When I first visited Australia in 2009, one of my fondest memories was riding the train around Sydney and stopping at a pie shop for a cheap meat pie right outside the train station. Fast forward four years later, and I could pretty much do the same thing here in my hometown, thanks to Bronzed Aussie.
Downtown is where it’s at now, and this one-of-a-kind restaurant in Los Angeles is a pleasant surprise. I can take the Metro to the 7th Street/Metro Center station and walk or bike down to Los Angeles street (the food court does have bike parking racks) and drop by here.
I came here on a Saturday and though the place wasn’t packed, there was a steady stream of customers, most of whom were Australians seeing what this place was about (or at least feeling homesick). I had a ground beef pie, a spinach & feta roll and a large cappuccino.
The pie was excellent, the crust was the right kind of flakiness, and the meat filling, though slightly greasy, was downright flavorful. The spinach and feta rolls were excellent. The cappuccino, true to what I experienced in Australia, came with some fancy designs on the surface — that’s a big part of the cafe culture there. My only complaint was that the cappuccino wasn’t as hot as I had expected (though stil entirely drinkable).
They also sell frozen pies to go, at about a dollar less than the ready-to-eat versions. I bought a Thai Chicken Curry pie, a chunky beef pie, and a couple sausage rolls to take home. I also had a Lamington, which I never had in Australia – basically a cube of sponge cake covered in chocolate frosting and shredded coconut.
I’d totally come by here again, I even thanked Samantha, the owner, for opening up in a central and easily accessible (especially via transit) location in Downtown. A few years ago, there was a place called Mojo Pies in Redondo Beach that sold Australian meat pies, but they closed down (incidentally, I came on their final day and was their last customer…).
Incidentally, I had visited Samantha’s hometown of Manly, a beach town outside of Sydney on the Pacific Coast, which reminded me a lot of the Redondo/Hermosa Beach area. She told me she was originally considering opening the restaurant in that area, where she also happens to live in. And having visited her Australian hometown, I know that area reminded her of home.
This place is Fair Dinkum! Highly recommended for Aussies, Aussiephiles and eaters of all cuisines.
Bronzed Aussie, 714 S Los Angeles St, Downtown Los Angeles.