The Lunch Lady

"Food & Wine’s #9 Best Restaurant 2026 Chef Benedict Lim The restaurant’s namesake is the late chef Nguyen Thi Thanh, whose then-unnamed noodle stall in Ho Chi Minh City springboarded to global popularity after a visit by Anthony Bourdain for an episode of No Reservations. Among those who took notice was Vancouverite Michael Tran, who had eaten at the small restaurant during his travels in Vietnam and began working with the chef to bring her recipes and style across the Pacific. Lunch Lady opened on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive in 2020, with chef Benedict Lim (vetted personally by chef Thanh) at the helm. Menu items, many available as large-format dishes for family-style eating, are mostly Vietnamese classics that incorporate Pacific Northwest products wherever possible. Vietnamese sausage is sourced from Two Rivers Meats in North Vancouver; American wagyu beef comes from Idaho’s Snake River Farms; the duck is from Yarrow Meadow in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Lunch-only soup specials still rotate daily: bún thái with baby octopus and local clams on Thursday, bánh canh cua with Dungeness crab on Saturday. Drinks (pho-spiced Old Fashioneds, green-cardamom Piña Coladas) and desserts (like tiramisu made with cà phê, or Vietnamese coffee) stray a little further from tradition."

@nchavotier

"From the moment you step in, you can feel the warmth and care that goes into everything: the food, the service, and the atmosphere. The menu is a beautiful modern take on classic Vietnamese dishes, and everything we ordered was bursting with flavor and made with love. The phở was rich and comforting, with broth that tasted like it had been simmering for hours. The pork belly and lemongrass chicken were perfectly cooked and beautifully plated. Every bite was a reminder of how elevated comfort food can be. What truly sets The Lunch Lady apart is the hospitality. The staff were so kind, welcoming, and knowledgeable. They made us feel right at home, and it’s clear they care about creating a memorable experience for every guest. If you’re looking for delicious Vietnamese food in Vancouver with heart and soul, this is the place. I can’t wait to come back!"

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"Vermicelli noodles with chicken and big spring rolls "

@anikchartrand

"Vietnamese Restaurant to try Always busy Reco Stephen"

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"Incredible casual Asian food. No reservation. Get there an hour before you want to eat and put name down. "

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"Restaurant vietnamien de très bonne qualité (#WagyuPho)."

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"Vietnamese street food! Saw good cocktails and beef noodle soup!!"

@rockey

"Ho Chi Minh City food vendor Nguyen Thi Thanh was made famous as the ‘Lunch Lady’ by Anthony Bourdain in a 2008 episode of his show No Reservations. A collaboration with a Vietnamese Canadian led to a restaurant named after her opening in Vancouver."

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"Fantastic pho and well worth the hour wait!!"

@jkhanna98

"Sweet drinks. Great spring rolls & noodles "

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"Tried original beef pho w/satay. Very large, couldn't finish, but decent. "

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"vietnamese the pork belly was really good and need to try the shrimp and steak next time "

@kay.sea

"https://www.instagram.com/p/CB2ATDSl4Sh/?igshid=ip0vca9grprx try garlic noodles too"

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