The Proud Peacock, Mount Waverley by Bureaucrat

In an attempt to find a good Vietnamese restaurant in my local area, I noticed the Proud Peacock, which is a few shops away from Straits Kitchen.

The PP is situated in the Pinewood shopping area.  However, it’s a little bit away from the main hustle and bustle of the shopping area.  The PP is a simple restaurant, quite small and squishy inside with mismatched furniture.   Just a few tables crammed in, with an even smaller kitchen and a skeleton staff – just one waitress and a cook in the kitchen. But you immediately get a feel of homely vibe to the place, with a reasonable number of locals, including young families, dining in and getting takeaway.

I ordered the grilled pork w vermicelli.  I also asked if they had three colour drinks.  The waitress said that they used to have it on the menu, but no longer have it.  It was because they found that not many people around this area knew what the drink was and didn’t order it.  Rather nicely, the waitress then poured me a complementary glass of juice – which was very nice and thoughtful!  She also brought out a rather generous serve of complementary cake and oranges (all tables get this).

The grilled pork and vermicelli ($9) was a notch above average.  I liked how the grilled pork had a bit of fat on it.  For me, pork has got to have some fat on it for it to taste good.  Too many places serve overly lean pork.  The juicy fat makes it succulent.  Lots of vermicelli and a reasonable amount of salad (iceberg, beanshoots and herbs).  I also liked the toasted peanuts.  The nuoc cham was good but bit too fiery for me – too much fresh chilli in it meant that I was only able to use a little of it.

Verdict

Food – 7

Service – 7

Ambience – 6.5

Price – 10

Overall

Given it’s lean set up, the cheap prices, the Proud Peacock is doing pretty well.  Definitely a cheap and cheerful sort of place.  You would be hard pressed to find another ‘cheap eats’ place that doles out so much complementary food, and where some of the mains are less than $10.  Also, I noticed that if you do order any drinks (soft drinks or juices), you simply get given a two litre bottle of the drink and you just help yourself to as much of it that you like.  Service is friendly, but (understandably) gets a little bit frazzled when there’s more than a few diners in the restaurant.

While the PP may not be my new go-to Vietnamese eatery, I would return again.  I like the vibe and the whole approach to the place – it’s like you’re visiting a family friend who’s serving you a decent meal.  Certainly that seems to be thought that’s shared by other reviewers on Urbanspoon.  It’s rustic, and that’s part of its charm.

I’ve also read some of the other reviews that are bit negative on the service and set-up.  I think it’s a bit unfair to be that critical of the Proud Peacock.  It is a small restaurant and the prices are quite cheap.  If you’re wanting something a bit more polished, then you’d need to go somewhere that’s bigger and also priced accordingly.

Address

The Proud Peacock

71 Centreway, Pinewood Shopping Centre

Mount Waverley 3149

Telephone: 9803 8862