Yelping Around the World Elite Event @ buku

A Unilocal Elite event was my first foray into Buku, but it won’t be my last. It takes culinary talent to pull off the variety of cuisines that they do, and each one was very, very well done. No worries about vibe and décor here; this is a great first date spot and equally upscale for an anniversary dinner. The service at the event was quick and polite, and I’m definitely going to go back for the full sit-​down-​meal experience.

I have traveled a lot, but this is the best «staycation» I can remember! Monday night has never been so worldly and tasty! When greeted with a buffet line of each of my 3 favorite food groups (Mediterranean, Latin, and Asian) I knew it would be a good night. I quickly «flew» over to New Belgium for a Trippel and «landed» with a platter of tamales, raita, and sushi… Such a happy traveler the chefs at Bu-​Ku made me! Thanks to Christina G for such an amazing event, Melissa E and Matt for joining in the fun, and Rachel E and Joe for the introduction to some great gin! From ski bunnies (Michael and Brit) to the best tour guides ever (Nikki and Derrick), this was the best 3 hour tour I’ve ever been on and with such amazing company!

Awesome! Buku’s bar was a fantastic place for this Unilocal event. I loved the theme of tacky tourist and seeing all of the crazy and creative outfits.
There was definitely enough food for dinner — had I known, I would’ve saved up my appetite. I especially liked the sushi and all of the South American dishes. I didn’t even have room for the cheeses and Mediterranean fare.
The photographer was excellent, friendly, and engaging. My guests and I had a lot of fun taking wacky pictues! The DJ was surprisingly good with indie faves from Hot Chip, Miike Snow (I think), and others. His mixing skills were top-​notch.
The buku staff was professional and eager to serve. I also loved trying out the beers — went back to my old standby of Fat Tire. .. twice!
One of my guests also won 2 tickets for the All Dolled Up spa services event, and I’ll be her +1. So thanks for that!
Thanks to Christina G., buku, and New Belgium for a fabulous evening!

Buku BROUGHT IT! Seriously, this was the best Elite event I’ve been too so far.
The food selection was AMAZING and plentiful and the DJ was rock’n it. I think half of us got his b’ness card. I loved the little photo area where you could dress up w/​your whacky friends, as tourists and take pics. Very cute!
Every detail was covered. Fantastic location, service, food, ambience, music. ummm, I can’t think of anything that was missed! Excellent job Christina and Buku!!!
Can’t wait until the next event!!!

What a swanky spot– I never hang out in these places when I travel! The food was delicious and plentiful. Although I’m not quite sure I’m buying into the «street food» category of Buku… more like tapas. They do have quite a variety– hopefully most of it become available on the menu. There was an awesome Mediterranean pistachio meringue-​like dessert that we couldn’t figure out. It was deliciously addictive though. The stuffed grape leaves were fantastic too. The antipasto was beautifully arranged in those clear flower stems. I was impressed by the hustle of the Buku staff– not an abandoned plate left on the table for more then a second! They were super speedy with cleaning up the plates and such. Loved the drinks too, the white sangria hit the spot.
The complimentary valet was awesome too!
The photos were lots of fun too and people really got into the conga line! Great job Christina. =)

What an awesome evening!
Buku provided some delicious tapas and bites. I definitely have my eye on some things to order next time I’m at Buku. I was impressed with the variety of flavors from around the world. Buku provided a great spread with a table of Mediterranean, Latin, and Asian cuisine. My favorite of the evening was the tamale wrapped in green leaves. It was seriously the most moist tamale I have ever had (don’t tell my Cuban abuela).
New Belgium beers offered up one of my new go to beers-​Trippel! Loved it. Buku also had some fun cocktails on the menu. The husband enjoyed the Rickety Ginny immensely.
The staff was ON! They were super attentive and cheerful. The food never seemed to run out and I was never waiting around for a drink. The set up was festive and fun.
Oh and the DJ! Awesome tunes! The photographer-​snapping away all night long!
All this on a Monday night! This was the best Monday night out I’ve had in a looooong time. Christina G. rocked this party! Buku, I’ll be back with friends. New Belgium, you had me at beer.

Tamales from Buku are about as good as it gets! I am impressed with the entire experience from Buku – they served us items not on the menu, which I’m hoping they add because I want to take my husband here on a date night.
Christina G. put a good party together. The wait staff were very attentive, refilling drinks before you had to ask, and cleaning up messes before they became a nuissance.

I’ve had two great experiences previously at buku (once for dinner and once for dancing) and this event managed to perfectly marry the two (shout-​outs to the lovely ‘officiant’ Christina G)!
I loved the way the food was organized into tables by type. I hit the Asian table first. The tuna rolls and seaweed salad were scrumptious! Next I enjoyed the spanikopita and both the sweets from the Mediterranean table. I know some people found the ‘apricot/​pistachio chew’ a little too chewy, but it was actually my favorite item of the night!
After bouncing between those two tables I actually got full before even attempting the S. American table! Oh well, looks like I’ll have to return to buku for a ‘second helping’!
Everyone else involved, the DJ, photographer and the waitstaff were all super-​cool, friendly and great at what they do. All around (the world) it was another great event!

When jet-​setting around the world, my main focus is always on where to dine next. I love all types of worldly cuisine and basically my taste buds do more traveling than I do. In the latest marvelously planed Unilocal elite event, buku took me for quite a ride without even leaving the bar. The only thing I missed was a TSA pat down. Another time I guess.
buku threw an endless supply of mediterranean, latin, and asian treats at us with reckless abandon. New Belgium kept us buzzing through the clouds with in-​flight beverages which included a couple new brews I haven’t run across yet (the Trippel was great). The DJ played an awesome set that kept everyone grooving all night including an impromptu congo line that formed. What’s a true vacation without a congo line? Not a good one. Success!
Huge thanks to buku and New Belgium. Kudos to Christina for another home run event! She is the Barry Bonds of event planning without the steroids. Or, is that how she does it?!?

My husband and I have been wanting to try Buku for a while, so we were excited to go to the Unilocal Elite event being held there. Shout out to Tripp and Jane who made us their «+1» for the event.
The first plus of the night was their complimentary Valet, since Buku is on the border of downtown Raleigh where there isn’t a lot of parking. The event was held in the bar area, which is dimly lit, nicely decorated and has that plush and classy feel.
Now let’s get down to it, the food! It was awesome! Since this was an event, I didn’t actually look at a menu, but everything that was offered was amazing. From Mediterranean cheeses, to Tostadas to Sushi… yes, Sushi! I have to say though, the tastiest food of the night was the Chicken Enchilada. It doesn’t sound exciting, but in my husband’s words, «This is the best food I’ve eaten in a while.» Wait a minute, what about my cooking? !
Thanks Buku for a great time, great food and great service! Special thanks to New Belgium as well. I started with a Fat Tire, which is one of my favs, but switched to the Trippel to try something new and I love that one too!
Christina did an awesome job putting together this event. We had a great time and found a great, new place to eat!

This event rocked! After I did my duty at the check-​in table I jumped into the mass of Unilocalers and their friends. Everyone was nice enough to leave plenty of food and beer. I actually got full before trying everything (yes, I know, hard to believe). The banana leaf wrapped tamales were among my favorite. Also good were the stuffed grape leaves (hmm, starting to sound like I like leaves). Buku has an excellent space and there was a lot of energy in the room, and I got to meet a lot of new people. The staff at Buku was VERY attentive. They were even nice enough to bring me food as waited for guests at the check-​in table. Can’t wait to see the photos from the photo booth. Nikki and Derrick, you would make awesome undercover detectives because you are always able to dress and play the part.
Of course, thanks goes to Christina for pulling this together. Alex (the New Belgium beer guy), Ellen (Buku event manager), and the photographer (Shon) also played a big role in making this go smoothly.

Brilliant! Christina, Buku and New Belgium created a fun dining experience and very enjoyable evening out that gave us all a chance to try something new. The venue was lovely, especially the water feature behind the bar, and service was absolutely flawless. I enjoyed the Mediterranean offerings the most; the hummus in particular had a perfect texture and flavour that was a nice balance of earthiness and richness. The beers from New Belgium were an excellent complement to the foods served and delicious in their own right.
Getting to know the other Unilocal folks was a definite highlight of the evening; so many different people with so many interesting qualities! The music was loud enough to provide a party atmosphere without overpowering conversation (bonus points for playing the Cure and Belle & Sebastian!), and the photographer managed to take a picture of me that did not end with either of my eyes being closed or my mouth hanging open like a fish, which speaks well to his talent and timing! Of course, none of this would have been possible without the efforts of the fabulous Christina, whose evident party-​planning skills are amplified by her genuine warmth and friendliness. The Triangle Unilocal wouldn’t be what it is without her!

How fabulously fun! The food was fun, the music was fun and of course hanging out with all the Unilocalers is always SO MUCH FUN!
The layout was perfect, a table for each region of food — i think i robbed the mediteranean of ALL of their cheese… or at least I thought I did! Buku was quick to refill! So, there was no «i took the last piece» type guilt — I tried to leave you nothing Phil… i really tried…

Christina G. told Buku to «BRING IT ON!» and they sure did! The food spread was great (o.m.g. those sweet corn tamales!), the DJ was spinning some great mixes (no tacky prom DJ playing top 40), and the props & décor were cute. It was cold outside, but the coziness of the inside allowed me to meet many Unilocal 1337s that I’ve been a fan of.
I loved the following food items: Spiced hot chocolate (so chunky, so flavorful), sweet corn tamales, and the chalky-​textured Mediterranean dessert.
Buku staff were extremely attentive. Nikki K. & her partner in crime definitely won for best dressed — complete with obnoxious Bronx accent that they luckily don’t have on a regular day to day basis. Erin W.‘s response to how her persona (a sophisticated Parisian woman) met her guy (Brandon J.‘s Eurotrash German) was a succinct and literal «He invaded me.»
It was fantastic slice of heaven on an otherwise tedious and exhausting Monday!

For a girl who hasn’t actually left the country in a while, this event had me ready to go! Like Amanda R. already said, nothing better than being tourists with the Unilocal family while experiencing new things but close to home. I’ve actually been to buku once, but this experience was such a super sampling that I know you would only get at an Elite Unilocal event. As always, great from the moment I arrived. Aloha!
It was nice to see Phil G. up front at the check-​in. I went floral beachy luau style for my tourist getup. Christina G. went beachy too. Way to go sista! Keep it chill. B-​) It was pretty funny that at times I was actually disguised and people didn’t recognize me in my super huge shades and Billabong straw hat! I always love love love to see other people’s take on these themes. As usual Nikki K. and her other half really brought their A game. Everyone’s interpretation was so fun to see and I made my rounds saying hello to my fellow Unilocalers, while also meeting new ones! Thanks to Stacy and Michelle? who complimented me on my dress and coat. Stylin’ from the OBX baby! That’s what’s up!
My Magnificent Karla +1 and I sampled each region one at a time. It was her first «taste» of Unilocal and I believe she had a blast, just like I always do. Like Erin W., we loved how it was organized into tables by the type. Mediterranean first! Well done. Next we hit up Asia. Spiiiice delish. A couple of my rolls kinda fell apart a little but don’t you worry, not much rice got away. Then we hit up South America. Karla gave it THE stamp of approval. Trust me. She’d know. She’s from Mexico City. Felicidades buku!
Karla and I also excitedly sampled a couple of the New Belgium beers. Free beer? Yesssssssssss. Gina B., Karla, Amanda R. and myself all had fun with photo time. Gina B. commented, «Lindsay, you’re such a ham!» You bet I am! Cheese! There’s one where I held up a sign that reads, «Hi Mom!» That was sooo fitting because I was on the phone with my Mom while I got ready for the event and she helped me figure out my look. I posted the picture on FB and tagged her so first thing this morning she was greeted with Unilocal love too. Cheers :)
Our grooves were also certainly not short-​changed. DJ Triple B was full of good mixes and he also told us where we can catch him next. Check him out here:
Super friendly. I got lost in every song. So then Karla and I were plotting our next concert. Hmmmm.
Oh, one other touch I really loved… the postcards. There was a bit of confusion about how the postcards worked… Amanda R. and I were writing post cards and handing them to other people at first. Or I could have sworn Phil told me to address it to myself so I did and left a blank one with him up front. Later on I found out I was wrong and sent myself a nice message instead. I ended the night by writing a few friends some Unilocal stuff. Grandma’s even getting a bit of Unilocal.Spread the Unilocal Love! All around the world! Great start last night! After that I went to Mosaic (still wearing my shades) to try some worldly wines before calming down all that excited energy. Then I literally went home and started plotting my next vacation as I fell asleep… Ciao.

What a great venue for a Unilocal Elite event, kudos to buku! From the delicious tamales (filled with smoky chicken flavor) to the fresh beers on tap tied together by great service from the staff, it was a lovely evening. I’ve been here before for brunch and a couple of events and it seems as if buku is always committed to delivering a great experience from a food and service standpoint. And of course between the Unilocal raffles, photoshoot and DJ, there was plenty of entertainment last night.
Oh and of course the most entertaining part of every Elite event is always our fellow Unilocalers! Nikki and Derrick in apropos hawaiian garb, Brandon J channeling Dieter (achtung baby!) and everyone else that came out in travel silliness, thanks for the laughs… And I got to meet Michael H and Jen P, always good to see some new faces too…
If only it was warmer last night, because buku has got a great patio. Oh well, I guess you can’t have everything in life! Another great party thrown by Ms. Christina and the Unilocal elite, I’m already looking forward to the rest of 2011, girl!

Bah not FTR! Blast it Michael!
This was a fantastic event! Thank you so much to Buku, their staff, and Christina and her team for putting this together. I have never been to Buku before and this event was the tipping point for me — now I must visit them for drinks and dinner.
Buku’s staff was amazingly friendly for such a large crowd to cater to. Their food was simply overwhelming. You hopped from one delectable palate of taste in Asia, to stunning Mediterranean cuisine, and stopped over in South America for the tasty finish to an amazing spread. I was not aware that ONE restaurant could be this well versed in culinary art as Buku.
Thanks to New Belgium for the comped beer, which allowed me to try a IPA of their’s I’ve never had before.
So many reasons can be given for using Unilocal and becoming an Elite Squad member. However, this type of event is THE reason why you give the heartful reviews and celebrate with good & new friends.

There’s nothing better than touristing it up with the Unilocal family and getting to experience a new downtown restaurant!
I had never been to Buku before tonight and like Nick mentioned in his review, I’m eager to return and taste their full menu!
Their set up, presentation and bubbly staff were amazing.
All the thanks in the world to Christina and the Unilocal-​crew for putting this event on and bringing us all together. Also, special thanks to Phil for the stress at the door!
This was actually my first official «elite» event and well, as you can see, five stars…

Bwahahahaha! FTR FTW!
What an awesome event. Buku and New Belgium beers paired with good people, and a great planner made this an event to remember.
I’ve Unilocaled around the world-​What you got?
Buku provided fare from around the world, The Middle East/​Mediterranean, Central and South America and lastly Asia were well represented. What a vast array of scrumptious finger foods. Buku lives up to its’ claim to fame, «Global Street Food.»
New Belgium beer came out in full force and I did some damage to their Ranger IPA. Always a stalwart supporter of Unilocal,and one that is much appreciated.
The hard work and dedication of the Buku staff was apparent as food was brought in rapidly and fluidly.
Christina G. you managed to outshine the Women’s NCAA tournament game. Tennessee women lose, and Unilocal wins another one!

A fraternity (Latin frater: «brother») is a brotherhood, though the term sometimes connotes a distinct or formal organization and a secret society. To me, Unilocal is a might cool fraternity to belong to; and to think I get to meet the Unilocal family so soon after getting inducted, whelp, that’s just dandy!
The food prepared by Buku was very great. Buku has shown its hospitality in lending their space for this gathering. The service was excellent, not a moment that I felt ignored by the waiting staff. The variety of food, which was separated by tables, show Buku’s skill in Mediterranean, S. America, and Asian cuisine. I was trying not to be too typical, and shy away from the sushi table, but I did have enough of everything else, including free flowing Fat Tires.
The best part of the evening has gotta be meeting all the cool people that I have only met in words and not in person. I have also received my badge of honor: the coveted Unilocal lunchbox that’s only given to the most elite. I am totally taking that thing to work tomorrow!