Australia’s best pie has a Malaysian prawn curry filling – and its bakers have even bolder flavours in mind

Australia’s Best Pie Has a Malaysian Prawn Curry Filling – and Its Bakers Have Even Bolder Flavors in Mind

Australia s best pie has a Malaysian - When Ryan Khun first set foot in Australia from Cambodia in 2012, he had no idea that his culinary journey would begin with a humble meat pie. At 27, the young immigrant had never experienced the flaky, buttery texture of pastry or the rich, savory depth of a mince filling. That changed when his brother Chan, who had already established a bakery in Kyneton, Victoria’s Macedon Ranges, invited him to sample a pie at a servo—a roadside convenience store. The experience left Khun unsettled, but it also sparked a revelation. Decades later, a metallic trophy now rests in his office at Country Cob Bakery in Springvale, southeast Melbourne, a testament to his unexpected transformation from pie novice to champion baker.

A Fusion of Heritage and Innovation

The brothers’ ascent in the world of pie-making began with a simple yet bold decision. After struggling to secure IT work in Cambodia, Khun chose to join Chan in the baking trade, driven by the promise of a better life and education for their children. Initially, they focused on bread, with pies supplied by a third party. But the generic offerings—dry, overly salty, and lacking character—felt like a challenge. “They were too basic,” recalls Khun, who vividly remembers rolling out dough at midnight, moving between their home and the bakery downstairs. That early dissatisfaction led to a pivotal shift: they enrolled in a baking trade school while maintaining their demanding work schedules, determined to craft pies that reflected their cultural roots and personal tastes.

Country Cob’s first original recipe was a garlic prawn pie, a dish that still appears on the menu today. It marked the beginning of a creative evolution that would eventually lead to their breakthrough. By 2018, the brothers had expanded their operations to a new shopfront in Kyneton, where their experimental approach began to pay dividends. A satay fish pie, blending the smoky, sweet flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine with traditional pie craftsmanship, won them their first prestigious award from the Baking Association of Australia (BAA). One judge called it “a masterclass in balancing delicate and robust elements,” highlighting the harmony between the dish’s ingredients.

Global Flavors, Local Adjustments

Since then, Country Cob has continued to push boundaries. Their 2023 victory featured a fish amok filling, a dish rooted in Cambodian traditions that combines coconut milk, lemongrass, and galangal with a tender fish and egg mixture. This year’s winner, however, takes the concept even further. The Malaysian-style prawn curry pie, encased in golden, flaky pastry, features coconut-poached prawns infused with a medley of spices—galangal, lemongrass, chili, and ginger—that create a complex, aromatic profile. The recipe took three months to perfect, with the brothers’ multicultural team testing variations until the flavors aligned with local palates.

“We didn’t think this would ever work,” Khun admits, reflecting on the initial skepticism from their predominantly white customer base. Early experiments with bold fillings, such as kung pao chicken and kimchi pork, were met with mixed reactions, but the brothers persisted. They adjusted their approach, toning down the heat and adding subtle sweetness to ensure accessibility without compromising authenticity. The result is a menu that balances innovation with familiarity, offering pies like the Singapore chilli crab and “super cheese”—a playful take on creamy fillings that hints at future ventures.

Despite their success, the brothers remain humble. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” says Teresa Nguyen, a regular customer who visits the bakery for its adventurous flavor selections. “We’re just bringing our heritage into the mix.” Her words echo the sentiment of many who have come to appreciate the fusion of global cuisines and classic pie-making techniques. Even Bob Reggio, a retired member of a Mustang driver’s club who drove from Sydney to taste the prawn curry pie, was moved to tears. “It’s absolutely delicious,” he says. “It’s the kind of food that brings people together.”

From One Store to a Network of Baking Hubs

Country Cob’s growth has mirrored their culinary ambition. Starting with a single shop in Kyneton, the bakery now operates branches in Boronia and Springvale, with a production kitchen in Dandenong South supporting the high volume of over 10,000 pies baked weekly. The Springvale store, where Yvonne Au and her friend recently sought out the award-winning prawn pie, is a hub of community engagement. “It’s the way to a man’s heart,” Au quips, though she notes the pie’s flavor is more “tropical than traditional.” Still, its popularity speaks to the appeal of its unique combination of ingredients.

The bakery’s creative process is a collaborative effort. A small, diverse team of bakers and flavor developers meets regularly to brainstorm new ideas, ensuring the menu evolves with input from different cultural perspectives. This approach has led to the creation of signature items like the satay fish pie, which blends Malaysian street food with Western baking traditions. “We’ve always wanted to create something that feels both familiar and exciting,” Khun explains. The brothers credit their success to a willingness to experiment, even when the results were uncertain.

Looking ahead, the team at Country Cob is already planning new flavors, including a Singapore chilli crab pie and a “super cheese” offering that plays with creamy, indulgent textures. These innovations reflect a broader trend in Australian cuisine: the embrace of multicultural influences to redefine traditional dishes. For Khun, the journey has been deeply personal. “I never imagined I’d be in this position,” he says. “But baking is now my passion.”

As the bakery continues to expand, its reputation as a trailblazer in the pie-making world grows. The Malaysian prawn curry pie, which secured their fifth BAA award in eight years, has become a symbol of their ingenuity. While the trophy itself is a physical reminder of their achievement, the real triumph lies in their ability to transform a simple baked dish into a cultural conversation. “We’re not a boring country,” Nguyen asserts, a sentiment that resonates with the pie’s vibrant, globally inspired flavors. For Country Cob, the next step is not just to win competitions but to inspire others to think beyond convention, one golden crust at a time.