The heart and soul behind one of Vietnam’s most beloved street food legends, Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Thanh – aka the original Lunch Lady – has passed away.
In an emotional Instagram post shared on May 20, The Lunch Lady team revealed that Cô Thanh died unexpectedly from cardiac arrest after landing in Toronto on May 19.
She had flown in to attend the grand opening of The Lunch Lady Toronto, her newest milestone in a journey that started decades ago in a Ho Chi Minh alleyway.
Despite efforts from medical teams who worked for over an hour to revive her, she passed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
For those unfamiliar with her legacy: Cô Thanh was the woman who captured the world’s attention when Anthony Bourdain featured her on a 2009 episode of No Reservations.
He fell in love with her Bún Bò Huế, declaring her stall a must-visit in Saigon.
That spotlight never dimmed.
From viral YouTube foodies like Mark Wiens to daily queues of hungry tourists, her humble stall became an international destination.
But it wasn’t just about the soup.
It was about her warmth, her quiet mastery, her ability to make every diner feel like family.
As Vancouver restaurateur Michael Tran said when we interviewed him in June 2020 before officially opening, “It was as if I was her son.”
That bond led him and his mother, Victoria Tran, to bring her food to Vancouver in 2020, opening the first North American outpost.
The concept honored her rotating-noodle tradition, daily-changing dishes, and deep street culture roots.
And it clearly struck a chord as the Vancouver location has earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand three years in a row.
Her passing comes just two weeks before what was supposed to be another celebratory chapter.
The Toronto opening, originally set for June 3, has now been postponed indefinitely as the team grieves and works with her family to return her to Vietnam, where she will be laid to rest.
“She wasn’t just the heart of The Lunch Lady,” the team wrote. “Her food told stories. Her presence made people feel seen.”
Her loss is immeasurable, not just to her team, but to the global community she inspired through a single bowl of soup.
Rest in peace, Cô Thanh.