This September, Cô Thành will open its first UK restaurant on Covent Garden’s Henrietta Street, bringing the fresh, aromatic flavours of Southern Vietnam to London.
The restaurant is the creation of Brian Woo, who founded the original Cô Thành in Hong Kong in 2017 as a tribute to his mentor, the late Nguyễn Thị Thanh – better known as “The Lunch Lady” – a street food icon in Ho Chi Minh City whose noodle soups drew locals, travellers, and, famously, Anthony Bourdain.
Bourdain featured Nguyễn on No Reservations: Vietnam in 2009, later naming her among his “Top 10 Wishlist” vendors for his anticipated Bourdain Market in New York.
A formative trip to Vietnam in 2013 led Woo to apprentice under Nguyễn for three years, learning the art of building deep, layered broths and mastering the balance of herbs, heat, and acidity that define Vietnamese cuisine. With her encouragement, Woo launched Cô Thành to carry her legacy forward.
The London menu will highlight Southern Vietnamese cooking while drawing on influences from the original Hong Kong site. Signature dishes include:
Bún bò Huế – spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup from central Vietnam; Bánh mì – crisp baguettes filled with pâté, pickles, and fresh herbs; Bún Thái – a Southern Vietnamese take on Thai flavours, combining sweet, salty, sour, and spicy notes; Bún Mắm – a bold vermicelli noodle soup made with fermented fish and shrimp paste broth, and a selection of refreshing Vietnamese desserts.
To drink, diners can choose from a curated list of natural wines, cocktails, and traditional Vietnamese beverages. from smoothies and fresh juices to strong, aromatic coffee.
Woo said: “London has always been a city I’ve admired for its creativity and diversity when it comes to food. Everything I learned from Nguyễn Thị Thanh — the care she took with each dish, the pride in her ingredients, the way she connected with people through food — has stayed with me. Cô Thành is my way of continuing her legacy and I’m excited to share her recipes with a new audience.”