mushrooms and broccoli in a cheesy sauce.
So come on - tell us all about the pies! How did they taste?
Oh my goodness. Firstly, let me say that as British people we have very strong feelings about pies, and high expectations when it comes to pastry-clad goodness. We expect a light and golden flaky pastry lid with a slightly denser but no less delicious base, and a generous filling that is not too wet and not too dry, filled well, but not so much that it explodes out of the lid. And Funky Pies delivered on all accounts, exceeding our expectations in so many ways!
We actually found it really hard to decide which pie we preferred - even though we had picked out out own they were both so good that we shared half each. My Funky Chunky was absolutely delicious - it had the depth of flavour of a steak and gravy pie, and I have no idea how mushroom chunks can be this tender and delicious, but they have done it and it is astounding! The layer of mash under the lid adds a little extra something to this pie too, making it nice and creamy, and full of tasty goodness.
The Eezy Chic'N Cheezy was a little bit less traditional but definitely no less delicious. We both love a creamy white sauce in a pie, and were delighted with the hint of cheesiness in this one too. The mushrooms and broccoli were a really tasty addition to this creamy pie, and the mock chicken was tender and tasty. Ahh, these flavours and textures really were the stuff of our vegan pie-lover dreams... we just did not want these pies to end.
We could have eaten our pies at the cafe, but we decided to take them down to the beach for the view... this was a bit of a regretful choice as it was a tad windy and we ended up with slightly sandy pies. So unless it is a calm day, we recommend that you eat at Funky Pies - their cafe is comfortable and vibrant, definitely a great place to enjoy this iconic taste of Australia!
How much did these plant-based Aussie pies cost - and were they worth it?
Our pies cost AU$8.95 per pie (approx. £4.76, €5.43 or $5.99)... which I guess is a little on the expensive side for an individual pie, but wow, I just cannot explain how delicious it was. The pasty was so flaky and tasty, it was really really impressive that this delicious pasty was completely vegan. We were absolutely in awe of these pies and their hearty yet wholesome fillings. They were so, so worth what we paid for them and would recommend Funky Pies to anyone heading over to Australia with an eye on the pie!
Have you tried vegan pie in Australia? Or elsewhere in the world! Where did you go and what did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.
Recommendations
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Where should I stay?
There are obviously a lot of places to stay in Sydney, so first of all you need to decide if you'd prefer to stay in the city or close to one of the popular beaches (Bondi Beach, Manly Beach and Coogee Beach are all favourites!)
There are tonnes of hotels, apartments and hostels available - for affordable places to stay with a choice of single, twin or dorm rooms, check out Wake Up! in Sydney Central or Bondi Beach. Or closer to Manly Beach, why not try Stoke Beach House, which offers complimentary breakfast and yoga sessions!
Tours & Experiences
There's so much to do and see in Sydney, and in this sprawling city can be pretty difficult to see everything if you only have a short amount of time. If you want to check out everything from the Rocks, the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, to Bondi Beach, and the CBD, with the flexibility of a 24 or 48-hour ticket, why not try the Big Bus Sydney and Bondi Hop-on Hop-off tour? Or, if that's not for you, check out some of the top-rated Viator tours below!
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