The story
For decades the Lunch Lady has set up her cart near the canal in Da Kao, serving one soup per day — bun rieu, banh canh cua, bun thai, and more, depending on when you come. It is now firmly on the tourist trail but the cooking remains honest and the setting pure Saigon.
Nguyen Thi Thanh cooked for Bourdain in 2009 and never looked back. The draw is the rotation: a different noodle soup each day of the week, eaten on low stools in a leafy alley.
What to order
Soup of the day
There is no menu — you get what she cooked today, which is the point.
60,000₫Fresh spring rolls from the side stall
Neighboring vendors sell rolls and drinks to go with your bowl.
30,000₫Local tips
Prices for tourists have crept up; confirm the price when ordering and keep small notes handy.
Say it in Vietnamese
“Cho em một phần giống mọi người hay gọi, ít cay nhé.”
One portion of what everyone usually orders, not too spicy, please.Plan your visit
Opening hours
- Monday
- 11:00–15:00
- Tuesday
- 11:00–15:00
- Wednesday
- 11:00–15:00
- Thursday (today)
- 11:00–15:00
- Friday
- 11:00–15:00
- Saturday
- 11:00–15:00
- Sunday
- 11:00–15:00
Getting there
Grab bike is the only sensible way in — the alley is off Hoang Sa along the Nhieu Loc canal, about 10 minutes from the Opera House.
Open in Google Maps →Where this comes from
Listed from local research and not yet checked in person. Share what you find in the VietnamGo app so we can confirm it.
- Google Maps listing · Traveler reviews · 2026
