Introducing: Kanga, the Aussie-inspired pop-up’s standalone meat-pie shop
Name: Kanga Aussie Meat Pies
Neighbourhood: Entertainment District
Contact Info: 65 Duncan St., 416-324-9174, eatkanga.com
Owners: Megan Chan and Erynn Mayes, who left their corporate jobs last fall to follow their meat-pie-shop dreams
The Food: It was while living in Australia that Kanga owners Chan and Mayes got the idea to bring the country’s national snack—miniature, meat-stuffed pies—back home with them to Canada. After spending a year selling their pies at pop-ups, they raised $16,575 on Kickstarter to fund their first standalone shop. Their palm-sized pies have buttery pastry crusts and gravy-soaked interiors, and they come in flavours both traditional (beef-and-Vegemite) and unconventional (butter chicken). Diners with unusually healthy appetites can opt to “poutine their pie”—i.e. smother it in gravy and cheese curds.
The Drinks: Propeller coffee and espresso-based beverages. Those aching for a pie-and-pint combo can purchase their pie frozen and heat it up at home.
The Place: Lux Design did the snug room up in neutral hues with punches of bold orange and purple. Lest you forget the Australian theme, there’s a surfboard on one wall and a constellation of suspended boomerangs dangling from the ceiling.
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
