Gutom Staff LUNCH LADY
COMMERCIAL DRIVE EAST VANCOUVER
KNOWN FOR: VIETNAMESE CUISINE MODERN RESTAURANT BAR
GOOD FOR: FAMILY, FRIENDS, GOOD TIMES, SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
NEW BUSINESS NOW OPEN
Lunch Lady is a new Vietnamese restaurant on Commercial Drive. The name comes from Nguyen Thi Thanh ‘Lunch Lady’ a famous street food vendor featured in an episode of the popular travel show No Reservations where Anthony Bourdain visits Ho Chi Minh City.
Lunch Lady opened recently, and has become very popular. Get there before opening or be prepared to wait in line!
Nguyen Thi Thanh is good friends with the Tran family, owners of Five Elements Cafe and Pacific Poke who opened Lunch Lady with recipes and blessing (official licensing) from the Lunch Lady herself. Lunch Lady replaces Five Elements Cafe.
In Vietnam, Lunch Lady is known for daily soup specials. While there is soup at Lunch Lady the menu is a more extensive and dining the experience is nothing like a street stall. The restaurant and bar is a modern take on Vietnamese cuisine inspired by Lunch Lady. (Though you can dine outside the restaurant and sit on plastic chairs.)
On the menu you’ll find spring rolls, salad rolls, noodle soups, and meat and rice dishes. They even have Banh Mi. All these dishes have a unique Lunch Lady style, and fancy plating presentation.
Cha Gio Thit Pork Spring Rolls $9
3 Rolls cut into 6 pieces, with dipping sauce.
Pho Bo Beef Noodle Soup $14
Beef bristket, rare beef, noodle soup with flat rice noodles.
Comes in one soup size. You can add extras like egg, and Chinese donut, but cannot choose different noodles.
Com Suon Pork Collar on Rice $15
Grilled pork with rice and pork crackling, fried egg.
Luc Lac Steak and Rice $24
Fatty pieces of Alberta ribeye. Has a sweet flavour. Comes with pickled onions, watercress, tomatoes salad, egg on rice.
PRICE:
$-$$ AFFORDABLE! Lunch Lady is priced higher than other Vietnamese restaurants, but it is cheaper than getting a burger at Earls. Expect to pay around $15-$20+ per person after tax, tip, extras.
QUALITY:
GOOD! The Beef Pho has nice light broth. Nice flat noodles, and good portion of meat. The Spring Rolls were served fresh, hot, and with good meat fillings. The Pork and Rice was good and boneless. The Luc Lak is good with pieces that are fatty and delicious.
SERVICE:
GOOD! Seated at bar. Good explanations from bartender, who also took food orders. No customization/ choices for substituting noodles.
VERDICT:
Overall, SATISFIED. Lunch Lady is a good modern mix of Vietnamese cuisine. The atmosphere, and flavours are refreshing compared to other Vietnamese restaurants in Vancouver.
CARD ONLY
PAY STREET PARKING OR FREE IN NEIGHBOURHOOD.
GUTOM TIP: ARRIVE EARLY AT OPENING
Address:
1046 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L
