The Proud Peacock

71 Centreway
Mount Waverley, VIC 3149

Call me easy, but a freebie can do wonders if you’re looking for the dubious honour of my favour. Now, sponsored blog posts are a different matter altogether, but when a restaurant adds a little something on top without asking for anything in return, that’s where the brownie points stack up. That probably explains why so many people love The Proud Peacock.

The Proud Peacock is a pretty standard Vietnamese restaurant, with just a smattering of Malaysian thrown in. The restaurant itself is tiny as it is, but the kitchen is barely the size of my en-suite, yet they manage to churn out anything you want from an A3-sized menu. The staff were, understandably, stretched incredibly thin, but that’s not to say that the service wasn’t top notch. Between forcing free soft drink onto take-away patrons and hurling ice into our cups, they managed to make us feel welcomed and taken care of.

I’ve heard of all sorts of freebies being handed out here; cookies, lamingtons, fruit salad, TimTams – you name it, they’ve done it. Today it was free ice cream; those chocolate-coated vanilla ones. But one thing that never changes is the wall of soft drink, and it’s not just Coles brand lemonade either – see for yourself.

The Prawn and Pork Dry Egg Noodles ($10) were pretty bang-on. The thin noodles were chewy and eggy, mixed through with a combination of soy, sesame oil, and ginger. The toppings weren’t too shabby either, with plenty of roast pork, grilled pork, and fish cakes amongst the crisp veggies.

My go-to dish of Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork Balls ($10) lacked the mountains of fresh herbs I love, but made up for it with chunks of grilled pork balls. Each piece was sweet and smoky, and the hint of peppercorn added robustness to the sweetness.

Normally Crispy Vietnamese Spring Rolls (chicken, $7.5, 6pcs) are for the start of a meal, but I guess they can only do so much when their fryer is at capacity because everyone wanted some. Though nothing remarkable, they were hot and crisp, and hit the spot nicely.

Let’s be honest: The Proud Peacock isn’t anything flash; what it does offer is a good feed for a good price, and seems consistently reliable for take-away, given how many people come through the door. It’s the fantastic hospitality and free stuff that really keeps the gears turning. Just keep in mind that service is going to be slower than you’d expect, simply due to having such a large menu, and such a small kitchen. But just try and be angry when you’re mixing 3 different types of soft drink together – try it, I dare you!

Rating: 13/20 – pink lemonade and raspberry soda.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.