buku: Global Street FoodThe food off the regular menuThe food off the regular menu is, on the whole, very good, but the dishes we chose from the Restaurant Week fixed price menu (which our waiter lobbied for) were disappointing and barely mediocre.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMSunday BrunchWhat can I say!! The food selection was Southern and eclectic.. The service was very good. I can't wait to go back again.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMBuKu YummyWe elected to dine on a variety of small plates. Each one was tasty and beautifully presented. This was not ordinary food! There was a wide variety of treats to choose from and every mouthful was delightful! Prices were reasonable and the wait staff was friendly and attentive. We will definitely go there again!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent serviceA quiet, relaxing lunch. Artful presentation of food, unique and different ingredients. Our waiter was attentive but not intrusive. Large, comfortable booth seating that would give a party of four lots of room. Would go again.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMInteresting ecletic food.Interesting ecletic food. Small plates were the best buy.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMSomething different and diliciousWhen you are in a mood for something different and this is a plce to go.
We have enjoyed eating here several times.
Easy to get to and easy parking.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMBrunch lovers will be happy!This is an excellent brunch buffet, but particularly a great value if you plan to have one of the made to order omelets or Belgian waffles!
Don't forget to come for dinner or appetizers and drinks - the,end is outstanding and trying a variety of the "global street food" will leave you satisfied and looking forward to your next visit.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMBrunch and view of downtown doingsThis is the second time I've gone to brunch here and brought a different friend. Food was great, wait staff attentive and they had our mimosas out as soon as noon struck, with no reminder necessary. We sat outside and watched the Ironman runners go by and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We would go back again.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous food and very goodFabulous food and very good service. Ended up being more expensive than we thought as the portions of apps were small.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent FoodMy wife and I had dinner prior to meeting friends at the bar. We split 5 small plates of food and shared. The food was phenomenal!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and service!I came here for lunch and got the BBQ shrimp. It was absolutely delicious and presentation was fabulous. Service was also great - everything was super prompt, waiter was really nice, and they helped me get a cab. Don't think I'll ever be in Raleigh, NC anytime soon again....but would definitely go back.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMBrunch at BukuWent to Buku for extended family brunch. All of us enjoyed the selections. The menu for brunch is traditional brunch and is augmented with street food. I sampled the omelet with crab, jalapenos, bacon and cheese, followed by fresh made waffles, fruit, pastries, a few of the spring rolls, dumplings, and indonesian curry. At the end when we could eat no more, they brought a cobbler with ice cream table side for the group. I think the brunch is reasonably priced, well presented, good variety ,and on the day we went, not too busy.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMInterestingThis was the first time at Buku. We enjoyed the tapas... They brought out 1 at a time (there was 4 of us).. I asked for what we ordered to be served at once and the waiter said, we do it this way for lack of table room. I prefer to eat a variety of foods at once and share opposed to one at a time, otherwise, watch for the super spicy dishes. (The menu may not tell you it is) The service was impeccable except they took away two of our drinks with cocktail still left in the glass.! I cannot say any of us would go back again...5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMWe booked a party for 20,We booked a party for 20, site unseen, but highly recommended by friends. We were not mislead! From the minute we walked in the door, we were treated like royalty. The staff was outstanding. The private room was wonderful and it was nice to be able to be as loud as we wanted. The food was absolutely outstanding. The wine list was outstanding. Everyone ordered something different and everyone raved about their choices. I highly recommend Buku for a rehearsal dinner, birthday party, etc. Oh, and the free valet parking - A+!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food and service.Excellent food and service. Creme brulee trilogy was great.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious!What a wonderful atmosphere! Great for indoor or outdoor dining. The service was great, and with such a unique menu you need a knowledgeable server who is also passionate about the dishes. My husband and I shared items off the small plates menu and had a blast swaping food back and forth. The Asian Pear Salad is fantastic! We also tried the Filipino lumpia...wow. PEI Mussels were amazing In a rich, flavorful sauce. I could have spooned it into my mouth. Of our whole meal the only thing that was a slight disappointment was the dessert menu. Was hoping for a few more "global" options, but settled on the Warm Apple Tart. It was good but a bit dry, however the cinnamon ice cream was DELICOUS. All in all, amazing place. Will go back for sure!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMMade a special occasion memorableThis is the second time we've dined at Buku and I must say, just when I thought the experience couldn't get any better it did.
They were incredibly conscious about our request for seating location when making the reservation. In addition, because I had a group they had two waiters that were checking in on us, making the entire evening a seamless occasion. Given we had many drinks, courses, and desserts that's quite the accomplishment.
The food itself is fantastic, my advice is to try something new and different. The staples are also great, but it is part of the experience to try something new.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMGrad dinnerBuku was our daughter's choice to celebrate her college gradation w/ family and friends. We've been several times before and thoroughly enjoy the food, atmosphere, and service. Our group of eleven was accommodated beautifully.
We enjoy the communal dining that the dishes lend themselves to. And we value the wait staff's input on types of dishes and advice on how many can be served. The food is delicious, attractive, and fun; you can be as adventurous as you choose to be and still be ensured of a delicious meal.
Korean BBQ w/ kimchi, Barvarian pretzels, and the assorted sorbets were dishes we tried for the first time and they were all outstanding.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredible night outMy wife and I came to Raleigh to visit friends during our anniversary and we had the most amazing time. The wait staff was very friendly and helpful and multiple waiters wished us a happy anniversary. We ate 5 small plates and each one was incredible. The food was served quickly and each course was picked to arrive in the best order to compliment the tastes. We were even given complimentary champagne and a second dessert. It was a great night and we felt cared for from the moment we stepped in. We will be back.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious global foods!We had the Sunday brunch and the food was delicious! I especially loved the waffles and homemade syrups. Foods from all over the world. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGlad we tried BukuI ordered the red snapper Vietnamese special and was very pleased. Wife combined three small plates for meal and was also very satisfied. I give kudos to our waitress who was helpful and attentive, without being intrusive (which seems to be more rare to find these days).5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMMother's Day SupriseA great find, eclectic food, great service and great value.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMore hit than missMy crew has a theory: No matter what you order here, you're going to have about a seventy-five percent hit rate. I'd stick to the under ten dollar plates; the premium items (sake-braised short ribs) were okay, but not really worth enough to justify the other price.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMglobal experienceThe menu here is so interesting. The presentations of dishes are artful and the subtle blend of spices makes you ask "how did the chef do this?" The muscles in cream sauce are the absolute best we have eaten anywhere. This visit we had a tuna and tempura shrimp sushi roll with a vanilla reduction. The combination of flavors was amazing. The ginger in the soy sauce is subtle and very nice. The snapper was great, the peirogies are also a favorite. We finished our meal with the house made sorbet boat; a refreshing assortment of raspberry, cantalope, honeydew, strawberry and guava sorbets.
Raleigh is lucky to have this gem of a restaurant.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Experience!Buku is an awesome Restaurant! Menu is diverse and presentation of food is excellent. The wait staff is professional and our waiter Justin made some great recommendations. Definitely a restaurant not to be missed when eating downtown Raleigh.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat placeThis is a fabulous restaurant and never disappoints. Great food, great service.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat ExperienceMy wife and I searched for a place for our anniversary and settled on Buku because it reflected our life together in various locations around the globe. We debated to just have a meal of small plates and in retrospect, we would probably have enjoyed that more. We really liked all of our food and the accompanying bottle of wine. If you are expecting an exact replication of your favorite foreign dish, this may not be your place. However, if you are willing to accept an version with an upscale twist, this place is great. We had a great night.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect!Food was outstanding along with the service. I will be honest, I was not really looking forward to going because it seemed like a girlly place. Honestly, the only reason why I made reservations was because my wife really wanted to go there and it was our anniversary...... sorry.
I was pleasantly surprised by BuKu's appeal to the "meat and potato" man. Not to mention there beer selection was awesome, try the one from Brazil! Highly recommended!5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMSunday lunch at BukuI was disappointed to find that we could not order lunch from Buku's regular menu on Sunday at 1 p.m. The brunch was standard brunch fare that is offered everywhere. We were hoping for international food with Buku's normal level of quality.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food choices - uniqueDefinitely a change of pace and for the better. I loved the global choices on the menu. The service was excellent and the staff was friendly and helpful. Food was fantastic.
It was a little noisy when we were there, but other than that, all was good.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAnniversary mealOverall we enjoyed celebrating our 5th anniversary here. We were welcomed with two complimentary glasses of champagne. The food as delicious: Thai scallops and French chicken breast. We also enjoyed the stuff avocado and dessert. Our only discomfort was seating. We both felt our booth seats were very uncomfortable and made it feel uptight. Great waiter (relaxed) and helped us to enjoy our time. Didn't rush us out either.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMThe flavor just dancedI have never cried over how good food tasted before, but this place was incredible!
I originally chose this spot for a wine-tasting night. I figured we would grab food elsewhere afterwards. Needless to say, we never left! I booked a reservation for two (and good thing I did - there were some other celebrations going on) and we were seated right on time. Our wine tasting came with a complimentary meal of duck, potatoes, and some other vegetables. I can't even describe it - the flavor just danced on your tongue! After that, we had to try dessert. Again, simply amazing! Our waitress was awesome and even told us a bit about the area. The only downside I could say was possibly the portions. Get dessert elsewhere, but do not miss these meals!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMExpand your palate hereThis trendy restaurant in the heart of downtown Raleigh is a excellent place to go for adults. The menu offers a wide variety of "street food" The servie is outstanding and the food presentation is a work of art. Everything from start to finish was excellent. I highly recommend.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMA great dining experienceThis was our first visit to Bu.Ku and won't be our last! Everything about this restaurant exceeded our expectations and we are pretty picky. Since this was our first dinner we opted to try as many dishes and cuisines as possible by ordering appetizers and small plates. I opted for the Asian Pear Salad, Sing Ha Roll and Sake-Braised Short Ribs while my wife enjoyed the Empanadas Picantes and Thai BBQ Prawns. It was our waiters last night before returning to his hometown and he impressed us with his attention and friendly service. We can't wait to try the other dishes.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMNight out with the GirlsWas my second visit to Buku, once for Sunday Bruch and for dinner on May 1. Everything was outstanding. Vince was my waiter both visits and he is excellent, very attentive (but not to much) and very personable. Downtown location is good, easy to find. We sampled various items on the menu, the food, the timing and the presentation were perfect. Definitely try a few of the desserts!5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMBe sure to try the espressoBe sure to try the espresso martini! Great variety at brunch and on the regular menu.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMBrunch is Fab!We really enjoy the brunch on Sundays. We love the seafood omelet and the Nutella bars - YUM!4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMI enjoyed the brunch. ThereI enjoyed the brunch. There are plenty of menu items to choose from and the food doesn't seem to sit out long. The service is always friendly and punctual.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMLooking for a 'escape from reality'The staff alone would make this place a gem, combined with the location, valet parking, delicious food, beautiful atmosphere, and extensive food and beverage menu this place will forever be a favorite destination for date nights and special events.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMFull and Satisfied!I loved the Sunday brunch was amazing! I enjoyed myself and had a fantastic dining experience. The server was super helpful and assured that my every need was met. I will return!4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMWorld food wins!Had a wonderful first experience at Buku. The world food was creative and well prepared. The staff was extremely attentive. I will definitely be back!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMOur first experience withOur first experience with Buku was phenominal. I decided to have a group dinner with close friends and family to celebrate my girlfriend's b-day as well as marriage proposal. Everything went very well, service was excellent, food and beverages were great. the vibe was sexy chic and we had secured a reservation with open table which is an awesome service BTW. My friends and I like to dine out frequently and we will definitely make Buku one of our "staple" restaurants going forward.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWorldly FoodBuku is unique because of the wide variety of food served. I've never been disappointed when eating there. My wife judges restaurants by whether or not they serve sorbet and Buku has fresh homemade sorbet. Also, she is vegan and my wife found several vegan options, which made her happy.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was delicious, andThe food was delicious, and our waiter was friendly, but not as knowledgeable as I would expect at a restaurant of this status. He had to ask others for answers to questions on a few occasions having to do with the menu and the wine list. But he handled the situation well. I would certainly come back.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMOur favorite restaurant inOur favorite restaurant in Raleigh downtown and one of our favorite in the state. The food is always presented so well and tastes wonderful. The waiters and waitresses are always so friendly and knowledgeable. They have outstanding specials and wonderful atmosphere.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMThe service and food is alwaysThe service and food is always outstanding at Buku. Everyone is very accomodating, from the outdoor hostess, to the indoor hostess, to the wait staff. A great place with great food and great atmosphere.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Sunday brunch, goodGreat Sunday brunch, good food, reasonably priced, especially for all you can eat.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMWe loved it. Very good, unusualWe loved it. Very good, unusual menu. Well done. Will definitely go again.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMGo to BuKu often and alwaysGo to BuKu often and always have a great experience. Extensive and varied menu, esp appealing when you're in the mood for something different. Staff warm and accommodating.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was our first time atThis was our first time at buku and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The food was fresh and served quickly, our waiter was great, very informative. It was my daughter's birthday and she received a complimentary bar shot and dessert to share. She enjoyed her birthday dinner.
We are coming again for brunch for my birthday next month.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AM