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Bui Natural Tofu
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A local tofu wholesaler with counter service for grab and go food. Plenty of vegan options; no dine in available. Open Mon-Sat 9:00am-6:00pm, Sun 10:00am-4:00pm.
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Last update on 11 Nov 2022 by KitteeBee
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Added by Juliett_Oscar on 15 Jan 2018
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7 Reviews
First Review by Juliett_Oscar
VegSince12too
Points +20
So delicious, inexpensive, and people are very kind - Edit
I've been coming to Bui for years--it's one of my favorite food places in Portland. Tucked away on NE 76th just north of NE Glisan, it's a small take out place run by very sweet people. One of the things I love about Vietnamese restaurants is that there is a strong and respected Buddhist tradition of being vegetarian, so that even places run by non-practitioners "get" vegetarian food. If they say it's vegetarian, there won't be any hidden animal ingredients to have to ask a million questions to avoid.
Read moreOf course the salad rolls are my go to. But they have bean and rice dishes and sticky rice dishes, lemongrass fried tofu, and you can also get freshly made soy milk (sweet or plain) and plain tofu. They fry their vegan things in separate friers from their meat things. (I'm sure I asked once, but feel free to double check and confirm or not please.)
But the deserts! They have 2 different coconut milk based puddings that are heavenly (banana and mixed, which is my favorite, with pieces of taro and peanuts and tapioca squiggles--not too sweet)! And other desserts come with a lovely cream you add when you eat it. Most of it is not too sweet (but watch out for the sweet soup--very very sweet!).
Also, one of my favorites is the bánh da lợn. Vietnamese is a tonal language, so the music of it differentiates one word with the same letters from another with a different tone. This is pronounced bánh that sounds almost like "bun" but with an up-rising tone like you use when you say "huh?"; da is pronounce "ya" in a flat (not rising or falling) tone; and the lợn sounds almost like the word "loan," but said in a low register and short. Wow, I digress. I'm learning Vietnamese on Duolingo and got carried away!
I love bánh da lợn as much for the amazing taste as for how it looks and its name. They call it "green cake" for us non-Vietnamese, but its name is really funny to me (I don't know why it tickles me so much)--though it is 100% vegetarian (almost assuredly vegan), the name translates to "pig skin cake." Whaaaat??? And it's so beautiful! Thin layers of electric emerald green tapioca/coconut milk creamy, shining smoothness alternating with equally thin layers of subtle yellow-green mung bean paste. Ok, ok, I know if you've never had it you are thinking, "WTF? That does not sound appetizing from the name or description." But it is amazing! Try it if you're lucky enough that they have it on the day you are in!
Pros: great vegan food to go, inexpensive, super kind people
Cons: nothing, it's just all good!
Guest
KitteeBee
Points +256
I love Bui’s - Edit
I’ve been getting salad rolls from Bui’s for over a decade. They have lots of vegan and gluten free options including savory and sweet. The bánh cam (fried and stuffed with mung rice donuts) are a biiiiig favorite. As is the lemongrass tofu.
Read morePros: Super friendly staff, local business , Housemade tofu, Cheap and fresh
Guest
HazelPhilbrook
Points +16
Good food, friendly staff - Edit
Quick service even when busy. There’s nothing here for me not to like.
Read moreGuest
DavidStaniford
Points +18
Tofu - Edit
Nice and happy people that have delicious food
Read morePros: Great value , Nice people , Good food
Guest
jacksalt
Points +259
Cheap amazing salad rolls and desserts! - Edit
Their salad rolls are seriously incredible. The price has gone up since the last review.... to $3.50 for two good sized tofu rolls with a terrific sauce. They also have tons of desserts and the cashier was really helpful in saying which ones were vegan/vegetarian and which to avoid. This is my absolute go-to on these hot summer days for a tasty, filling snack!
Read morePros: Friendly staff, Low prices, Delicious food
VegSince12too
The salad rolls have gone up again, to $4.25. They were seriously underpriced before, and it's still a great deal!
Read moreGuest
pdxveg55
Points +42
Best Fresh Rolls - Edit
Bui has the best fresh rolls and they’re only $3 for two giant ones! They also have amazing homemade tofu that’s very affordably priced; you can buy it by individual blocks. My favorite is the fresh onion tofu. I never miss a chance to stop by Bui whenever I’m in the neighborhood!
Read morePros: Delicious, Cheap
Guest
Juliett_Oscar
Points +155
Deli counter delivers quick and filling meals! - Edit
I aspire to be a vegan home cook, but sometimes my energy falls, and I rely on visits to small deli counters. Here are my quick picks from Bui: tofu salad rolls, lemongrass fried tofu, onion fried tofu (pick up mini baguette rolls, and you can construct a lazy vegan banh mi with vegan mayo, maggi seasoning, sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro, pickled carrots and daikon and sliced onion fried tofu or lemongrass fried tofu), fresh tofu, pandan desserts, sweet rice desserts. Many of the desserts are vegan and gluten-free; ask questions and the staff can help you if you're unable to read or speak Vietnamese.
Read morePros: Vegan Asian pudding/desserts, Quick service and inexpensive prices, Friendly
Guest
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