Vietnamese chef ‘Lunch Lady' passes away at 58
Vietnamese street food cook Nguyen Thi Thanh, also known as “Lunch Lady" internationally, passed away upon arriving in Toronto, Canada to visit her soon-to-open restaurant. She was 58.
Restaurant Lunch Lady's owners said that Thanh was on her way to Toronto to help with the opening preparations of the new branch for June 3. She suddenly went through cardiac arrest, and after an hour of attempts to resuscitate her, medics were unable to revive her.
“We were ready to welcome her. To honour her. To celebrate this moment together. And now, we are mourning an immeasurable loss,” the post read.
"She passed peacefully, with loved ones by her side."
The cook owned a humble food stall in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, when late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain visited her in 2008 to taste her famous noodles with special broths that change every day. That’s when she earned her nickname and the restaurant’s name.
Bourdain featured her on one of his shows the following year, and Thanh’s growing fame led restaurateur and second-generation Vietnamese Canadian Michael Tran to persuade her to open a restaurant in Vancouver with him in 2020.
“Cô Thanh wasn’t just the heart and soul of The Lunch Lady. She was a mother figure, a mentor, a quiet master of her craft. Her food told stories. Her presence made people feel seen. Her legacy lives in every bowl, every herb, every careful moment in the kitchen,” the owners wrote. Cô means aunt and is a term of respect for older women in Vietnam.
“To cô Thanh: Thank you for everything. We will carry your spirit in every dish, every memory, every act of care,” they wrote.
The owners postponed the June 3 opening of The Lunch Lady Toronto and will announce a new date at a later time. They also shared that arrangements are being made to bring Thanh back to Vietnam.
The Lunch Lady received a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
