After lunch at Mamak on the Saturday I was in Sydney, I walked around Chinatown and Haymarket, mostly just window shopping. I mentioned in one of my AudioBoos how torturous it was walking past all the glorious sights and delicious smells in Chinatown, watching people sucking on noodles and seeing roast ducks and barbecue pork hanging in restaurant windows, looking all succulent and shiny. I was especially sad I was too full to get a snack at one of the Asian bun and cake shops. It all looked so good. Next time! (Yes, that “next time” list is awfully long! :P)
I hung around until I got hungry again, because 1) I was hellbent on having a curry tiger pie, having wanted one for more than two years (yes, really!) and 2) I knew if I went back to the hotel, I’d get comfortable and lazy and wouldn’t be bothered trudging all the way back down George Street to get one. This would be my only chance to eat a curry tiger on this trip – three nights in Sydney had left me with a pretty tight eating schedule. :)
As the menu shows, Harry’s Cafe De Wheels specialises in pies. But you can get hot dogs (Jac’s had a Harry’s Hot Dog De Wheels, and my brother-in-law JM told me how much he loves the chilli dogs), a sausage roll or pastie, or even a bacon and egg roll at breakfast time. But if you’re a pie lover like me, you will only have eyes for the pies. ;)
The tiger pie is topped with mashed potato, mushy peas and gravy and served with a fork. You can choose from 4 different pies for your tiger: chicken and mushroom, cheese and bacon, vegetable or curry. I was tempted to try one of the other pies this time around, especially the chicken and mushroom, but no – I’d craved a curry tiger and that’s what I would order.
I ordered my curry tiger (AU$5.60) and watched greedily as the cheerful man at the counter used an ice cream scoop to plop the mashed potato on top of the pie and continued to add the mushy peas and pour on the gravy. Carefully carrying my precious pie, I sat down at one of the tables. Be warned, if you’re not familiar with this Harry’s, the surroundings are dirty and not the most appealing or appetising; the tables have dried streaks of tomato sauce on them, and you may need to brush away the pastry flakes left by whoever sat at the table before you did. But it’s takeaway, it’s street food (you’re literally sitting at a table on the side of the road :)), and many people eat at Harry’s Cafe De Wheels after a hard night of partying rather than at lunch or dinner time. One of the great things about Harry’s is most of them are open until late at night or really early in the morning. If you’re a late-night/early morning Harry’s customer you probably won’t notice or care about all the dirt and crumbs and litter around you (it will probably be too dark anyway!). Me, I noticed the grimy surroundings (I was there a little past 6pm), but I was too busy breathing in the smell of hot brown gravy to care. :)
It was just as good as I remembered. I fell in love all over again with the curry tiger. And like the first time, I was mesmerised by the shiny pool of gravy in the centre of the mushy peas.
Gravy, mushy peas, mashed potato all piled on top of a curry meat pie probably sounds like the most ghastly combination ever, but it’s hot and delicious, savoury and comforting, it’s soft yet crispy, and it works. Every dig of the fork through the layers of gravy, peas, potato, pastry and curry was sheer pleasure. I even enjoyed hearing the crackle of the paper bag underneath the pie as I dug in with the fork. Every mouthful was heaven.
Listen to my first bites of curry tiger pie
In case you didn’t listen to it previously, or would like to listen to it again, here’s the AudioBoo I recorded as I had my first bites of the curry tiger pie. You can also read the transcript if you prefer. Curry tiger pie boo (audio)
I wish we had a Harry’s Cafe De Wheels in Perth!
Harry’s Cafe De Wheels
I went to the Haymarket Harry’s, which is located on Hay Street (near corner of George St) next to Paddy Maguire’s Pub, Haymarket, NSW
Phone (02) 9281 6292
See all Harry’s Cafe De Wheels locations
Harry’s Cafe De Wheels Newcastle
See my write-up of Harry’s Cafe De Wheels Newcastle from January 2008, in which Jac ate a Harry’s Hot Dog De Wheels, we shared a chicken and cheese pie and I ate a Curry Tiger for the first and only other time.
Harry’s Cafe De Wheels Newcastle – location and opening hours
Harry’s Cafe De Wheels Sydney Airport
There is now a Harry’s Cafe De Wheels at Sydney Airport! Not wanting to eat anything too substantial before my flight back to Perth, I just took a photo (and then went straight to Krispy Kreme to get doughnuts for Jac, Juji and Jay :)).
Harry’s Cafe De Wheels, Sydney Airport – location and opening hours
See the list of posts from my Sydney trip.
I'm TFP, a food blogger from Perth, Western Australia.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
The first thing that caught my eye was the logo. It reminded me of Harry’s bar in Singapore. A quick search confirmed that it the same logo type! What is more interesting, is that there is a Harry’s in Perth (somewhere in Northbridge) that uses the same logotype again! Wonder if they are all connected somehow?
The tiger pie does look rather scrumptious, but I’m not too keen on the mushy peas! Are they as yummy as Jesters?
Looks like a very cool “retro” place to me. :-) Reminds me of 1960’s Americana, but with a definite twist (pies). They only have 1 breakfast item?
The pie you had looks delicious, even the peas. Wish we had similar offerings available on order, but alas meat pies in the U.S. are generally found in the grocer’s freezer. :-( Probably a good thing for me, though; I’d want to eat those things endlessly (weight control!!). ;-)
Oh my god. My Uni is just up the road from Harry’s Cafe on George Street.
UTS. Oh my god. Had I had known me and my friend would’ve loved to have joined you for lunch. I introduced her to your blog one day during a break in the computer labs and she joined me in drooling over your seductive food pornography.
And Harry’s Cafe is the best place to go for Chilli Hot-dogs after a big night out. Its the best. Wash it down with coke and I’m the happiest cat in all of Sydney.
I hope you come down to Sydney again sometime soon. Would love to join you for lunch one day. Hope you enjoyed your stay in Sydney, but guessing by your post at the Master Class, I’m assuming you did.
Much Love dude.
Chris,
I think the Harry’s Bars in Perth and Singapore must be related (too lazy to investigate thoroughly, but yeah, you’re right, the logos look remarkably similar). But no connection to Harry’s Cafe De Wheels, sadly.
I’m not a big fan of mushy peas generally speaking (Jac will buy them whenever we buy fish and chips – she’ll eat the mushy peas all by herself, no help from me whatsoever) – but on top of a pie with mashed potato and gravy, it’s something else! I love Jesters pies, but I couldn’t say one is better than the other, because to me, this is a different kind of pie entirely, so I reckon I can’t directly compare them. I like them both, for slightly different reasons. I love the Jesters’ pastry, but there’s something magical about the tiger, to me, anyway. :)
Cindy,
The bacon and egg item is only available at breakfast time, but everything else on the menu (the pies, hot dogs etc) are available at all times. :) I eat nowhere as many pies as I’d like to. Used to eat them a lot more, but yeah, I try not to indulge too often.
Eric,
Yes, I had a fantastic stay! Only complaint was it was much too short (unfortunately, had to get back to work in Perth). I will definitely be back again sometime, as there’s still a lot I want to check out (when I say “check out” I mean “eat” of course :D)
Oh look at that. Isn’t it a beautiful thing?
To be honest I think I could eat any of the variations and be happy. I also am not really a fan of mushy peas, but you’re right, on the top of a pie with mash and gravy it just goes well.
I just had to click on the innard shot and look at it full size on Flikr, it’s even more awesome there, almost like being there. I *nearly* saved that photo to make it my desktop picture! :-)
I’ve been to Harry’s twice now, both times the original branch at Woolloomooloo (what a cool name for a place!), I think we first found it driving past on the Sydney Explorer bus, one bite and you’re hooked. Although I must admit I normally have the Hotdog de Wheels, but the last time I had a tiger.
Mmm… I’m getting a very long next time list as well.
And the post was worth waiting for!
that is one heck of a sexy pie. :) enough said!
That pie is so cravable looking! The kind of thing you want @ 2am and it’s impossable to get it! It consists of all things I love …pie, mushy peas, curry ,mashed and gravy. Really, what’s not to love? Have no idea when I’ll ever have one,so I will enjoy it through you!
Since I eat vicariously through you, turn about is fair play. My daughter is coming over after work and bring Thai food to her ailing, broken down, parents. I’m getting extra soft shell crab and eating it just for you! Because that’s the kind of nice girl I am! We got a new router today – faster, but I had to sign in on your comments again, so the symbol next to my name is different. Which I’m sure you already realized; but, telling you anyway. Just cuz’.
damnit!!! I just ate lunch and now i’m hungry again! I must admit, i do like their hot dogs more! Soft bread, juicy sausage topped with mince chilli, peas, soft onions all topped with more cheese and chilli sauce… MMmmMmm!! Lucky i live in sydney!!! Hehe
When I was little I remember singing:
Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old;
Some like it hot, some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot, nine days old.
Never knew what “pease porridge” was, but am guessing it was “mushy peas!”
I think Harry’s Cafe de Wheels existed long before the Harry’s bars in Singapore/Perth/wherever — at least the original Harry’s Cafe de Wheels in Woolloomoolloo (try saying that really fast). It started out as a caravan in 1938!
You can read more about its history here.
It’s a shame, TFP, that you didn’t get to go to that one at Woolloomoolloo; it’s very atmospheric sitting at the pier watching the hulking grey army ships. You can also get hot dogs there, available because of the American sailors who pass through and need a dog!
I also wish we had a harrys here , I have tried and tried to copy them but just can’t get it right.
When I had a tiger pie I got a taxi to take me there and back so I could eat it in the hotel ( yeah , I’m a snob ! ) and the taxi back was pure torture smelling the pie and being really hungey .
Hmmm…… pies 8)
Looks delicious and the serving is so huge! I’m not a fan of curry pies but I LOVE chicken and mushroom, mmmm!
pfft Newy rules, because it’s in a tram!
ps not that I’ve eaten there … but I may be biased towards newcastle!
That very first shot of the pie, especially with that little lake of gravy reflecting the spoon, is the ultimate in pie porn. It is a poem of a pie.
I think the whole pie/mushy peas/mash/gravy combo is an interesting mix of handed down Brit pie traditions which obviously have been flourishing in Australia for a wonderfully long time ! ie the pie & peas thing is more a northern thing here and the pie & mash is more Southern – esp London. Wonder if Harry’s would consider doing liquor ? ( the thing parsley sauce kind, not alchohol )
I know what you mean about not being keen on certain foods generally yet really enjoying them under oddly specific circumstances. I utterly detest and loathe brussels sprouts but will eat them in bubble and squeak and enjoy them.
Oh my gosh, I love that little van- I went up to Sydney with some friends a few years ago and one of my fondest memories was sitting on the wharf with this amazing pie…I love the little wading pool of gravy on top :D I had the chicken/mushroom one last time…what was the curry filling inside like? :)
The one at Sydney Airport just doesn’t have that same charm…or what you might call that weird dingy backstreet atmosphere…it’s just too shiny :P
That’s a nice lookin’ pie! Savoury meat pies are a bit of a rarity in Tokyo, and I must make sure we visit Harry’s Cafe on our next trip in June to try the curry tiger! I am curious about the name though…
hi tfp,
that curry pie looks delicious. fyi, several stores at spencer village have been shut down by the health department.
<3,
steven.
That looks incredibly delicious. I wish I have a Harry’s Cafe De Wheels near me.
I think the iconic Cafe de Wheels at Woolloomoolloo is the best. Firstly it actually has wheels and secondly there is a view of the harbour. I love a good pie as there is some just magical about the combination of meat and pastry. mmmmm.
Craig,
Glad you think it was worth waiting for. :)
Yeah, from what everyone has said I think I will have to go to Woolloomooloo next time. A chicken and mushroom tiger pie at Harry’s Cafe De Wheels in Woolloomooloo – that’s on that ever-growing “next time” list.
dea,
Yes yes YES! LOL.
kathy,
The fantastic thing is if you lived near this Harry’s Cafe De Wheels you COULD go get one at 2am on a Friday or Saturday!
How was the soft shell crab? :D Haha thanks for telling me – though I did recognise your comments as being yours ;)
SoRMuiJAi,
Yes – you are VERY lucky indeed. The most terrible cravings have resurfaced as I’ve worked through these Sydney posts! Oh well – will have to wait until the next trip to indulge and satisfy them.
AZ,
I never thought about what “pease porridge” was, even though I know that rhyme very well. I just liked thinking about porridge (for me, being Chinese, porridge means rice porridge, not oatmeal or mushy peas!)
Eileen,
Next time! And maybe next time you’ll be able to come grab a hot dog or pie with me! :D
Minimike,
Yeah, I talked to Jac about trying to make a tiger pie at home one of these days. Surely it can’t be that hard! :P Mwahahahaha, torture for you and for the cab driver, I’ll bet!
Katie,
Yes – next time it will be chicken and mushroom for me. I do like a good curry pie though. When I was a high school student in Year 11 or 12 I used to work on my paintings for Art class on Saturdays in the art room (along with the other Yr 11 and 12 kids who did Art). For lunch, I’d walk to a nearby deli and get myself a bottle of Coke, a bag of peanut M&Ms and a curry pie. It was fan-tastic!
Fiona,
Hahaha, I’ve only been to Newcastle once and that was only for a couple of days, but I thought it was lovely. (And yes, made even better by the fact it has its own Harry’s Cafe De Wheels)
Greenlady,
I was really happy with how that shot turned out. I really wanted to get that reflecting pool look. :) Heheheh. Yep – I don’t like brussels sprouts, but when a friend stir-fried them for us with garlic, onion and bacon, I thought they were quite acceptable!
daph.
The curry was nice – a good strong flavour of “whitey curry” (the Keens curry powder kind of curry, which I love), but not too spicy. Heheheh. Yeah, Harry’s at the airport just isn’t street food, is it? Not being a great flyer I’d be reluctant to get on a plane digesting one of these babies.
Jean,
Hahaha, I have no idea why they call them “tiger” pies, but I love the name (and the pies)!
hi Steven,
I was aware that a number of Spencer Village stores were “named and shamed” for health inspection breaches. Jac went there tonight to grab some takeaway and did see that some stalls were closed, and the Japanese stall appears to be under new management. Thankfully, our favourite stalls, Fook Kee and Penang Foods, weren’t on that name and shame list.
i_love_eating,
You and me both!
Mark,
Yep – definitely will go to the Woolloomooloo Harry’s Cafe De Wheels next time I’m in Sydney. I agree about the magical combo of meat and pastry. I love pies.
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