I did not like this cottage pie

When I saw cottage pie on the menu, I asked what was in it but the lady at the counter did not give me an answer. She had a thick accent and I thought rather that rise to the challenge of getting my answer, I took the chance and ordered it. To my surprise, this pie has no crust and came with mince meat, mashed potatoes, mushy peas and french fries. Apart from the french fries, it was a heap of mushy mash... The mince meat was quite tasty (like the filling in Aussie pies), but overall it rather turned me off. The waitress pointed out that I did not eat much when she came to collect the plates. Rather embarrassed, I lied that it was because the helping was too big...

I found out later that this is a traditional dish and is usually served with mince meat, topped with mash potatoes.