Explosively good

With the plethora of options in Newtown near and around the cinemas, take it as my devotion to the hallowed pastizzi that I would walk about 15 minutes away from the cinema in order to have them for dinner. Before seeing the explosively funny and banging good Four Lions at the Dendy in Newtown, I trekked south to Pastizzi Café for a relatively early and quick dinner; the latter of which can be pretty much guaranteed.

Pastizzis from Pastizzi Cafe, King Street, Newtown

While waiting for the other movie-goer to turn up to dinner, I ordered a couple of pastizzis in anticipation. I certainly don’t have a favourite filling and find it pleasing that I can go in any mood and find a filling that I’ll enjoy. This night it’s the chicken & mushroom for me and the chilli con carne for my dining partner. In the first mouthful, the messy crunch of the pastry gives way to a slightly chewy pastry, in a good way, to reveal a crumbly filling of pale chicken and finely diced mushroom. The pastry is an absolute star and a key reason as to why many a body try to cram themselves into the tight inside seating on any given night.

After polishing off my pastizzi in an explosion of pastry crumbs, I waited a couple of minutes before deciding that the other one was getting cold. Its filling of mostly kidney beans, beef and a chilli hit were equally as flavoursome as the chicken, although tending a little on the starchy side given the beans. No amount of brushing crumbs off the table could conceal the evidence of my lonesome pastizzi joy.

Chicken & mushroom ravioli with Pastizzi Cafe's pink sauce

Pasta options are arguably the supporting star of the show – a huge range of sauces and to a slightly lesser extent pasta types, and seriously generous servings. Having already scoffed a couple of pastizzi, I opted for an entrée size of Pastizzi Café’s excellent ravioli which itself comes in a range of fillings. I again got chicken & mushroom with the waitress’ recommended and house specialty pink sauce which is their napolitana sauce with a dash of cream to render it pink (or orange, I thought).

The ravioli filling is similar to the pastizzi filling and gratifying in that you can see the constituents of the filling as opposed to the pulverised mush that you can sometimes find in some ravioli. But this occasion, it’s the pink sauce that makes the dish despite its soupy appearance. It’s appropriately thick to sit nicely on the pasta and flavour-packed with just a hint of added creamy richness.

Fettuccine prawns

The other pasta dish to land on our table is the generously sized fettuccine with prawns, and quite a few of them too, in a tomato based sauce. Spinach leaves are scattered about and it’s again, packed with flavour with the table condiment addition of chilli flakes just the thing. The firm prawns are delightfully bounteous and reinforces the great value dining to be had.

Almost better yet, desserts (especially the cannoli, which we skipped in favour of the trek back to the cinema) and the uncooked and frozen pastizzi and ravioli for your at-home consumption. The best thing is that the pastizzi are just as good as what you get in the shop but extra piping hot when straight out of the oven. If you’re not heading to a movie after eating, I’d highly recommend grabbing a bag or two of pastizzi. And a dessert – why not go out with a bang?