金小烤泥炉烤饼 Jin’s Grilled Meat Pie

If you're after something a bit different from the usual Aussie meat pie, Jin's Grilled Meat Pie in Eastwood is worth knowing about. This is the Shanghai-style grilled pork pie: a flat, pan-cooked pastry with a crisp, thin skin, a light scatter of sesame and a juicy minced filling. It's the signature here, and locals have consistently singled it out. One person put it as crispy outside, juicy inside, and not oily at all.

The pies are made on site, and people like seeing the cooks hand-making dumplings behind the kitchen window. The word around Eastwood is that everything arrives fresh and piping hot, often within minutes of ordering. Beyond the pies, the menu runs to dumplings, wontons, shaomai, baos, noodle dishes and wonton soup. The chilli garlic sauce and the chilli oil and vinegar on the side get a regular mention, and the dumpling and shaomai dishes have their fans. One regular told us they'd been back two weeks running.

It's a casual, spacious place, and people describe it as clean and comfortable for a quick bite with friends or family. You can dine in or take away, and the seating is wheelchair accessible. It's open long hours every day of the week, though it's smart to check before you head in. It's a short walk from the carpark, which makes a quick stop easy.

Value comes up often too. Portions and prices are seen as reasonable, and the food suits a cold day. A tip from regulars: if you want to taste the pork flavour of the pies at their best, ask for the non-spicy ones, and expect to grab your own utensils and sauces from the self-serve area.

Some find the front-of-house staff friendly, while others have found it relaxed and a bit stretched at busy times, and the odd person has had a dish come out undercooked. Fresh, flavoursome food is what keeps people coming back, and if something isn't right, let the staff know at the table.

For a pie that's a little left of centre, this Eastwood spot is worth a try.