The Lunch Lady x tendlyn

There’s nothing a warm bowl of soup can’t fix. It calms, it soothes, and, in turn, generates warm smiles. It’s also a delectable canvas that perfectly captures one’s heritage and culture, one of which the late world-renowned chef Anthony Bourdain was a witness to in Saigon, Vietnam.

In his TV program No Reservations, chef Bourdain went to Saigon and met chef Nguyen Thi Thanh, a lunch stall owner known for her rotating daily soup.

This encounter paved the way for her legacy as a culinary icon locally and internationally, from being known as “The Lunch Lady” to refining the menu of a Vancouver-based Vietnamese restaurant named after her infamous moniker.

Founded in 2020, The Lunch Lady has since become one of the city’s most beloved restaurants. An absolute gem in the city’s colorful dining landscape, it has everything you need for a filling, heartwarming lunch or dinner—pho, rice meals, noodles, desserts, and cocktails—all served with the best hospitality and sustainable packaging.

Read on to learn more about the iconic The Lunch Lady!

Tell us a bit about your brand!

The Lunch Lady began with the story of Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh — the original “Lunch Lady” from Saigon whose street-side soups inspired the world after appearing on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. Her cooking wasn’t just about food; it was about heart, patience, and feeding people with love.

When we opened The Lunch Lady in Vancouver, our goal was to carry that spirit forward and to share a piece of Saigon’s soul through food. What started as a small idea has grown into something much bigger: a bridge between generations, between Vietnam and Canada, and between tradition and creativity.

At its core, The Lunch Lady is about connection, memories shared over food, stories told through flavor, and the belief that food can make people feel something real.

Tell us about your packaging, how you’re using it, and the importance of it for your brand.

Our packaging is an extension of who we are. It’s more than just a vessel. It’s part of the story we’re telling.

tendlynCustom Cards, designed by @thelunchlady

When someone takes home our food, we want that moment to still feel special, like it came from our kitchen with the same care as dining in. And when they leave, we hope to leave a lasting impression long after the meal is over. The journey doesn’t stop at our doors.

tendlynCustom Food Paper, designed by @thelunchlady

The textures, the colors, the small design details, they all tie back to our memories of what The Lunch Lady represents: resilience, craft, and storytelling. Good packaging allows us to share that same feeling with people wherever they are.

What made tendlyn a good fit for your packaging?

tendlyn understood what mattered most to us. Sustainability, design, and storytelling, but most importantly, ease. Their team didn’t just provide materials; they helped us bring our brand to life in a way that felt honest and aligned with our values.

They make things that look good and do good, and that balance fits perfectly with how we think about food.

Our inspiration always comes back to people. The families cooking on the streets of Saigon, our team in the kitchen, and the guests who walk through our doors.

Lately, it’s been about returning to our roots. Revisiting the flavors and moments that first made us fall in love with Vietnamese food. A big part of that comes from continuing the legacy of the late Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh, the original Lunch Lady herself. Her heart, humility, and devotion to feeding others are what shape everything we do.

The Lunch Lady’s featured products: