What is the Press sayin —
A Highly Creative Chef
“Happy #FoodieFriday! In this week’s blog post, 365 Days of Dining contributor Tara Lee interviews Chef Benedict Lim. He’s a busy guy, with two stands (Ohana Poké and Tabetai Tacos) at the Richmond Night Market this year! Benedict Lim is a talented, energetic, and highly creative chef, with a lot going on right now.”
Park Bench
Bourdain’s Beloved ‘Lunch Lady’
“First featured on a 2009 episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations TV show, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh is a big deal in Vietnam. Her street food stall serves just one dish per day (eg. Bun Bo Hue on Fridays, Bun Thai on Mondays, etc.) and was a hit with locals long before its reputation went global and it became a ‘must visit’ for every food-curious tourist.”
SCOUT MAGAZINE
A Chef on The Rise
“Lim grew up in Richmond in a household where a blend of Asian cooking influences was the norm. Originally, his grandparents moved from China to run a business and raise children in Manila. Eventually, when Lim was four-years-old, his family immigrated to Canada, bringing their resourcefulness and mixed culinary knowledge. “We grew up with a very practical lifestyle. It was a crossbreed of whatever my dad could fit into one pot. With a budget, we’d hardly go out, so he was constantly cooking.” His dad would whip up Chinese stir-fries and Filipino adobo, serving them with rice to stretch out the food.”
tourism Richmond
He Takes Creative Liberty
“Chef Benedict Lim is in charge of the dinner menu (always checking with Victoria for her unerring Vietnamese palate). He takes creative liberty in a thoughtful way. You’ll see, for instance, garlic fried Asian noodles sautéed in XO butter and topped with aged Parmigiano reggiano for come-hither umami.”
VANCOUVER SUN
Bold & Dynamic
“Many people find their food amazing, especially for a certain Bourdain. Anthony Bourdain loved Vietnamese food, and if he loved what Lunch Lady had to offer, then we guarantee that it is a spot worth adding to your “to-eat” list.”
NOMS MAGAZINE
A Delicious Must Try.
“You’ve probably tried Mexican tacos, but have you ever tasted it with an Asian flair? New to the night market this year is Tabetai Tacos—a food stall that specializes in Asian-inspired tacos. Its most popular item is a soft shell crab taco made with crispy fried soft shell crab, teriyaki glaze, spicy miso mayo, guacamole, masago (fish eggs), nori (seaweed), and a corn tortilla. Not a fan of seafood? It also offers kakuni (pork belly) and gyutan (beef) taco options.”
georgia straight
Modernizing Traditional Dishes
“Chef Benedict Lim presides over the dinner menu modernizing traditional dishes. A must-try: Cha ca Thang Long with grilled turmeric ling cod and rice noodles under a mountain of fresh dill.”
Vancouver Sun
Perfect Combination of Flavours
“Our first item was the Caesar Shooter which featured oysters, scallops from Japan, a quail egg yolk, some horseradish on top of a shooter of clamato juice, soy vinaigrette and rimmed with togarashi, a Japanese six spice. Usually, this shooter comes with sea urchin, but unfortunately, he could not find any fresh sea urchin that day. The togarashi gave it that spicy kick, and the scallop and oyster was so fresh. Perfect combo!”