Dandenong North restaurant Golden Peacock closes after 40 years

A popular Chinese restaurant in Victoria could be forced to shut its doors despite advertising for months to find new owners.

The Golden Peacock, which is famous for its lemon chicken, was opened by Joyce and Albert Yuen in Dandenong North back in 1983.

Offering traditional Chinese and Malaysian food for the last 38 years, the Yuens have made the call to retire at the end of the month with Joyce describing their restaurant as their “baby”, adding the decision to give it all up was a “tear jerker”.

Joyce said their speciality lemon chicken was an original secret recipe, with no other restaurants around Australia making that particular style of chicken.

“The chicken is marinated in stock that has been used for the last 40 odd years,” she told the Herald Sun.

“We replenish it with herbs and spices which has been kept on for the length of time that we have been here.”

Joyce said it was “sad” that despite offering the established business up for sale for the last few months, there had been no interest for someone to snap up the Golden Peacock.

“You can raise your family here, it’s like a tradition,” she said.

The couple are willing to train people to follow in their footsteps and hope a new owner would continue to foster the culture they created.

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“We would like to sell it to someone who will embrace and take on the cuisine,” she added.

The restaurant has received rave reviews over the years with one person declaring the husband and wife team “the masters when it comes to Chinese cuisine”, adding that for their order “every single mouthful was bloody awesome”.

“The best Chinese restaurant in the state. I come from miles to have my fill,” gushed another.

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