The Lunch Lady of Saigon

Came here for the banh canh cua and it did not disappoint! The broth and tapioca noodles were the perfect texture, and I loved that I didn’t have to peel my own crab. There was generous amounts of crab meat as well. I liked the fried dough soaking in the broth, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the crab claw. Maybe it was because we had ordered the deep fried prawns as an appetizer and had a lot of fried food already. Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed the soup and the appetizer. Would definitely come here again and try some other things on the menu. Our server, Ozcan, was great too!

Lunch Lady isn't just a restaurant; it's a culinary revelation. I'd heard the buzz about them taking traditional Vietnamese flavors and elevating them, and the experience absolutely surpassed the hype. This is sophisticated, flavor-forward cooking that feels both incredibly fresh and deeply rooted in tradition. We started with the soft shell crab, which was perfectly crisp and seasoned—a fantastic appetizer. The pho was a masterclass in balance, with a broth that was complex, clear, and clearly simmered for hours. It was the best version of the classic I've had in a long time. The duck salad was a beautiful contrast, providing vibrant, fresh herbs and tender duck meat, while the bone marrow was an unexpected, rich, and luxurious addition to the meal. Beyond the incredible food, the service here is genuinely next-level. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and seemed to anticipate our needs without hovering. We barely had to ask for anything. The meal ended on a high note with the pandan and ice cream—a beautiful, fragrant dessert. To top it off, our server was so kind and surprised us by treating us to the dessert on the house. That kind of personalized attention is rare. Considering the quality of the ingredients, the elevated preparation, and the outstanding hospitality, Lunch Lady is absolutely worth the price. In fact, we loved it so much and were talking about it for days, so we already went back for a second visit! Highly, highly recommended.

Food was really mid at best. But come for the views if you know what I’m saying. Had the pomelo salad, crispy prawns, crab fried rice, tomahawk, and ube basque cheesecake. Was really excited for the pomelo salad, but I think the truffle oil overpowered the other flavours which was a shame. The crispy prawns were really good, but because of the way they were deshelled, it was kinda hard to dip into the sauce bowl, which was mildly infuriating. The tomahawk was our fav, but you can get the same at any pho restaurant with cheaper cuts. Not sure if it was tender enough to warrant the use of a tomahawk cut for 2.5x the price. The crab fried rice was pretty flavourful. But had an overpowering peppery taste. The ube basque cheesecake was sorely disappointing. It’s not basque in any sense. It was way more dense and was pretty much a purple New York cheesecake. Didn’t really taste ube. They also doused it with what tasted like canned mangos with the sauce from the can. Was terrible. Do not order. There are way better Asian restaurants that’re cheaper in Toronto like fallen feather, new retro, dailo, and muni robata.

The food was truly delicious. The Short Rib Rigatoni and Wagyu Pho are must-tries; the Fried Tofu and Che Ba Mau were also excellent. Compliments to the kitchen team! However, what truly made our experience memorable was the exceptional service and staff. The hostess, Yvonne, was incredibly sweet and helpful. Our server, Vanessa, was very attentive. Also, Tristan, who helped us with the payment, was very charming and friendly. The quality of the food and the service are in rare harmony in Toronto. We will definitely be back and highly recommend it to everyone!

very mediocre, or i just didn’t order the right dishes? i did my research beforehand and decided to order their beef carpaccio, garlic noodles, crabs fried rice, steak luc lac (not pictured), short rib rigatoni, and their che ba mau (three later dessert). beef carpaccio was great, same with their Che ba mau, possibly the best dessert i’ve had dt toronto. however their crab fried rice was very salty, we asked them to remake it and we didn’t add any of the extra sauces in the second time but it was still unpalatable, very salty. the other dishes we ordered were good but not outstanding. overall a nice Vietnamese fusion restaurant, but im not rushed to come back. definitely pricey so if you’re just looking for comforting Vietnamese food this is probably not the place.

There are definitely mixed reviews about this restaurant, but I was determined to try it for myself - and I’m so glad I did. We booked our lunch reservation three weeks in advance (yes, it’s that busy), and it was well worth the wait. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with a warm and comfortable ambiance. All the staff were incredibly friendly and easygoing, which made the experience even better. My friend ordered the Friday special, Bun Bo - a rice noodle soup with beef broth, beef shank, marrow, short ribs, and blood pudding. He said it was packed with flavor and had plenty of meaty pieces. I went with the Lemongrass Chicken on Rice - grilled chicken thighs served with rice, a fried egg, and shredded lettuce. Overall, it was tasty, though I wish the chicken skin had been charred more since it came out a little fatty and soggy (I ended up removing it). Our server, Serena, was such a delight - friendly, attentive, and genuinely passionate about the restaurant. She even convinced us to come back for dinner, which we promised we would. The dinner menu has triple the options and I can’t wait to try more dishes next time. If you’re in the city and willing to book ahead, this spot is definitely worth visiting for an elevated authentic Vietnamese flavors and a warm dining experience.

Although we booked for reservation ahead of time but there wasn’t much a long lineup when we went during lunch. The food (I put captions for the photos) and the service were amazing! The servers were so kind :)) they gave brief summary of every dishes we had. It’s been a while since I last ate my home country food. Overall, the meat was juicy, crispy, and tender. The coffee was perfect and strong! The taste of the food is exactly the same as Vietnamese food and I miss the taste so much! So glad to be able to eat them again!

This busy spot on Ossington offers Vietnamese food in a chic environment. Visited on a Friday evening for dinner. The space is actually very spacious on the inside with a large open-style kitchen in the back. But it gets busy so recommend reservations. Ordered a few dishes to try - grilled pork skewers, fried shrimp, steamed clams with Asian style “doughnut”, and the wagyu pho. We really liked the fried shrimps - they were large and had a bouncy texture. Steamed clams with fried dough were fine - clams were tasty but the dough was a complete miss. Think this was supposed to be a take on the Chinese style fried dough , but the skin was too thick and soft (not crispy) and overall just very doughy. Wagyu pho - the portion is very large, you get quite a few slices of beef brisket (?), and the broth was very good too. It comes with 2 slices of wagyu but not sure that the wagyu goes very well with the broth. Without any seasoning, the Wagyu tastes fatty in the broth. Service was okay, but took quite a few minutes for my table to get served with water. The staff responsible for our table didn’t come until almost 10 minutes into us sitting down.

This place is amazing! Honestly, the decor is decent and there are many tables. Service was great! It seems as though you don't have a dedicated server or if you do, they all help each other. The food. O M G. To be honest the menu wasn't too large but the food is so delicious. I would say all around great balance of flavor. Beef Carpaccio: wow so full of flavor and if you eat it with the taro chips for some crunch. Augh I could eat that for the whole meal. Bun Bo: it's a BBH basically but the broth felt cleaner than other BBHs I've had! Com Suong: That pork is sooooo juicy and it was precut so it was easy to eat. Desserts: We got all three that were offered. I really think these were down to preference. I loved the tiramisu, the flavor was delicious although the viet flavor wasn't too strong. The ube cheesecake was also quite mild, I think it would've gone better with some ice cream as it was dry and a bit dense. The Che 3 mau inspired dessert had a really good balance of textures and flavors, though I personally felt the pandan was a bit thick. Overall had a great time. I do believe it's a bit on the pricier side but the food is quite worth it. Would def come back if I get the chance!

I had lunch here with a friend, good thing we made reservations cause there was already a line before it even opened. We got to our seats soon after (our reservation was a little after opening) too. Service was okay but a bit slow and seemed like they forgot about us a few times (asked for some things from multiple staff and didn't get them right away). The food was good, tasted really clean. I had the bun rieu and the popcorn coffee. My friend got the pho and we shared some tofu. I'd say the food were all 5/5, flavour-wise. A little expensive but portion size is big (lots of toppings and meat). It was really nicely decorated inside and very Christmas-y. It got really busy too and there's a huge lineup. Overall, I would come back and try the other dishes as well.

I've been to the Vancouver lunch lady and it was so delicious that I had to try Toronto's new location to compare! We got the same prix fix menu as the one they have in Vancouver. We first started with the drinks (separate from the prix fix). Unfortunately they didn't have the Vietnamese horchata so instead we got a strawberry milky drink which was good but had too much of a yogurt crème taste, which as a personal preference, I didn't enjoy very much, but my boyfriend liked it a lot. The octopus skewers were the first dish to come out. It had 4 baby octopus on each skewer. The skewer I had, had two significantly smaller octopi compared to the other skewers that had bigger ones. I'd had wish they would put an extra octopus on my skewer since half my skewer were way smaller. The next appetizers were house made taro chips with a dill dip and beef carpaccio. Both were delicious. Next we were waiting for the mains: garlic noodles and steak. We're waited for quite a while. Finally they brought our garlic noodles and by the look of the Parmesan, it looked like it was sitting out for a while. When taking the first bite, we could definitely tell it did not come out right when it was ready, it was warm, not hot. By the time I had the last few bites of the noodles, it was cold :( The washrooms were dark but were designed so beautifully, I took pictures but I don't think it did it justice. Overall, comparing the two locations, we thought the Toronto location had a more elevated design, very gorgeous interior. The steak was so better here too The Vancouver location had better garlic noodles but that may be an inaccurate comparison since our garlic noodles that came out in Toronto, came out like they were sitting out for a while.

first off, the restaurant design makes you feel like you are in a fusion type restaurant which sets the expectation of the dishes. the colour choices make it feel like Vietnam. We ordered the BÁNH CANH CUA. came with a deep fried battered crab claw and a fried dough stick similar to the ones ofen eaten alongside congee. The soup had very little veggies in it if at all. the flavour was very delicious. steak luc lap which is also known as beef dice. The cut is a 6oz ribeye cut of steak. cooked to a medium doneness but still very tender to the bite because of the high quality cut of meat. at outside had a micro charring texture that gives it that bbq flavour. the rice had some bits of crispness and scallion oil over it when mixed with the fried egg and steak makes those flavours of the vietnamese style rice dish pop.

Finally tried Lunch Lady on a Sunday evening! I was able to snag a reservation for two 3 weeks in advance for 8pm. When we arrived, I was shocked at how big the restaurant was! and to still be so difficult to book speaks to just how popular they are! I had high expectations and they were met! Our waiter was attentive and funny. My partner dropped his chopstick and he appeared with a spare before I could even wave my hand to get his attention. As for the food, it was good value for the flavour and quantity. We ordered: - Beef Carpaccio ($24): Great flavour! Loved the fresh mint and crispy shallots and peanuts. The beef was thin and made the perfect bite! - Short Rib Rigatoni ($32): My partner took one bite and asked if we should order another LOL The short rib was truly melt in your mouth. The flavour was sweet and there was some crunch. The tomatoes also had a nice charcoal grill flavour. - Wagyu Pho ($36): A very comforting bite and classic flavour profile. There is definitely a higher meat to noodle ratio which is good bang for your buck. The only thing I was a bit disappointed about was the bone marrow. It was a very very small serving, there was barely any on the bone - Ube Cheesecake: Apparently a newer menu item. I didn't love the mango or mango sauce or puff pastry but the cheesecake itself was smooth and dense and very ube! I would 100% return if not just to get the short rib rigatoni! There are a handful of other meh items I have my eye on including the Garlic Noodles and Soft Shell Crab

Finally got to try Lunch Lady in Toronto after all the hype from Vancouver. They opened up in the busy Ossington strip, which is definitely growing with a lot of great spots and Lunch Lady fits right in. Managed to get a table for lunch at the counter overlooking the kitchen. It was almost like a meal and a show watching the kitchen team prepare all the meals which was definitely fascinating. Went with a bigger group so we managed to try most of the appetizers. Tried the Beef Carpaccio, Soft Shell Crab, and Prawn Fritters. The beef carpaccio was nicely balanced with the tender beef, the crispiness from the shallots, and the freshness from the herbs and the lime vinaigrette. The Soft Shell Crab was fried nicely and the green chili aioli was a nice balance. The prawn fritters might have been the least favourite of the group at least in comparison with the other appetizers, but was still cooked nicely. As for mains, the group mostly tried the Pork Tomahawk and the Lemongrass Chicken. The Pork tomahawk was nicely cooked with richness from the foot and balanced with the scallion oil. The lemongrass chicken was very flavourful and nice cook on the skin as well. Paired the whole meal with pandan coffee which was great for lunch. Definitely lived up to the hype and can't wait to try dinner with a bigger menu especially with what other friends have recommended.

I rarely give 5/5 stars but honestly loved everything we ordered here! Went with a group of 6 friends and we booked this reservation about a month in advance as it gets very busy, so would recommend booking ahead. We ordered the family style tasting menu for 4 so we could try everything and added a few dishes. The family style menu came with: crispy taro chips with a green chilli aioli, beef carpaccio, octopus skewers, duck salad, crispy prawns, steak with scallion butter and foie gras, crab fried rice and coconut clams, plus your choice of 2 desserts - we got the Vietnamese coffee tiramisu & three layer dessert. We also added the xo noodles. Everything was excellent! The standouts would have to be the beer carpaccio, crab fried rice, crispy prawns and xo noodles. If you're going as a bigger group of 4-6, I would definitely recommend getting the family style menu and adding a few dishes as needed. It's $70 per person and you get a chance to try most things on the menu which we all really enjoyed. Can't wait to go back and try some other things on the menu + their coffee menu as well!

Got their Friday bun Bo special and the pork tomahawks rice. The pork was the star, very fragrant charcoal taste. The fish was blended perfectly, sweet, savoury and tangy. The bun Bo was missing lemongrass and spice, not your typical BBH taste. However they provided satay and shrimp paste to dip the meat. Unfortunately the cha, pork sausage had a piece of plastic in it. Everyone addressed the issue and some items were comp. Huge space, nicely designed but quite loud even during lunch. Food came out extremely fast, and I also did a walk in. Got seated right away at the bar.

I got the fixed menu with my boyfriend. It was the perfect amount for two and I enjoyed it, but would not get the garlic noodles or steak luc lac again. Garlic noodles were too heavy, steak luc lac was similar to how they make steaks in asia that are incredibly soft but sweet as well. I don't really enjoy sweet meat, so this is definitely a personal preference. Didn't like those two dishes, but my boyfriend did. BEEF CARPACCIO (5/5) I would definitely come back for the carpaccio, it's actually a very well done Bo Tai Chanh. All the herbs on top were cut finely and placed on top beautifully so you can dig in easily. This dish traditionally isn't a huge crowd favorite because of it being raw meat, but I grew up wrapping the meat in herbs that made me love it. I love how they made it less daunting. It was well balanced, felt fresh, and flavors definitely packed punches. OCTOPUS SKEWERS (4.5/5) I loved this, but I think I prefer if it wasn't the tiny crawly octopi. The sauce is very on par on what Vietnamese street vendors usually serve with seafood, definitely enjoyed this a lot. Wish there were a few more on the plate here. CHE BA MAU (5/5) The che ba mau is actually such a clever twist for that dessert. It's traditionally a soup ish dessert but they took the same flavor profiles and altered its form. I love that they used the Vietnamese pandan cake aka Banh Bo Nuong as the base. DRINKS They have a few asian inspired drinks including a jasmine rice lager and calamansi wheat beer. We got a lychee cocktail, jasmine rice lager, and calamansi wheat beer. The calamansi one was similar to a sour, the lager was just a light good beer, and the cocktail was well balanced. AMBIENCE Ambience is dim, interior is a nice modern design interpretation of a Vietnamese street food, definitely on the pricier side but felt worth it. I would go here for a date or to take my parents.

Husband was super excited to try this place out as he said Anthony Bourdain had mentioned how much he loved the original Lunch Lady in Vietnam! First things first, make reservations ahead of time if you can! We started waiting in line about 20 minutes before they opened for lunch, and when we walked in, we had to put our name down as we didn't realize you could make reservations ahead of time. Our wait time was about 30 minutes, which wasn't bad. We ended up with seats at the bar when our name was called, which normally would have been okay if we hadn't ordered half the menu lol. For drinks, we got the - Lychee Passion ($19) - Dillon's No.7 gin, dry vermouth, raspberry syrup, lemon, lychee, egg white and PHỞ-SPICED OLD FASHIONED ($18) - pho-spice infused Bearface whisky, sugar, Angoustura bitters, house orange bitters. Both were really good! The Pho-spiced old fashioned did NOT taste like Pho and Bourbon, it tasted like an earthy old fashioned, which I liked! For food - BÒ TÁI CHANH - BEEF CARPACCIO ($24) filet of beef, peanuts, crispy shallots, thai basil, mint, perilla, lime vinaigrette BÁNH CANH CUA ($28) red crab, jumbo tiger prawns, crispy crab cake, pork hock, quail eggs, tapioca noodles, rich crab broth BÁNH TÔM CHIÊN - PRAWN FRITTERS ($18) tiger prawns & shredded taro root coated in a crisp coconut batter, lettuce, herbs, chili lime sauce PHỞ BÒ WAGYU - WAGYU BEEF NOODLE SOUP ($36) rare wagyu zabuton, beef cheek, ox tail, bone marrow, slow poached egg, rice noodles, 24-hour beef broth Yummy yummy in my tummy! All the portion sizes were bigger than we anticipated, and the flavors were great! They really don't skimp on the proteins. The Banh canh cua came with quite a few chunks of seafood, and the Pho had a good bit of beef cheek and oxtail. The bone marrow that came with the Pho was roasted really well and added a fattier flavor to the broth. The Banh tom chien was extra crispy, and they also didn't skimp on the beef carpaccio. Lunch Lady definitely charges more than one would be used to for Vietnamese food, but the portions justify the expense and it was a fun environment to be in. We also appreciated the nod to Anthony at the entrance!

The Lunch Lady located along the Ossington Strip near Argyle St. serves up "world famous" Vietnamese street food that is elevated. Since 1995, the late Nguyen Thi Thanh has served up daily noodle soups in Saigon to the locals. Her food stall was made famous when Anthony Bourdain explored Vietnam in 2009 on his show, No Reservations. It was during that time he dubbed her "the lunch lady" where she became well known throughout the world. This is The Lunch Lady's second location in Canada (the first in Vancouver). The menu is meant to be shared where there are small and larger plates of food. The food is supposed to mirror some of the offerings from her food stall in Vietnam, however, not everything is the same. The lunch and dinner menus are different, where the lunch menu has daily specials available. There is ample seating in the restaurant where there is also a chef's counter facing an open kitchen, where you can see all your dishes being made. They also have a private room as well for parties. Reservations are highly recommended as this place is all the hype right now! I decided to dine at The Lunch Lady on a Wed for lunch as I often look for bun rieu, a noodle soup dish that isn't found every where in the city. The bun rieu is the daily lunch special at The Lunch Lady on Wednesdays). I decided to make reservations despite being a solo diner as I was afraid that the restaurant would be full. A credit card has to be entered in order for a reservation to be made where you can could be charged a fee of $25 per person if you late cancel or do not show up for your reservation. Upon arrival at the restaurant at 12pm, there was already a line that formed outside where customers were waiting to enter. The few parties ahead of me had reservations and the hostess led them to their tables. When my turn came up, the hostess led me to the kitchen counter, facing the kitchen. It was fun to sit facing the kitchen, watching the cooks hard at work preparing everyone's orders. These are the following items I ordered: - Bun rieu (crab meatball, fish cake, jumbo tiger prawns, red crab, puffed tofu, pork collar, vermicelli noodles, tomato crab broth) - $24 - Ca phe sam dua sua (Vietnamese iced coffee, pandan coconut cream) - $9 Vietnamese coffee was good, not the strongest I've had but it was still good. The pandan coconut cream flavour isn't strong and very slight. The bun rieu was great - the broth was light and had flavours of tomato and crab. The ingredients in the noodle soup were abundant - loads of crab, the shrimp were nice and plump, and the pork collar was tender. Delicious! Service wise, the service was standard. The waitress was friendly but didn't feel approachable. My entire meal lasted about 45 min but service was nothing special. Overall, great bun rieu lunch special! I loved the kitchen counter seating where you could see the kitchen in action. You could tell that each dish was executed well and that the quality control was present. Definitely would love to return to try their dinner menu!

Reservations are required! If you walk in, prepare to dine after 930 or never. Overall, beautiful restaurant with some interesting twists to Vietnamese classics. Food is decent but I prefer the heartiness and soul that comes from more casual Vietnamese establishments. This is a good date spot for any goody exploring more fusion style Vietnamese food.

All the hype since Lunch Lady in Vancouver is such a staple and local gem. So excited that Lunch Lady is finally in Toronto, and it's so good that I've been back three times already! Serving both lunch and dinner, their menus differ based on the day and time you visit. Space is beautifully renovated with a modern interior, yet reflecting a Vietnamese touch. Servers were friendly and efficient, especially the hostess! Here are some of their standout items: Lunch: - Pandan Viet coffee 5/5 - Beef Carpaccio 100/5!! My absolute favourite dish. Topped with peanuts, crispy shallots, Thai basil, mint, perilla, and lime vinaigrette. - Duck Salad 5/5 - Pork Tomahawk on Rice 5/5 - Steak Luc Lac 5/5 Personally, I think their dinner menu is a huge standout compared to their lunch menu. And the dishes really speak for themselves! Dinner: - Chips & Dip 5/5 - Crispy Prawns 100/5!! My absolute favourite item from their dinner menu. Love that they use the entire prawn, shell and all, fried altogether, tossed in a chili lime sauce. - Crispy Soft Shell Crab 5/5 - Garlic Noodles 5/5 - Wagyu Beef Noodle Soup 5/5 - Three Layer Dessert 5/5 Can't wait to be back soon for their dinner! An absolute gem added to Toronto's West end!

Came here on a Saturday night with a group of 10, reservations placed ahead of time. FYI- When you have large groups, the default is family style menu. Therefore as a large group expect to spend minimum $70pp-90pp (with drinks). No substitutions can be made unless allergies (which they can accommodate). FOOD: - Taro chips & dip 4/5 - light, crispy taro chips with a green chili aioli. Loved the aioli, it was so flavourful and fresh. Complimentary to the chip. A greater starter. - Beef carpaccio 4/5- wagyu beef topped with a lime vinaigrette. A lil on the citrusy, tart side, it was tasty but I personally wasn't a huge fan. It was a light, refreshing starter. - Octopus skewer - 4/5- chargrilled octopus with a green chili sauce. Bbq skewered octopus, a light protein starter, complimented well with the chili sauce. - Duck salad 5/5 - one of the dishes I enjoyed thoroughly, the duck was cooked and caramelized just right. Tender and melts in your mouth. The salad was a mix of cabbage, banana blossoms, coriander, crispy shallots, and vermicelli. Topped with a light ginger chili salad dresser. It was a great dish, I would recommend. - Crispy prawns - 5/5. Crispy prawns, a generous portion, with a floating shell. Initially I didn't think I would be a fan of eating the shrimp with shell on, but to be honest, I didn't even taste it! It was actually very flavourful shrimp; seasoned just right. Complimented well with their lime sauce. - Garlic Noodles - 3/5- honestly was hoping to be a fan of these noodles, but It was just okay. Egg noodles with XO garlic butter, poached egg and parmigiano. Nothing really stood out to me, flavours were just ok. It was tasty, but nothing I would necessarily reach back for imo. - Crab fried rice - 4/5 - crab fried rice, crispy bits and mixed with fish roe. Flavourful with a lil kick to it. Complimented with soy sauce to add more flavour as you please. - Steak Luc Lac -5/5- 8oz rib eye + fois gras, with a side of cassava chips. Was pleasantly surprised the this dish and the steak was perfectly cooked, packed with flavour. The drizzled sauce over the steak was light and umami, scallion butter. - Coconut clams - 4/5- the sauce was a yellow curry sauce, served with Manila clams. Tbh, it was yummy, but not a huge clam fan. But if you are, it's worth to try! - Three layer dessert- 5/5 - the star of the show!!!!!!!!!! Pandas rice cake, chewy like mochi, topped with coconut condensed milk, gelato, strawberry puree and wow. This, I would come back for. If I could recommend a dish, it would probably be this. (Haha I know right, it's dessert!) but I guess they really do save the best for last. - Vietnamese coffee tiramisu- 5/5 also a great dish if you're a tiramisu fan. I would get both this and he three layer dessert if you want haha. Overall great flavourful profile, Vietnamese coffee forward, and a good balance of lady fingers and marscapone. - Ube cheesecake -3/5 - a lil heavy on the cheesecake, not so sweet, dense, and Ube was nice, but I thought it was a little heavy for finishing the meal with. SERVICE: - for a large group I thought the team did a great job attending to our table. Refilled our drinks, explained all dishes well, and was very attentive to clearing dishes when completed. Even was able to offer to go boxes when we couldn't finish the food! - service for a big group was great. ATMOSPHERE: expect to make a reso ahead of time otherwise you'd be stuck waiting. Upon arrival to the resto there was a line out the door. When entering, quite a lot of seating, ideally for small groups. The area where we had sat was a private room towards the back. Overall; a great Michelin recommended restaurant. I would come back!

Been looking forward to trying this spot! Went on a weekday night for their dinner menu (I did hear some people prefer their lunch menu). We tried out a couple dishes including their beef carpaccio, crispy prawns, bo lac luc, pho bo wagyu, and their che ba mau. The beef carpaccio was flavourful and complemented well with the taro chips - gave it a nice crispy/texture. Solid dish. The crispy prawns were crispying!!! - very satisfying crunch but the nuoc mam is a must with this. The pho bo wagyu was honestly quite disappointing - as they said, I'm sure it's cooked for over 24 hrs. It was quite fatty and rich and tasted healthy, however, lacked flavour. The raw wagyu zabuton was nice. The bo luc lac was also just okay for me - it was difficult to chew and i did not really enjoy the sauce that paired with it (i was quite full at this point though). The che ba mau was pretty good too - not your classic che ba mau though. I found the food to be quite westernized/fusion Vietnamese (personally i prefer classic Vietnamese food). The menu doesn't actually have much of the classic dishes "the lunch lady" used to serve except on specific days. For the hype, i found it pretty underwhelming and overpriced. The service was good and super nice vibes though.

The service here was fantastic. The front staff and service staff were so friendly. We got a bunch of things to share - octopus skewers, duck salad, fried tofu, eggplant, garlic noodles, crab fried rice, and Vietnamese coffee tiramisu. All the food was amazing. The octopus was so tender and the dishes were all so flavorful. The tiramisu was the only disappointment. It was kind of runny and not very well set. But overall, I'd keep going back.

3.5 stars but rounding to 4. Lunch Lady arrived in Toronto with much hype, and it was yummy and flavourful, but a bit on the pricey side. We opted to order almost one of everything from the menu - standouts for me were the beef short rib rigatoni (shocking), the crab fried rice, and the duck breast with a cabbage slaw. The wagyu pho felt a bit gimmicky (just tasted like every other pho but slightly more fatty) and the steak was also super fatty. The coconut clams were good but slightly difficult to eat, and the octopus skewers were super spicy! The deep-fried prawns were good too (albeit a bit weird to be served with the shells partially removed) as was the soft shell crab. A decent meal overall but not my favourite Vietnamese place, by far.

Lunch Lady is a newly opened modern Vietnamese restaurant (originally from Vancouver) in the Ossington neighborhood. It definitely has a huge social media following and there was a lot of excitement when it first opened. The space itself is very nicely decorated and has a lot of seating with an open concept kitchen. Due to its popularity there is usually a wait on the weekends and weekday evenings so try to make reservations! Service was very fast and efficient, with food coming out quick. The food itself was good but nothing mind blowing. I would say the apps were a little better than the main dishes: the beef carpaccio was fresh with great flavors (ask for extra lime), the soft shell crab was crispy with amazing texture with the lettuce, and the prawn fritters were also tasty but didn't have enough actual prawns (very heavy on the batter). We ordered variety of mains to try and all agreed that the a beef pho lacked flavour and the $8 ox tail add-on only included 3 tiny pieces of ox tail. The duck breast noodles were tasty and came with a good portion of duck. The steak luc lac was good but the fish sauce in the peppercorn sauce threw us off a little. Lastly, drinks were good but pricey. Overall a great place to try out and definitely a modern twist to your classic Viet dishes. However if you're craving some authentic pho then there are definitely better options in the city for a better price point.

Overall, Lunch Lady was decent but nothing special. Topped off with the fact that they are a bit pricey, I'd say it was a bit disappointing. Food wasn't bad by all means. I had the lemon grass chicken which was pretty good and my wife had the duck breast egg noodles which was very mid in my opinion. What caught me off guard a little was the bill. Between my wife and I, we had the 2 dishes, 1 coffee and 1 dessert which cost us $100. Definitely overhyped and overpriced restaurant. You can definitely find better authentic Vietnamese food elsewhere in or around the city at half the price point.

The Lunch Lady serves up some true gems and other just-oks. The Hits Lineup - Wagyu Beef Noodle Soup: Loved how nuanced and delicately flavoured the broth is, and this is coming from someone who doesn't really like soup-based dishes. The meats - the indulgently fatty bone marrow, the tender slivers of wagyu, the playfully chewy oxtail - are generous. - Soft Shell Crab: Best soft shell crab I've had in awhile. The batter is perfectly fried and not overly thick, the crab meat is juicy, and the green chili aioli sauce is such a great complement. The Pretty Good Lineup - Beef Carpaccio: My wife loved this. I thought it was ok, but a bit heavy handed on the lime vinaigrette. - Octopus Skewers: Good grill on the octopus, with the side sauce packing the heat. - Che Ba Mau: This three layer dessert is interestingly gummy. The Meh Lineup - Steak Luc Lac: Maybe my expectations were too high given the hype, but this fell flat for me. While it's pretty good quality steak, it tasted generic. I did like the peppercorn sauce though. - Lychee Passion: A bit too sweet and not enough lychee for me. Place is simply yet interestingly decorated. Service is very friendly. Kitchen is quick. Prices are steep. Vibe is popping energy. Hits and misses, but worth a try to see what all the hype is about.

Came here for the tasting menu and added a couple of dishes. Food was really good! A lot of complex flavours and great dipping sauces. Servers were attentive and had some great suggestions. Was a cozy date spot and definitely somewhere you'd impress your first date. A little bit on the pricier side. Our meal came to $215, so something to consider if you're going. Would come back to try other dishes!

Might be my new favorite restaurant in Toronto. The food is incredible, my favorites were the wagyu pho and short rib rigatoni. The meat is cooked so tender and tasty. Cocktails are absolutely superb as well, albeit a bit pricey.

I never got the chance to go in Vancouver so I was so excited when they opened one in Toronto. I have tried making last minute reservations a few times but wasn't able to. Ended up getting a reservation 3 weeks in advance. I came with a group of 10 and they gave us a semi private crescent round booth table. It was the perfect space for a bigger group. I got their Sunday special, the duck noodle. And my partner got the lemongrass chicken. We both liked the chicken more. Then chicken was juicy and flavourful. Love how there's an egg on top of the rice. The duck noodle was very similar to a wonton noodle but with a sweeter broth which I wasn't a fan of. The desert was delicious and a must. A perfect way to end the meal. Really unique texture and not super sweet. It is filling and can be shared amongst a few people. The host and our servers were all friendly. They have a very strict no outside drink policy. We had a few half finished coffees and they made us finish it or throw it out.

Normally, a bowl of pho is a single person affair but at The Lunch Lady their wagyu noodle soup ($36) warrants sharing unless it's the only dish you're eating. A large stone bowl of rice noodle, fresh herbs, and a slow poached egg arrives with thick slices of tender beef cheek, a couple hunks of ox tail, and a bone marrow protruding that we're told to scrape into the dish and mix before eating. As if that's not enough, a plate of thinly sliced raw wagyu accompanies that's added tableside to make a carnivore's heart sing. Since so many items are added to the broth, it really needs to be hotter, ideally sizzling in the bowl is first presented. Maybe the restaurant is worried about liability issues with the tiny tables, not wanting to burn customers, but the soup is barely hot after everything's put in. At least the broth is tasty. The first spoon revealed a decent soup that morphs into something even better by the end as the rich oils from the bone marrow & wagyu and herbs permeate the broth. Make sure you have multiple bowls throughout the meal. What a brilliant idea to separate the shrimp from its shell in the crispy prawns ($24) prior to deep frying. As both cook separately, the shrimp finishes quicker, and the shell becomes brittle enough to eat. Served six to an order there's plenty to go around and are fried to perfection so it's crispy but still juicy. The enlarged surface area does make it a bit difficult to dip into the chili lime sauce, you'll need to angle and squish to reach the bright condiment. To counteract the shrimp's heaviness, the beef carpaccio ($24) was a great companion dish. The plethora of basil, mint, perilla, crispy shallots, and crushed peanuts seemed overwhelming at first sight, but somehow the beef filet held up against the garnishes. Topped with a lime vinaigrette, it does make for a flavourful bite that cuts the greasiness of the oilier fried shrimp. The Lunch Lady don't skimp on crustacean in the crab fried rice ($36). A small palm full arrives on top as proof of the abundance and we're told to mix it in before eating. To ensure the pungent XO sauce doesn't overpower the crab, only a bit is added to the dish, while more is mixed into a soy sauce that can be used to taste. Textures are abound in their fried rice as some grains are deep fried along with crunchy fish roe. As a person who doesn't love having things stick to my teeth, these crispy bits were a tad annoying but the dish delicious enough that I wasn't annoyed for long. Surprisingly, the fried rice was even better reheated the next day as the flavours meld together and the crispy bits soften. Since the tables are small, getting the timing of serving right is so important. We visited on the third week of The Lunch Lady's opening, and they still need to work on pacing. While a complaint during the first two weeks was the meal moved too slowly, the brigade (seriously there were almost twenty people in the kitchen) over corrected with dishes flying out at breakneck speed. Luckily, our server provided time warnings with military precision. As the pho was presented, she noted the fried rice would arrive shortly, so we slid all the accompaniments into the bowl to clear the plates and make room for the second main. If you're there for a leisurely meal, it's not the greatest. Personally, I'd recommend visiting as a table of three, you'll get a larger table so you may not need to rush finishing dishes. Or perhaps wait before visiting The Lunch Lady as they get their timing better. Visiting with three people will also allow you to try more as the portions are sizeable and I couldn't even think of dessert. At least the cà phê martini ($18) worked as a dessert, an espresso martini made with aromatic Vietnamese coffee and very boozy thanks to vodka, Licor 43, and Bolivar coffee liqueur.

THere's so many Vietnamese spots in ossington but Lunch Lady has captured my heart. Prices are a bit steep but for good reason. I have always believed that Vietnamese food has always been slept on - for the level of effort and flavour and time that goes into the dishes, why aren't the prices on par with their Italian and French counterparts? Lunch Lady is proof that when you value your effort and work, people will respect you more. And this beautiful location doesn't just serve up vibes, the food is by far the best Vietnamese food I have ever tasted. Thế beef carpaccio had the right amount of shrimp paste funk, thế freshness from the veg, acidity from thế lime, and crunch from the crispy shallots. The octopus skewers with spicy green chili sauce is excellent with a cold beer. Thế crab fried rice? So filling, and perfect as a sharable. Thế showstopper though: thế coconut curry clams with Chinese dough fritter. My mouth is salivating at just thế recollection of it. The broth was so balanced, I drank all of it up and left my plate spotless. Thế tarot cubes provided just the right amount of starch to thicken thế soup, and the clams were cooked enough so that you could still feel it's softness when you bite. We also got a surprise from our bartender Steven and Mike - since it was my birthday we got a pandan cake with strawberry or rhubarb Sauce, with coconut icecream - as the gen Zs say, thế coconut was coconuting. And then they gave me a sweet birthday card and postcard and Polaroid as a gift y'all really know how to make a girl feel special. You bet your sweet ass I'm coming back here - there's so much more ơn thế menu I need to try. If this is the future of Vietnamese cuisine, I will happily continue to support this business. I hope you continue to show the world thế excellency of Vietnamese cuisine.

Great take on Viet classics! I loved seeing some classic dishes on the menu that you don't normally find in a typical Viet restaurant. Our personally favourite was the tamarind clams and crab fried rice. There's a nice crunch that we noticed with the rice!!! Note: Dishes are small portions, if you more than 2, you'd have to order multiples. Service was top notch with every staff member taking notice and participating in serving us and explaining each dish. We also had a dj during dinner service, a nice added touch to the vibes of the restaurant. *reservation 100% recommended, and they book out weeks in advance if you want a weekend. I'd come back but not anytime soon, the price point is higher, weekend reso are hard to get on a whim and smaller portions.

Definitely need to make a reservation on the weekend! It was super busy. The hostess was amazing, I made an error on my reservation and she went out of the way to fix it! I got the Sunday special: MÌ VỊT TIỀM. The duck was perfectly cooked with a spicy peanuty sauce and a spicy sauce on the side. The broth was really rich and flavourful. It had more of a Chinese duck noodle soup feel to it, when I was expecting more Vietnamese flavours. It was good overall but not sure I would get this dish again. My friends got the lemongrass chicken with rice and the pork tomahawk with rice. The chicken was good but it didn't feel special in comparison to other cheaper Vietnamese restaurants out there. The best overall was the pork tomahawk and shrimp fritters. The pork was so well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The shrimp fritters were so crunchy and delicious. I would definitely come back for both of these dishes and to try others. Very beautiful interior aesthetics and overall vibes !

Book a reservation 2-3 weeks in advance - this place is very popular! We came on a Tuesday weeknight and it was pretty full and cozy. Service was great, waitress was knowledgeable in introducing each dish and recommending popular dishes. Our favourite dishes were the garlic noodles and the che ba mau dessert. Looking forward to trying the other dishes on their menu.

When we heard that Lunch Lady was coming to town, we knew we had to get over there post haste. So we showed up about a week after they opened without a reservation and were turned away, despite plenty of empty tables. Undeterred, I made a reservation for the following week and we managed to snag amazing seats right in front of the kitchen. Honestly, it was an amazing place to sit. Just watching the many chefs doing their thing turned out to be seriously cool and very mesmerizing. But we weren't there for the view. I was interested in pretty much everything on the menu, but I finally decided to go with the Lemongrass Chicken on Rice ("grilled chicken thighs, jasmine rice, scallion oil, pork crackling, fried egg, green chili sauce, crispy rice"). It arrived a short time later and sure looked tasty. I took one bite of the chicken and immediately knew I was eating something special. It's just so insanely flavorful and well-cooked. It's probably the best chicken of this type I've ever had, actually. All the other components worked just as well, too, and proved a perfect complement to that excellent chicken. I inhaled this dish. I'll definitely be returning to Lunch Lady, but I can pretty much guarantee you I'll never order anything but the Lemongrass Chicken on Rice.

The Lunch Lady was a great experience. Make reservations weeks ahead as they book up quick! Decor is beautiful. We had the most amazing server. Drinks are phenomenal. Loved the egg coffee. The wagyu pho was good, but broth could be more flavorful. The bun bo hue was better. For the price you pay, my expectations were much higher.

Beef carpaccio: still a fav. * Chips & dip: dip slaps. Chips were a little thin & unevenly salted tho. * Octopus skewers: beautifully charred & goes nicely with the green chilli sauce. * Duck salad: light & refreshing, just wish the sauce had more of that gingery zing. * Garlic noodles: buttery, creamy, & rich but heavy. Could use a bit more garlic, imo. * Crab fried rice w/ foie gras: very well-seasoned but slightly salty for me (not in a bad way!). Maybe ease up and let the sauce on the side do the work. * Tamarind clams: loved the sweet-sour tang, but a thicker sauce would coat everything better. * Steak Luc Lac: not quite for me. I think the sauce leaned more five-spice/mei kuei lu chiew than peppercorn & felt better suited for roasted duck or pork belly. * 3-layer dessert: would've been more fun with that bouncy Vietnamese honeycomb cake aka bánh bò texture, but still a creative take. The puree adds a nice touch and keeps it not too sweet. * Drinks: Tropic Thunder was refreshing but the pandan was barely there. Pandan coffee was bold the way Vietnamese coffee should be but again, too light on the pandan. The food is creative, the space is beautiful, & the staff is also lovely. I'm always excited to see Vietnamese food done in new, playful ways.

Bumped up to 5 stars because our server Brian was friendly and very patient with our table. He seemed knowledgeable about the menu and gave us lots of suggestions. The host at the front was super friendly as well. The toronto location is really big and spacious! the interior is stunning and luckily my group got to sit in the nicest booth in the restaurant! For starters, we got the taro chips, soft shell crab, and beef carpaccio. I felt the appetizers fell short on flavour and portion sizing. Both the taro and soft shell crab had a strong green dip. Beef carpaccio is on the tougher side, I like it on the softer side. For sure get the Luc Lac Steak, easily one of my favourites! Had in vancouver, and tastes the same but the price different is a lot. Added on Foie Gras (worth it). The Pork Tomahawk was delicious, big portion perfect with a side of rice. Garlic noodles were very buttery and strong garlic flavour BUT adding crab definitely made it better as the garlic flavour is very overpowering. FYI definitely ask for peppers/spice to enhance your dish flavour ;) Cocktails were pretty and typical, I'd say the best one was Calamansi. The Che Ba Mau 3 layer dessert was one of the best desserts i've had!! Please try it. Overall, worth trying at least once but appetizers fell short but the mains like luc lac and pork tomahawk were worth it.

First time at LL today. Sat at the kitchen chef counter. 12/10 that's all that I can say, impeccable service and even better food. The kitchen is a well oiled machine.

Great place to visit. This place is quite busy even though they do take reservations now but still need to line up when they first open on a weekend so I guess it doesn't really matter if you made reservations or not over the weekend as they will try to sit whomever line up first? but you will be guarantee a table with a reservations. I still think they should have two lines, one for the reservations and one for walk in. My friend chose to sit on the patio, which was quite nice, with the weather being warm and all. Our waiter was ok but could have been more apt at making suggestions. I suggest going for dinner and with a bigger group so can try more things. Also, can eat more at dinner than lunch. The place is nicely decorated inside.. I am so sad that I missed a chance to try them when in Vancouver and meet the lunch lady in person. After your meal, head over to Bang Bang Ice Cream next door.

Had a really good time here with some friends. We ordered the platter for 2 and tomahawk pork steak for 4 ppl and it was enough for us 4. The taro chips and the beef carpaccio was really good together just as our server told us. The octopus skewer was average- didn't love it and didn't hate it. The steak was really good as well and lastly the pork tomahawk was really good as well. The service was attentive for the most part. However, the mains took forever to come out. We go out apps quite fast. But the mains the steak took around 40 mins. And then the tomahawk pork took another 20 mins. We had to follow up with our server as we were just talking non stop waiting for the food to come out but no one really came to follow up on our table until we flagged someone down to ask how long our mains will be.

We came here for lunch after seeing everyone talking about it. It was a disappointing experience. The pho lacked flavours and the service was non existent. The place itself is cute and decorative. It was lively with music and what not. Our server basically didn't serve us, we had to wave him down for everything. Won't come back.

Came here after seeing it all over media. It was a disappointing experience. We order the panda and egg viet ice coffee, the drinks were good. We ordered the tomato soup special for Wednesday and a beef pho. The crab noodle soup was good, it had good portions of toppings and noodles. The beef noodle was disappointing, the it had the least amount of noodles and beef I have ever seen from a viet restaurant. It also lack flavours. The table next to us was severed a raw dish that they had to recook. We also felt like we didn't get any services, the tables next to us had servers checking in on their meal and what not. While we waited and didn't see anyone come by to get the finished dishes. We had to wave down a server to get the bill. The environment itself is cozy, it has a good selection of seatings. Overall, not worth the hype as the food/service didn't live up to our standard.

this is my favourite restaurant in toronto. actually so impressed and speechless at everything here. we didn't make a reservation but was able to secure 2 seats at the chefs table. it was still very intimate and a great spot. our server was so kind and constantly checked up on us, and made great recommendations. we got the set dinner for 2: taro chips, octopus skewers, carpaccio. the chips were light and airy, and the dipping sauce was so fresh. the carpaccio was flavourful and perfectly seasoned. (secret hack: try the carpaccio with the chip n dip). the copious skewers were delicious. the steak was tender and cut perfectly. garlic noodles with the crab meat felt just like home and so yummy! the highlight of our night was the dessert - the triple layer dessert. it was pandas with sticky rice and ice cream with strawberry sauce. i seriously was so speechless over this one! must try!! it was a lightly sweet treat which we enjoyed after some heavier mains. we're so coming back and it's a perfect 10/10. no notes.

Make sure you eat relatively quickly because there is a 2 hour limit! They were pretty quick to bring the bill once that 2 hour mark came. The place does have plenty of seating, but there are more people who come in for a table as it approaches dinner time. As for food, the chips & dip were surprisingly the best part of the meal, but everything else was pretty solid. I wouldn't order their bone marrow again, but I wouldn't be against getting the garlic noodles and the beef carpaccio if someone else wanted them. I would definitely go back to try some other menu items!

Came on a Wednesday for lunch and it was packed. Highly recommend reservations vs. walking in. I had the chicken on rice and soft shelle crab. The chicken was super moist and flavorful - I really enjoyed this dish and liked their version better than other Vietnamese restaurants because of the chicken cut they use. Soft shell crab was crunchy and tasty - worth a try but not my favourite in general. Overall it was good but nothing spectacular. The menu was limiting due it pork restriction and I felt like the prices and what you get for some of the standard Vietnamese dishes were more than other places for similar plating.

Genuinely such a fantastic meal. We had early dinner reservations before heading to the CNE, and this place did not disappoint. I will be dreaming about the crab fried rice for years to come. The vibe of the restaurant is really vibrant and modern. It has a completely open kitchen concept in the back of the restaurant which was cool to see. Our waitresss was extremely informative of the menu and such a nice person. Go go go!

Came by as we were able to make a reservation, this location was recently opened. We've had lunch lady in Vancouver and it was so delicious. We were sat immediately upon arrival. I ordered the vegan tofu pho. It was delicious, only thing is the tofu is fried tofu pops. The Vancouver location has actual fried tofu that was much yummier. The broth was very good as usual. My friend had the Wagyu pho and loved it, she confirmed it tasted the same as Vancouver. The pandan dessert with ice cream was yummy, great way to finish off the meal. Server was super friendly and nice. Make a reso and try out this place!

Fantastic food, great service and well designed restaurant to add to the awesome Ossington strip. Will definitely be back. Favorites were the steak, garlic noodles, crab fried rice. May feel a bit pricey but I think given the location and quality of food a commands the price.

Came for dinner on a weeknight with a 8:15 dinner reservation. We got a nice booth for our party. We ordered the 4 person family style meal and added the pork tomahawk and the short rib rigatoni for a party of 5. The food was better than the experience at the Vancouver location. The booth/ room that we were in was very nice. The duck salad was really good and very flavourful. The crispy prawns were good as well. The steak with foie was good but nothing special. The pork tomahawk was ok but nothing special. The short rib was very tasty and texture of the pasta was perfect. The octopus skewers were excellent. The chips were good but nothing special. The beef carpaccio was good and the crab fried rice was good. The clams were a bit tasteless. The three layer cake was really good and the black sesame cheesecake was ok. The service was pretty efficient.

I've seen this place on my social media feed, and had to check it out myself. Believe the hype. We had the - GỎI VỊT - DUCK SALAD - TÔM CHIÊN GIÒN - CRISPY PRAWNS - MÌ XÀO TỎI - GARLIC NOODLES egg noodles, XO garlic (w/added crab) - BÒ LÚC LẮC - STEAK LÚC LẮC And Lychee Passion for drinks -- this was sweet and refreshing We really enjoyed it all, and would like to come back to try some of the other dishes on the menu. Would definitely order the Crispy Prawns every time as an appetizer. Pretty unique with how they separate the shell but leave it attached at the stem of the tail and deep fry it where it's almost like having a shrimp chip with your shrimp. The Shaking Beef was tender and soft, really enjoyed it and would order again as well. The crab and garlic noodles was also nice. I liked the duck salad as well, but would like to try one of the others next time. Don't get me wrong, the duck was cooked nicely and tender, not dry. It was a good balance with the salad. This is coming from someone who has been fortunate to experience Vietnamese food from Vietnam and popular cities in California (San Jose and Westminster/ L.A.)

Amazing food. Busy and trendy atmosphere in a bustling place. Had the beef carpaccio, duck salad, and Saturday crab noodles. Beef carpaccio was great. Duck salad is one of the best I've had. Crab noodles were very good and the broth was excellent. They use conjac noodles for low carb

One of the best restaurants we have eaten in. Food is delicious and the tasting menu gave us the opportunity to try everything!! Highly recommend this restaurant!!

A beautiful tribute to late Anthony Bourdain and the Lunch Lady herself, Mrs. Thi Thanh. If anyone has been to Vietnam before, you will see that stepping in here feels like coming home. The small details in the decor and flavours capture the rich Vietnamese street food culture perfectly. We came here on Saturday at 8pm on a reservation we made almost a month prior. It was very busy so I would suggest making a reservation prior otherwise you'll probably be waiting until 10pm for a table. The waiters were super attentive and welcoming and let us get our table early despite the whole party not being there yet. We tried the Wagyu Pho with bone marrow and it was phenomenal. Very rich and fatty. If you want a pho that closely resembles the pho in Saigon then this is your place. It definitely is on the pricier side at $36, but for the size and quality, it is very well worth it. I will admit it is on the fattier and heavier side, so if you're more into lighter broths this might not be for you. But I do think any pho lover should try it here at least once. Whether you're a long time Anthony Bourdain fan or just someone who appreciates Vietnamese food done right, this place is more than worth the visit! (Do beware that the music is pretty loud and the restaurant dims its lights pretty dark after sunset.)

First visit and everything was delicious. CÀ PHÊ TRỨNG, the coffee was strong, but sweet, and the condensed milk sabayon on top was a lovely topping. BÒ TÁI CHANH - BEEF CARPACCIO, the beef was very tender and the flavour was refreshingly good. KHOAI CHIÊN & NƯỚC CHẤM - CHIPS & DIP, the server recommended the chips to go with the beef carpaccio, but it wasn't needed. The taro chips were fine, but the dip was not necessary. CƠM SƯỜN NƯỚNG - PORK TOMAHAWK ON RICE, the pork was very tasty, tender, and flavourful. BÁNH CANH CUA, forgot to take a photo, but their Saturday special was delicious. The soup had a lovely crab flavour, and the noodles were qq. The jumbo tiger prawns were cooked perfectly. Ours didn't come with pork hock per the menu. The servers also told us there's pork in it, but I swear I was eating brisket. Sadly, the desserts were unavailable during our visit. The service was great, our server was nice and attentive, and everyone who served a dish took the time to explain it. The restaurant is gorgeous and decorated beautifully, but it was warm inside, especially when eating hot noodle soups.