Monday, July 8, 2013

The Pie Tin, Newtown

When it comes to hearing about hyped up restaurants, cafes and bars extremely late; I'm sadly one of those people who are probably the last to know. In fact, I'm probably the last foodie in Sydney to try out The Pie Tin since it opened in 2011. It's not that I don't go to Newtown as much. I actually go there quite regularly. It's just that every time I go there, The Pie Tin somehow slips away from my mind. But hey better late than never?

Savoury pies!!!

It probably didn't help that I have started my diet this year so it was a lot harder finding the right time to go there. One night CC and I were both keen on treating ourselves and we've heard so much about this place so it's time to finally check it out. The weather was very dreadful that night. It didn't help that the door was left open for the chill to come in but we were so keen to try out those warm pies so we didn't care.

Sweet pies!!!

And oh maaaan the pie selection was amazeballs!!! We seriously didn't know what to order at all. The best thing about this place was that all the pies were made to order with fresh ingredients at the same spot on the day. One pie that was in my mind before coming here was the Southern Style shredded pork but it was sold out by the time we were there, which made our decision harder. Unfortunately we regret not ordering the dessert pies at the same time as the savoury pies because it was nearly closing times and they were all running out like flies. (Disclaimer: Pie porn coming up...)

The (EPIC) Apple Pie That Ate Newtown!


The pie that I wanna get was sold out! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...





For savoury pies, you get the option to order the pie on its own for $5.80 to $6.80 or a pie meal with 2 sides or chips between $11.00 to $12.00 (I'm guessing it depends on the size of the pies?). Unfortunately we were so hungry that we forgot to take photos of the pie insides but they were really tasty. Eventually after much ummming and aaahhhing, I finally decided to get the Slow Roasted Beef Brisket pie with sides of classic mushy peas and coleslaw salad. This definitely didn't disappoint my tastebuds. The pie was full of flavour with the incredibly tender, shredded, slow-roasted beef just melting in my mouth combined with the flaky, crispy pie crust. It also seemed to taste quite peppery as I dig into the pie. I loved the coleslaw on the side as it helped in balancing the flavours from the pie however the mushy peas were too chunky and slightly dry. Plus I was getting full very quickly.

 
Slow Roasted Beef Brisket, Hickory Smoke and Mushrooms pie with coleslaw and classic mushy peas

CC decided to have the Sunday Lamb Roast pie with potato mash and beans and tomatoes as her choice of sides. Like the beef pie, the lamb was slow cooked, hearty and tender. Similar to your usual Sunday roast, the filling also came with baked spuds, peas, pumpkin and mint gravy which gave it a balance of flavours. She definitely enjoyed this one although it also got pretty filling as well. Probably should stick to sharing pies next time.

 
Sunday Lamb Roast pie with homestyle potato mash and beans

For sweet pies, the prices are a tad higher with prices mostly ranging between $7.50-$8.50 and even up to $10.50 for there larger pies. If you'd like vanilla ice cream on the side, it's an additional $1.00 or if you just want a dollop of fresh cream then it's an extra 50c. 

After taking time to rest, we checked out the sweet pies but sadly most of the pies ran out and it was nearly closing time. After even more time to decide, I eventually chose the brown butter pecan pie...I think I was in the mood for pecans at the time and the staff member looked quite impatient when I was deciding. Since it was closing time, we couldn't eat inside any longer and had to order takeaway. We were soooo pissed at getting kicked out (not to mention the less than enthusiastic attitude from the staff that night) but then we took a few bites into this pie and mannnnn we felt like we were in heaven again. The nuttiness of the pecans, the balance of the sweetness and the crumbly and flaky crust made us happy to return again to try all the other pies. I would gladly order this again next time.

Brown butter pecan pie

I was craving for pies again so another visit ended up happening recently. Thankfully, this time I got the very last slow roasted shredded pork with apple and BBQ sauce. Seriously what is so popular with this pie? After taking a few bites, it is understandable why this one sells out fast. Apart from that amazingly addictive smoked and shredded pulled pork (did I mention that I've always loved pulled pork?!), there is the sweetness coming from the apple pieces and the tangy sensation from the BBQ that makes this pie one of the signature savoury pies at The Pie Tin. 



Southern style shredded pork with apple and BBQ sauce

In keeping up with my weird obsession with caramel, chocolate and pecans; I decided to get the "Mississippi" mud pie (fudgy chocolate, caramel and pecans) as my sweet pie of choice. It also has a pretty awesome name. While there was a decent amount of cream on top as well as a generous amount of caramel and chocolate, it was not overwhelmingly rich. The ingredients complemented well together in making each element stand out equally so you can taste each flavour in one bite. 

 
"Mississippi" mud pie: fudgy chocolate, caramel and pecans

We absolutely loved the pies and would gladly make regular visits just to try everything on the menu - especially the sweet pies. Maybe next time, we would make a visit later in the week between Thursday to Saturday so we could stay longer as it closes at 10pm on those nights. While the food was sooo good, the service can vary on the night/day. While it was quick and prompt, a smile would have been nice to see when we were there the first time. I guess the weather that night didn't help much as it was pouring and freezing. However, on the following visits, the service was much much nicer and friendlier which made the experience positive for us. This has got me thinking on restaurants, cafes and bars in general though.
Has there ever been a time when you went to a restaurant, cafe or a bar where the food/drinks were amazing but the service was either hit and miss, rude or just generally disappointing?


The Pie Tin
1 Brown Street, Newtown NSW 2042
(02) 9519 7880
http://www.thepietin.com.au/
The Pie Tin on Urbanspoon

9 comments:

  1. super duper place to grab a bite. I prefer the sweet menu to the savoury. Kumera chips. To die for.

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  2. Dayem! I love me some good pies and this place looks incredible!

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  3. I've also had the same problem with the pork pie running out! The missisipi pie looks soooo good!! You must get the kumera mash next time - it's amazing :D

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  4. Awesome kumera chips! I can't decide if I prefer savoury or sweet. It's all so good

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  5. I prefer their sweet pies but the duck pie with maple syrup is so good. I'm lucky that every time I've been it hasn't been too busy.

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  6. nope, you're not the last one to go ...
    i haven't been and it's on my list!! :(
    Really need to get my butt over there!

    You may have just given me a push to get there asap! haha!

    - Cassie

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  7. I've been wanting to go here for a while! YUMMMM, these photos have made me so hungry for pie!

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  8. You are definitely not the last foodie to head to The Pie Tin. I am yet to get there.

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  9. Hi I just found your lovely blog, we went to The Tin Pie on the weekend it was fabulous.

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