Lunch Lady
49°16′ N 123°04′ WRestaurant$$
Lunch Lady on Commercial Drive suits travellers who want Saigon-style Vietnamese noodle soups that change by the day from a kitchen with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the one trade-off is Monday, when the restaurant stays closed.
Photo Lunarvoyages · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to order
- Fried black tiger prawns in fish sauce
- Garlic fried noodles
- Wagyu beef noodle soup
- The day's special noodle soup
Lunch Lady takes its name from Nguyen Thi Thanh, who has served a different noodle soup each day in Saigon since 1995. Chef Benedict Lim designed the Vancouver menu with her. The restaurant at 1046 Commercial Drive says Michelin has given it a Bib Gourmand four years running.
The daily soup changes from Tuesday to Sunday and comes in limited quantities. Fridays bring bún bò Huế in a spicy lemongrass beef broth for $24, and Sunday's duck noodle soup with five-spiced broth costs $26. Michelin's inspectors start with the fried black tiger prawns in fish sauce. The Commercial Drive Business Society calls the garlic fried noodles ever-popular.
Lunch runs until mid-afternoon, and on Saturdays and Sundays it opens at 10:30 am. Dinner starts again by 5 pm. During lunch, cocktails drop by $3 and draft beer and 5 oz glasses of wine by $2.
Worth knowing
- Go early for the daily special soup, because Lunch Lady makes it in limited quantities.
- Have a drink with lunch, when cocktails cost $3 less and draft beer and 5 oz wines cost $2 less.
Quick answers about Lunch Lady
Is Lunch Lady open on Monday?
No. Lunch Lady on Commercial Drive closes on Mondays and opens Tuesday to Sunday, according to its Michelin Guide listing.
Is Lunch Lady a Michelin restaurant?
Yes. Lunch Lady holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and appears on Michelin's Bib Gourmand list for British Columbia. The restaurant says its Vancouver room has earned it four years in a row.
Does Lunch Lady have vegan options?
Yes. Lunch Lady serves a vegan phở chay for $22, and its spring rolls and salad rolls come in vegetable or tofu versions.
What is the daily special at Lunch Lady?
Lunch Lady serves a different noodle soup each day from Tuesday to Sunday in limited quantities. Fridays bring bún bò Huế and Sundays a duck noodle soup.
How much does Lunch Lady cost?
Prices at Lunch Lady start at $15 each (2026).
What are the opening hours of Lunch Lady?
Lunch Lady keeps these hours: Mon closed; Tue–Thu 11:00-14:30, 16:45-21:00; Fri 11:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00; Sat 10:30-15:00, 17:00-22:00; Sun 10:30-15:00, 17:00-21:00.
Do you need a reservation at Lunch Lady?
Lunch Lady: Lunch Lady takes reservations through its own site.
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