The first time that I was at Capitol station, I saw something that captured my attention.
Sydney Piecafe!
It was not open yet at that time … too early (8 AM).
The night before, my wife showed me a list of the best places to buy a meat pie… and on that list is Sydney Piecafe ! Little did I know that I would stumble upon Sydney Piecafe the next day when, out of curiosity, I embarked on an unplanned little “adventure” (see previous topic — “Be Curious“).
I told my wife about Sydney Piecafe when I returned to Novotel from that little “adventure”.
So, we’ve decided to insert into our already full-packed agenda for us to go to Sydney Piecafe (which opens at 10 AM)… after we’ve had our breakfast.
Our breakfast — as always been since day one, on the first floor of Novotel — is a power breakfast: Muesli, Banana Bread, Sandwich, Coffee, Water, Fruits.
From where we ate, we can see UTS (University of Technology Sydney) where my wife went to study (she is an Australian CPA (Certified Public Accountant) license holder).
After breakfast, we walked to the Convention station headed for Capitol Station. Our mission: eat meat pie at the Sydney Piecafe at Capitol station.
Two backpackers were there ahead of us when we arrived… it took them a while to complete their order (there was only one server). We waited patiently… while reading the menu… looking for what to order…
I was also gazing at the meat pies in the “warmer”… so many meat pies. “Is it possible that they’ve overproduced?” I thought.
So, when it was our turn. I asked the server: “Up to what time is this café open?“. The server said, “2 AM“. They are popular in the area… and could be underproducing… demand could outstrip supply. The server (probably read my mind) followed it with: “We close early when we have no more pies to sell”.
We ordered 2 pies to share…
One is the classic “Beef Pie”…
It was delicious! Exactly just as how I remember it. I haven’t had this for 25 years! Caveat — we make this at home in the U.S. when we are dreaming about Australia (home to us as well)… but the meat pie that we make is not quite like this one… it is close but this one is a bit better.
Australian meat pie is a popular savory dish in Australia. It’s a beloved comfort food and a common snack or meal in Australia, often served with tomato sauce (ketchup).
Australian Meat Pie is a classic. As classic as the Fish and Chips. Part of the Australian Culture. It is “Fundamental” part of the Australian food scene. It is part of who the Aussies are… and proudly so.
Meat Pie, Fish and chips, Universities (e.g., UTS). are fundamentals in Australia. These are not fads that come and go. Even having breakfast is fundamental — a solid way to power up for the day.
Key Idea: Fundamentals are solid… classic… not like fads that come and go. SAFe is based on honed, proven, and solid Lean Agile Principles and Values… these are fundamentals… not fads. Most often than not, decisions that make sense are guided by Principles and Values. Embrace, savor, and master the fundamentals. If in doubt, go back to basics… go back to fundamentals… get guidance from it.
There are many other ideas like this — short but sweet ideas — in my new book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is like …’ . It is available on Amazon… and it has reached ‘# 1 New Release’ several times! Check it out.
