Behind
the concrete exterior with which the Pine Inn greets Parramatta Road
is a surprisingly leafy
oasis
which has just taken an upward leap in the cuisine stakes. The excellent
chef Bryan King (formerly
Dingolay, The Old Post Office Bistro and Albion Hotel Bistro) has stepped
into the opportunity to build
himself a reputation in a new pocket of Sydney's west - the suburb which
keeps the word Concord alive.
Not
that Mr King has any plans to do fine fining! He's the sort of foodie
disciple who would rather
feed fish and loaves to the masses than walk on celebrity-chef waters
- his version of the Biblical fable
being more prawns and gourmet pizzas, but for Concord locals, Bryan's
ability to take good old Mod-Aussie
pub-grub across unchartered oceans may just lead them to their (eek!)
promised land.
For
indeed the Pine Inn was once a mecca for thirsty pilgrims on the great
trek westwards. A couple of
old-timers in the front bar were happy to regale us with tales of how
in the 1950s, this pub, under the name
The Oriental Hotel, but known due to the owner being one Jack Rubinstein
as "Ruby's", had one
of the longest bars in the Southern hemisphere.
No
fear of the 6 o'clock swill nowadays, old timers! Indeed, the Pine Inn
is now open 24 hours!!!
On weekends anyway ...
Mr
King, of course, isn't quite up for serving his meals on such a schedule,
the man needs
his sleep - but he is serving food seven days a week - all seven lunchtimes
and then dinners also
from 5pm to 9pm come hell or high water.
Having
only recently taken over the running of the Pine Inn's bistro, he's
already brought the standards
for which those who've eaten his food (and my God that'd be a lot of
souls) know him well. He's
just renovated the fantastically spacious al-fresco/outdoor-dining area, a space
which
could hold 150 people quite
comfortably - and yes, you can call the entire area your own
by booking a function - with the indoor
dining area easily fitting another
80 or so if you're up for a big one.
Whether
"functioning", or just popping in with a few pals, the greatest
thing about the Pine
Inn Bistro is the amazing range of dishes which Mr King conjures up
- he's a bit of a magician
in our view, and his insistence on describing his food as Mod Oz Pub
Style doesn't really do justice
to this man's talents: he can whip up a truly delicious Chicken Parmigiana,
perfectly char-grill a
Chook Breast, do a mean Scotch Fillet or T-bone and saturate it in your
fave mushroom, pepper or
Diane sauce, or he can put out a Bacon, Onion & Cream Pasta, or
a Smoked Salmon & Brie Pizza
- and still come up for air!
Then
there's the Cajun Prawn & Sweet Potato Risotto, among others, as
well as burgers,
stir-fries, and modern favourites such as Salt & Pepper Squid Salad,
Chargrilled Octopus Salad,
and even Kangaroo Loin! Did we forget to mention a very extensive kid's
menu? The locals love it,
especially since there's a kick-ass (well, not literally) children's
playground out the back (pictured below),
shaded beautifully by some majestic pine trees, the leafiness extending
to the King Prawn Caesar Salad
(pictured above - centre top) which you can enjoy while your little
rascals are out of your hair,
running around, leaving you to your pub-price beers, and maybe, if Mr
King's generous portions
haven't quite finished you off, to your Pecan Pie, your Lemon &
Lime Tart, or your ... of all things ...
Chocolate Profiterole Tart. Biblical cliche once again to finish? Heavenly!
- Review & photos by Stewart Dawes.
 
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