The Lunch Lady
Vietnamese restaurant · Grandview-Woodland ·
Vietnamese staples, unique cocktails, and grandmother's loving cooking
Vietnamese staples, unique cocktails, and grandmother's loving cooking
"Known as Anthony Bourdain’s favorite "Lunch Lady," Chef Nguyen Thi Thanh (respectfully called Co Thanh) has become an icon in Vietnam, Vancouver, and around the world. Originally starting with a nameless food stall in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), she later brought her celebrated dishes to Canada. Run in partnership with Chef Benedict Lim and Michael Tran, Lunch Lady was selected by our Inspectors as a Bib Gourmand – a favorite for a good value meal." - Michael He
"Much like a grandmother who has prepared a feast for her family, Chef Nguyen Thi Thanh exudes a warm, loving presence as she looks over her bustling dining room. She is a long way from Saigon, where she ran a successful food stall, and with her she has brought her charismatic cooking to East Vancouver. The menu is endlessly enticing and inspires immediate decision paralysis. One could fill up fast on starters like fried black tiger prawns with fish sauce or beef carpaccio buried under a blanket of fresh herbs, pickled onions and lime vinaigrette. Garlic fried noodles are another big hit, but then will you still have room for the wagyu beef noodle soup? At the meal’s end, admirers are quick to approach and thank her like the local celebrity she is." - Michelin Inspector
"The fritters were hot and golden, extremely crispy and flecked with spring onions and chilies with a large prawn inside. Served with a mass of vibrant green leaves, purple basil and fresh mint stem, plus a kicky chili lime sauce." - MICHELIN Guide
"Much like a grandmother who has prepared a feast for her family, chef Nguyen Thi Thanh exudes a warm, loving presence as she looks over her bustling dining room. She is a long way from Saigon, where she ran a successful food stall, and with her she has brought her charismatic cooking to East Vancouver. At the meal’s end, admirers are quick to approach and thank her like the local celebrity she is." - The MICHELIN Guide
"A Ho Chi Minh street vendor made famous by the late Anthony Bourdain is the inspiration — and a distant partner — for this slick family-restaurant retrofit in Vancouver. Its daily rotation of noodle soups made with recipes from Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh (aka The Lunch Lady) is pretty awesome."
