Peacock Gardens: Crows Nest restaurant turns 40 with its loyal customers

Mathew Chan was 29 with a young family when his Crows Nest restaurant, Peacock Gardens, opened for business. Now Chan is now getting used to feeding three generations of diners as it gets ready to turn 40 next month.

Mathew Chan's Peacock Gardens restaurant turns 40 this year with Mathew still firmly in the driving seatjoined by staff who have been there 30 plus years. Mathew with three generations of the Sinclair family, a signature dish, Sang Choy Bow, and one of the special bottles of wines made for the restaurant. Photographer: Adam Yip.

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MATHEW Chan was 29 with a young family when his Crows Nest restaurant, Peacock Gardens, opened for business. Now Chan is now getting used to feeding three generations of diners at his famous eatery as it gets ready to turn 40 next month. After being sent to Albury at 15 to attend boarding school by his mother in Hong Kong, he later worked at some Sydney’s best Chinese restaurants of the day, including the Nanking, Golden Pagoda and the Mandarin Club before starting out on his own.

In a day when Chinese restaurants also sold steak and chips Chan created his famous sang choy bow which has, so far, sold about a million serves.

The restaurant, which has been known as a hangout for rugby players, Channel 9 executives and advertising gurus, has staff who have been there almost as long as its owner.

Chan will not reveal who his best customer is, although certain to be among them are a few Channel Nine bosses of the past, including Sam Chisholm and David Gyngell.

“I could never say who. Once you do that you are gone,” he says.

Chan also has one of the most exclusive wine collections in town, including Grange going back decades and Rockford’s Basketpress Shiraz, with the latter a bestseller, on normal days as well as special events, including Melbourne Cup Day which has become a regular highlight.

“We have the same people every year”

“We have the same people every year,” he says as he reveals a snap this year of staff dressed up in racing silks.

On weekends, business suits are replaced with families.

“It’s quite a different clientele.,” he says.

He also introduced fortune cookies into Australia, setting up his own factory in the 1970s before selling out.

While he had a massive stroke when in his 40s, staff took control until he was well enough to return to work, among them John Lau has been on the floor for 39 years and Ricky Law who has been there for 25 years.

While Peacock Gardens has seen restaurant trends come and go, it has also survived the FBT, and the GFC.

“A lot of people still enjoy the way we serve, we are fine dining in the sense that we serve every dish and it’s relaxed and instead of you ordering and it all coming it once, boom, like other Chinese restaurants, we teach to the staff to emphasise what is good to start off when and what to finish with.”

Chan was inducted into Restaurant and Catering NSW’s Hall of Fame in 2003.

“I am very proud to have reached 40 years at Peacock Gardens. I have to thank my family and my wonderful staff especially John and Ricky for listening to me telling them what to do for so long. But mostly, I have to thank my customers. Some have been coming since we opened or just after. Some I nursed in my arms as babies and now they bring their own kids and their mums and dads. I am very lucky, I have had a very fortunate life in the restaurant business and made so many very dear friends.’’