from an earlier review 9/5/12. 9/5/2012
okay so i had been circling this place all summer ever since chau's closed, jonesing for pho and waiting for the new owners to open. the first time i arrived at about 3:30, only to discover that the lunch hours end at 3:00 and the dinner hours start at, i think, 4:30. so i found the elusive suso's latino basket, also in manchester (stay tuned for review). the following day found me in the manchester vicinity again, so i arrived at bui at 2:40, only to find the door locked. the owner, however, came hustling over to the door, and when i expressed my disappointment, he said he could serve me some pho since i was eager to try it. i took that as a good sign. i probably would have ordered some spring rolls too but didn't want to push it. while i waited for my pho i perused the new menu--much more extensive than chau's had been in terms of entrees--but the pho is the thing. i had the selection with the shaved beef and not the shaved beef, meatballs and shrimp. the broth was much more delicate than chau's pho and was missing that slight "fennel" taste that chau's had had, which i don't actually miss. very tasty; i liked it. the beef was tender and poached in the broth as it should be. guess i could have used some more sprouts, lime, and jalapenos but no matter. like the pho saigon guy off new britain ave. in west hartford, they make their own pepper flake sauce and soy sauce too, but they don't put all the condiments out on the table as is typical at pho joints; you'll have to ask for them.
decor is redone and nice; the owner seems very proud of it.
the menu has some intriguing items which i will be back to try; the clay-pot honey-marinated pork sounds interesting, as does another soup offering (vietnamese "cake soup"), which ischickenin a "pork bone broth." hmmm. they also have steamed dumplings which i often use as a benchmark for asian places, along with the spring rolls. also happy to see the inclusion of two vietnamese pancake offerings. next time. film at 11:00....
-----16 feb, 2013-----
disappointed, although food is good.... so i have returned to bui twice, with mixed results. i returned to try the intriguing-soundingchickensoup with the "pork bone" broth, only to find that it had been removed from the menu; my waitperson informed me that no one ever ordered it; that it was too unknown for people. okay, so i get that, so i order the clay-pot honey-marinated pork. some initial confusion about whether or not the pork is bone-in; waitperson tells me it's bone-in which i do not prefer but order it anyway; it comes out as very yummy tender bite-sized pork pieces which was great for me. no brown rice option; server tells me that is not "authentic" in vietnamese culture, and i get that, but would be a nice option for those of us who try to eat a little more healthy. obviously their menu is not authentic-authentic anyway (i have been to vietnam and there is a huge difference between what flies in american vs. over there in terms of the cuts of meat and menu choices); so i'm not sure why they are sticking on this one point but whatever. the dish was delish anyway, as was my fried spring roll appetizer.
my server was shadowed by a "trainee", i guess, who never spoke, just watched her do her thing. kind of weird, might have been nice to explain his presence with an introduction, but i'm there more for the food than the ambiance.
so. at 8:20 on a wednesday evening a week or so later i finish some business over at the buckland hills mall (10-12 minutes away), and decide a vietnamese pancake would be just the ticket for dinner. in an overabundance of caution i call them to be sure of what their hours are, thinking i'll just order to go if they're reluctant to seat me past 8:30, but i clearly remember that the door says they are open from 4:30-9 on weekday nights. i get their answering machine, which also says they are open 4:30 until 9, and "if you've received this message during open hours, please call back"!, wtf? so i decide, since their stated hours are until 9:00, to take a chance and drive over there anyway, maybe they're just so swamped with happy customers that they can't get to the phone--not! i arrive at 8:35 to find the place closed up, as we southerners say, "tighter than a bull's ass in fly time", which likely means they were closed at 8:20 when i phoned. from my previous review, you'll see that this is the second time i've come during the stated open hours only to find the place closed.
too bad; the food is pretty good, and the place has potential i guess, and if you live in manchester right down the street i guess you can deal with uncertain hours, but for anyone who is driving from any distance, who wants to call every time to make sure they are open during their stated hours? i don't see this ending well if they are this lackluster about customers right off the bat like this; cue the downward spiral.
either be a real restaurant, be open during your stated hours, or don't bother. it's annoying to get your mouth all fixed for something only to find a place doesn't care enough to stay open during business hours. i certainly wouldn't recommend this place to anyone else for this reason. too bad.