Introduced by celebrity chef Anthony Michael Tony Bourdain on No Reservations (USA) in 2008, this idyllic sidewalk restaurant named The Lunch Lady Saigon quickly became famous and in the must-go place list when traveling to Ho Chi Minh City.
Quickview
The owner of this restaurant is Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh, a middle-aged woman who wears a “ba ba” shirt and a conical hat. This restaurant has been open for more than 20 years, in the beginning, the guests were mainly people living and working around the area.
But in 2008, a journalist of Asialife magazine on a trip to Ho Chi Minh City ate a meal at the restaurant and after writing the introduction about the restaurant.
Reading the article in Asialife magazine, the famous chef Anthony decided to go to Vietnam with his partners to record and introduce on No Reservations channel (USA) to introduce delicious places to eat in Saigon to the audience of the show. While enjoying the food, Anthony talked to the friendly owner. He was really conquered by the people and food here, so he decided to name the restaurant Lunch Lady (the restaurant of the funny woman) when introduced on TV.
After being broadcast, the name of Lunch Lady was quickly remembered by tourists when they had the opportunity to travel to Saigon and then not disappointed when they were always warmly welcomed by the joy of the owner and the food which is both strange and delicious.
How to get to The Lunch Lady Saigon?
Address: Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Da Kao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. View map & Get directions
Opening hours: 11 am to 3 pm.
The Lunch Lady Saigon menu
- Monday: Vietnamese Thai Noodle Soup.
- Tuesday: Quang Style Noodle Soup, Vietnamese chicken glass noodle soup.
- Wednesday: Vietnamese chicken curry, Vietnamese grilled pork & rice noodles.
- Thursday: Vietnamese gumbo, Vietnamese fermented fish vermicelli soup.
- Friday: Rice Noodle and Beef Soup of Hue.
- Saturday: Crab tapioca noodle soup.
- Sunday: Vietnamese pork noodle soup.
Only a sidewalk restaurant but the food of the restaurant is very carefully cared for from picking vegetables, boiling meat to cooking broth … so visitors only come because curiosity has been completely conquered by the taste truly delicious of the food.
Also according to the owner, the dishes of the restaurant are famous dishes of the South (where she was born and raised) … and are constantly changing. According to her, the food changes to help refresh the menu and not bring feeling bored for customers.
Lunch Lady brand was born from that event and exists to this day. Thanks to No Reservations, Lunch Lady has become an indispensable destination for many foreigners who travel, live, work and study in Ho Chi Minh City.
(Source: Vnexpress + GoExploreVietnam)
