With the success of Lunch Lady in Vancouver, Lim and his team are ready for the next chapter. In May 2025, they plan to open a new location at 93 Ossington Avenue in Toronto. Lim is eager to introduce Lunch Lady’s signature take on Vietnamese cuisine to a new audience.

Lunch Lady in Vancouver prepares for Toronto expansion

Lunch Lady | Vietnamese | 1046 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC | Reserve with DINR

When Lunch Lady first opened in 2020, it was an ambitious gamble—launching a new concept in the thick of the pandemic was a daunting task. But five years later, the Vancouver restaurant has cemented itself as a cornerstone of the city’s dining scene. Executive Chef Benedict Lim, who co-founded the restaurant with business partner Michael, has helped shape its evolution from a passion project into a Michelin-recognized destination. Now, with a Toronto expansion on the horizon and a new izakaya concept in the works, Lim is reflecting on the journey so far and what’s next.

From the Streets of Saigon to Vancouver’s East Side

Lunch Lady’s origin story is the stuff of culinary folklore. It started with Michael having a personal mission to reconnect with his Vietnamese roots. Inspired by an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, he made a pilgrimage to Vietnam, visiting the same street food vendors Bourdain once highlighted—including the original Lunch Lady, Nguyen Thi Thanh, in Saigon. “He had this full-circle moment,” Lim explains. “He thought, ‘What if we brought her to Vancouver?’”

But convincing her to collaborate wasn’t easy. “The negotiation process took over two years,” Lim says. Michael made repeated visits, seeking introductions through mutual contacts, and even faced a proposition to marry her daughter as part of the deal. Eventually, he found the key to sealing the partnership—bringing his mother into the conversation. “It was this Vietnamese mom-to-mom moment,” Lim laughs. “And finally, she said yes.”

Embracing Vietnamese Culture in the Kitchen.

Michael knew he needed someone special to lead the kitchen and bring his vision to life. That’s when he approached Lim, who had been working as a private chef at the time, creating high-end, globally inspired tasting menus for intimate dining experiences. “I saw the potential immediately,” Lim says. “I didn’t care what it was. I wanted it. It felt historical.” He didn’t know Vietnamese food well at the time, but he knew how to learn, and he knew how to cook.

The Lunch Lady, Mrs. Nguyen by Niko Myyra

To prepare for the launch, Lim immersed himself in Vietnamese cuisine. One of the things he learned was that culturally, he was an outsider. “Vietnamese businesses are usually very family-oriented, If you're not family, why would you be involved? I was the outsider—but I came in and learned the dance.” The experience of working alongside Vietnamese aunties proved particularly valuable Lim explained, “they're the best at rolling salad rolls, the best at making traditional dishes. They just have the hands for it. But many of them have never worked in a traditional brigade-style kitchen. They don’t read tickets, they don’t follow that system. Even when I printed tickets in Vietnamese, they wouldn’t read them.”

The lack of a traditional structure turned out to be a blessing in disguise, “I had to learn to communicate with them in Vietnamese. And honestly, that was a great thing—it brought me closer to the culture. Learning the names of the dishes in Vietnamese gave me a deeper understanding of the language. If you look them up, they’re very literal: prawn fried, prawn grilled, beef soup, beef noodle. Very straightforward.”

The Early Chaos and Michelin Recognition

When Lunch Lady finally opened its doors, expectations were sky-high. “People were already saying the food was amazing before we had even served a dish,” Lim recalls. “So failure wasn’t an option.” The first six months were a blur of chaos. “We were still figuring out how to steam rice properly,” he admits. “There were moments where we felt like we were barely holding it together.”

Despite the steep learning curve, Lim’s culinary background and adaptability played a crucial role in establishing Lunch Lady’s reputation. The team’s dedication to consistency—perfecting even the simplest dishes like chicken rice and salad rolls—helped earn them a coveted spot in the Michelin Guide. The recognition validated their hard work, but it also brought new pressures. “Post-Michelin, we saw a 20% boost in business,” Lim says. “It was a blessing, but it also forced us to recalibrate how we operated.”

Thanh’s Connection to Vancouver

For Thanh, visiting Vancouver for the first time was a revelation. She was immediately drawn to the energy—the way people embraced her food, the excitement in the restaurant. At the Michelin event, she was amazed, saying, “Look at all these restaurant people having fun.” The experience left a lasting impression. “She kept telling me how nice and positive everyone in Vancouver was,” Lim says. “And I told her, ‘Yeah, for the most part, that’s who we are.’”

Watching the team’s dedication only deepened her appreciation for the culture. She spent time with everyone, especially the aunties in the kitchen, and quickly became part of the family. She even started drinking cognac with Lim. One night, she told him and Michael, “I want to do for you what Anthony did for me.” It was a powerful moment. Lim wasn’t sure what more she could do—she was already helping them in ways they never expected.

Now, Vancouver has become a second home to her. She spends about four months a year there—cooking, hanging out, and sharing meals with the team. It’s simple, but it’s special.

Defining the Vancouver Palette

One of the key factors behind Lunch Lady’s success is its ability to cater to the specific tastes of Vancouverites while maintaining the authenticity of Vietnamese cuisine. The city’s diners, Lim notes, have a deep appreciation for Asian flavors, high-quality ingredients, and meticulous preparation.

“Vancouverites love bold flavors, and they love consistency,” Lim explains. “You can’t just put anything on the menu and expect it to be accepted. It has to be intentional, well-balanced, and rooted in something familiar while still offering something new.”

Lunch Lady’s menu reflects this philosophy. The daytime menu remains loyal to traditional Vietnamese staples, serving rotating noodle soups in the spirit of the original Saigon Lunch Lady. The dinner menu, on the other hand, pushes boundaries, integrating locally sourced ingredients and modern techniques to create dishes that feel both innovative and deeply comforting.

One example of this approach is their interpretation of bò lúc lắc, or shaking beef. Traditionally a stir-fried dish, Lunch Lady’s version presents it as a plated steak, cooked to precision and infused with traditional Vietnamese seasonings. While some purists were initially skeptical, the dish quickly became a fan favorite, demonstrating the team’s ability to balance authenticity with innovation.

Lunch Lady Toronto Expansion

Garlic Fried Noodles by Suelee Wright Photography

With the success of Lunch Lady in Vancouver, Lim and his team are ready for the next chapter. In May 2025, they plan to open a new location at 93 Ossington Avenue in Toronto. Lim is eager to introduce Lunch Lady’s signature take on Vietnamese cuisine to a new audience.

“We’ve had so many Toronto diners tell us, ‘You’d do so well here,’” he says. “So it’s time.” He adds, “We love areas like Ossington and Parkdale and it feel like the right fit for us.”

Expanding beyond Vancouver comes with its challenges, but Lim is mindful of the balance required. “Toronto has such a strong and diverse food culture, so we have to make sure we fit into that while staying true to what makes Lunch Lady special.”

The Birth of Nomo Nomo

Closer to home, Lim is also preparing to launch Nomo Nomo, a modern izakaya on Commercial Drive. “It’ll be a small, 25- to 30-seat space focused on globally inspired Japanese food,” he explains. “We’re going for soulful Japanese flavors, but with room for creativity—nothing on the nose.”

For Lim, Nomo Nomo is an exciting return to one of his first culinary loves. “I grew up eating at izakayas, and I’ve always wanted to put my own spin on it,” he says. “It’s going to be a place where we can have fun and push boundaries while still respecting Japanese culinary traditions.”

Lessons in Leadership and The Keg Influence

Beyond the food, Lim has come to appreciate the broader responsibilities of running a restaurant. “When you start, you’re just thinking about cooking,” he says. “Then you realize there’s an entire ecosystem depending on you—your team, their families. It’s not just about you anymore.”

He credits his experience working front-of-house at The Keg for shaping his leadership style. “That culture of taking care of your team stuck with me,” he says. “The Keg had this amazing ability to build a strong work environment where people wanted to stay. It wasn’t just about efficiency; it was about community.”

Lim spent five years working at The Keg as a server and front-of-house manager, gaining firsthand insight into what makes a restaurant thrive. “It gave me a different perspective on hospitality,” he says. “I learned that the experience of a restaurant isn’t just about the food—it’s about how guests feel when they walk in. That’s something I’ve tried to bring into Lunch Lady.”

He also credits his time there for shaping his approach to team management. “One of the biggest things I took away from The Keg was how important it is to retain staff,” he says. “If your team feels valued, they stay. And that consistency makes a huge difference.”

The Story Is Still Being Written

For Lim, Lunch Lady remains a work in progress. “I never imagined I’d be leading a Vietnamese restaurant,” he admits. “But now, I can’t picture being anywhere else.”

And while expansion is exciting, the heart of Lunch Lady remains the same: great food, great people, and the relentless pursuit of making something special. “We’ve been through broken pipes, leaking walls, Michelin pressure—you name it,” Lim says. “But we just keep showing up. That’s the secret.”

With Toronto on the horizon and Nomo Nomo about to launch, Lim is embracing this new chapter with the same determination that got him through those chaotic first six months. “There’s always something to figure out, something to improve,” he says. “And that’s what makes this business exciting. The journey never really ends.”

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