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The Lunch Lady
1046 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3W9
Who is The Lunch Lady?
"The Lunch Lady" refers to Nguyen Thi Thanh, a street food vendor and chef based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She gained international recognition after being featured in the television series "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations." Anthony Bourdain, a renowned chef and travel documentarian, visited her street food stall in Saigon, where she is known for serving a variety of noodle soups and other dishes.
Nguyen Thi Thanh earned the nickname "The Lunch Lady" because she operated a street food stall that primarily served lunch, offering a rotating menu of dishes each day. Her culinary skills and the quality of her food drew attention not only from locals but also from visitors and food enthusiasts worldwide.
The Lunch Lady became a symbol of the vibrant street food culture in Vietnam, showcasing the diversity and richness of Vietnamese cuisine. Her story, along with the recognition from Anthony Bourdain's show, has contributed to the global appreciation of Vietnamese street food and the talented individuals behind these small, often family-run, establishments.
It's worth noting that the popularity of street food in Vietnam is not limited to The Lunch Lady, as numerous street vendors across the country offer delicious and authentic Vietnamese dishes to locals and tourists alike. The term "The Lunch Lady" is specifically associated with Nguyen Thi Thanh and her particular street food stall in Ho Chi Minh City.
The location in Vancouver mimics the same feel, offering Vietnamese street food with exceptional service and eats. As one of Vancouverās very few Michelin Bib Gourmand recipients, awarded earlier this year (2023), they have grown to become a local and tourist favorite for Vietnamese food done right!
What did I have?
2 | $50 CAD PER PERSON
Making a reservation for two a day before, we were able to secure a table, unfortunately on their patio. It would have been nice to eat inside, since I like taking in the atmosphere and watching how the kitchen runs, but because they are so popular, you need to book well in advance.
The āFamily Styleā for 2 looked most appealing with regular-sized portions set with a nice range of everything I would have liked to try for the first time dining in. This consisted of a 6-item course for $100 CAD between two people.
Taro Chips | 8.2/10
BĆ TĆI CHANH - BEEF CARPACCIO (GF) | 9.2/10
Light, crisp, and well seasoned. Iāve had taro before in stews and dim sum, but this was the first time having it paired with Beef Carpaccio. For me, I found the chips to be a little too curled for the carpaccio to sit on top of, but having it together in one bite was my favorite dish of the evening. I had this dish completely to myself and wished I had more. The lime vinaigrette was very nice, great quality beef, mix of textures, smelled and tasted fresh with plenty of herbs.
Bįŗ CH TUį»C NĘÆį»NG SATįŗ¾ - OCTOPUS SKEWERS | 8.5/10
As they were brought to our table, I could tell that the skewers were immediately plated and served right off the binchotan. You could smell the smoky aromatics coming from these skewers right away. The Green Chili Sauce was potent and addicting, such a hard-hitting sauce. The octopus was nice and tender, not chewy, so I know it was done right. The paddle skewers were a bit too burnt for my liking, causing pieces of the skewer to break off and get stuck in the octopus, so I had to be a little careful when pulling it off and eating.
STEAK LĆC Lįŗ®C - 8 oz | 8.8/10
Iāve had this before for takeout during COVID, and remembered how tender and tasty the peppercorn sauce tasted with the steak, torched right on top. Ideally, I like my steaks done medium-rare to medium, but we had to opt for a well done steak (I know, this is a total sin!). My girlfriend couldnāt have raw beef while being pregnant and willingly let me enjoy the Beef Carpaccio to myself, so I couldnāt say no to the steak being well done. Even well done, the steak was not dry or chewy at all. Crispy Cassava is something I donāt often get to eat, but I probably could have eaten a few more of those. This was a special plate.
MĆ XĆO Tį»I - GARLIC FRIED NOODLES | 9/10
This dish was specifically what we came to order until we saw the Family Style option. Iāve had multiple people request my take on this dish, and I wanted to try it myself first so I could remake it on video as close as possible in taste and look. Iām a big fan of dishes with lots of garlic and butter, and really liked the subtle heat and powerful umami taste of this dish mixed with a perfectly soft poached sous vide egg.
CHĆ BA MĆU | 8.6/10
This dessert reminded me of a Vietnamese version of Hong Kongāstyle French toast. The idea of combining hot and cold as a dessert works so well, and Iām a fan of these types of desserts. The hot, soft, and chewy pandan sticky rice cake, textured like mochi, with the sweet and cold housemade coconut condensed milk gelato tied in with the red bean purĆ©e, works so well.
Final Thoughts?
The food was memorable, and the atmosphere and service were great.
Being the first time finally dining at this restaurant and hearing such great things about it, I will be back again soon to try out a few of their other options. I like their concept and design of this restaurant, and appreciate the amount of work given to crafting each dish. Their cocktails and drinks are a must-try for me next time as well. Iāve seen them posting collaborations and restaurant buyouts in the past, so it would be awesome to attend one of those events in the near future.
I can agree that The Lunch Lady is worth the hype and fairly priced, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants some of the best kind of Vietnamese food Vancouver has to offer!
Check out their Website - www.thelunchlady.com
Check out their Instagram - @thelunchlady
Taking requests from my audience to make dishes from popular restaurants, someone requested a video of the Garlicā¦