It's a relaxing Sunday afternoon and in the relaxed suburb of Concord is venue "The Backyard". It's hidden within the Briars club so you initially see lots of lawn bowls and a pub but walk a little further in!
In The Backyard in Concord, there's an area where it's more the pub area for those who want to avoid kids and then there's an area that's very kid-friendly. I see a lot of kids running around but I also see a few men throwing around a football as well. I also spot some sunscreen which is important! 
The menu is really awesome with pub classics but many more dishes to satisfy the adults who like smoked meats, fancy salads or creative dishes like Black Rice Tacos. The menu comes from Head Chef Nader Shayeb who is ex Moro in London and Nour Restaurant in Sydney so you know you can expect a level of sophistication beyond your average pub meal.
There's an inside area as well but on this particular day, Matt and I sit outside to enjoy the fresh air. The music is pumped up and I am relaxing. Sunday lunch has good vibes so far. It starts to get really busy by about 1pm.
You order at the counter and then you'll get a buzzer to pick up the food. You can order drinks at the bar in the pub area.
By recommendation from the staff, I order the Black Rice Tacos with guacamole, house sugar cured salmon ($18, 4 pcs). These weren't exactly what I thought they were going to be. I love the innovation with the dehydrated black rice bases that is topped with quite a rich and salty guacamole and is topped with that refreshing and sweet salmon. I really like this dish but it definitely calls for a nice soft drink to accompany the bold salty and sweet flavours. I'd definitely recommend this dish especially as it's easy to share.
Next up are the mains. Matt orders the Barramundi ($29, 180g) has Sicilian oregano, aged balsamic with your choice of side. Matt chooses the wild rice salad. The first thing you will see is that the Barramundi is absolutely coated in that oregano and is a generous portion. Matt devours this dish which has very earthly flavours especially with the salad. The wild rice salad has almonds for crunchy texture, tomato, ricotta, onion although we didn't visibly see any rice. Matt really enjoys this dish and is very satisfied afterwards.
There's also a menu for the kiddies! Most kid meals are $10-12 and I couldn't resist seeing the portion size for the cheeseburger and fries ($12). The cheese burger is very enjoyable to eat and replicates a fresher version of the McDonalds cheese burger. I think it's a good portion for a kid's meal or could be shared for smaller children.
As Matt and I are both quite full but there's a separate stomach for dessert, we decide to share the Buttermilk panna cotta ($9) with kaffir lime, mint, orange, grapefruit, blueberry and mango leather. The dish comes out and it looks beautiful.
The Panna Cotta is hidden beneath but is light, creamy and really enjoyable to eat. I quite like the sourness from the grapefruit but Matt hates grapefruit. The panna cotta is best paired with the strawberry me thinks. The mango leather is interesting, it's best described as a thin mango roll up.
Summary: Overall, I had a really nice lunch at The Backyard. It's a nice hidden surprise really and I think the new chef Nader has made a drastic difference in the quality of the menu.
It's a great place to bring families as it has a lot of room for kids and big kids to play in the big green field. If that's not your vibe, I guarantee you won't even notice the kids sitting inside. The food is great so it's worth checking out. All the dishes were really good but I'd highly recommend those Black Rice Tacos and the Sirloin!
Price: $20-30 for most mains
Location: 14 Ian Parade, Concord
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 9pm
Saturday 11am to 9pm
Sunday 11am to 9pm
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