Vancouver's Vietnamese restaurant made the Top 10 of the 2026 "World's Best Restaurants" published by the U.S. magazine Food & Wine,Lunch Ladycoming in at No. 9. It was the only Canadian dining establishment to make the list, and No. 3 on that list went to a Ho Chi Minh City restaurant,CieL Diningwhich also appears on it.
From a Vancouver back alley to No. 9 in the world
Lunch Lady is a Vietnamese restaurant that opened in 2020 along Commercial Drive in Vancouver. Founder Michael Tran was inspired by a famous pho stall run by the late Nguyen Thi Thanh in Ho Chi Minh City, and launched the restaurant to recreate that flavor in North America. The stall, featured on a show by the late Anthony Bourdain, was reborn across the Pacific.
The style is to serve a different daily soup only at lunchtime, with Saturday's banh canh cua (made with Dungeness crab) and Thursday's bun thai (with baby octopus and locally sourced clams) especially popular. It was highly praised for pairing the framework of Vietnamese cuisine with Pacific Northwest ingredients, such as duck from British Columbia's Fraser Valley and American wagyu from Snake River Farms in Idaho.
The full Food & Wine 2026 Top 10
The rankings are decided by Food & Wine's Global Advisory Board based on recommendations from more than 400 experts. On the 2026 list, London'sIkoyitook first, Lima'sMaidotook second, and Ho Chi Minh City's CieL Dining came in third. It was the first time two Vietnam-related restaurants placed in the top 10, once again showing the global presence of Southeast Asian cuisine.
| Rank | Restaurant name | City | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ikoyi | London | West African × modern |
| No. 2 | Maido | Lima | Japanese-Peruvian cuisine (Nikkei) |
| 3rd | CieL Dining | Ho Chi Minh City | Modern Vietnamese |
| 9th | Lunch Lady | Vancouver | Vietnamese × PNW ingredients |
Voices from the ground and the industry
Vancouver food outlet Daily Hive gave big coverage to its being "Canada's only entry in the world's Top 10," noting that regular patrons include local celebrities such as actor Seth Rogen. It has also expanded to Toronto, and a new location is planned at Vancouver's Time Out Market. Some point to the depth of the Vietnamese immigrant community as the soil that produces restaurants like Lunch Lady in Canada's food scene.
Impact on Japanese travelers
For travelers who have experienced the appeal of Vietnamese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City, a kind of "reverse import" dining experience in Vancouver is a fresh option. You could even plan a trip that combines Canada's west coast with a tour of Vietnamese food. At the same time, CieL Dining's third-place ranking in Ho Chi Minh City has boosted attention on local fine dining. It's worth adding to your list of culinary destinations for a Vietnam trip.
Related articles: Thao Dien's "Chi Mo" — a new pho shop where you can choose from three broths
The global expansion of Vietnamese food culture
Behind the two Vietnam-related entries on the 2026 list is the trend of Vietnamese cuisine broadening its recognition from "cheap, tasty street food" to "world-class gastronomy." Following the overseas spread of pho and banh mi, more chefs around the world are focusing on regional noodle dishes and fermented seasonings. Ho Chi Minh City continues to see a wave of fine-dining openings, and Vietnamese restaurants are expected to keep breaking into international rankings.
Related articles: Hanoi "ZAO" chef Cuong's boldest-yet fine dining
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Shop name | Lunch Lady |
| Location | Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada |
| Genre | Vietnamese cuisine (fused with PNW ingredients) |
| Format | Lunch-only, daily rotating soup |
| Expansion | Vancouver flagship, Toronto location, Time Out Market (planned) |
| Awards | Food & Wine 2026 World's Best Restaurants, No. 9 |
Summary
The flavor of a Ho Chi Minh City street stall reached No. 9 in the world in Vancouver. Together with CieL Dining's third place, Vietnamese cuisine is solidifying its presence on the international stage. On your next trip to Vietnam, try experiencing both the street food and fine dining of Ho Chi Minh City, where this movement began.
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