Acclaimed Portland Vietnamese Bakeshop Berlu Bakery Is Popping Up for One Day Only at Best Friend | Eater Portland

"An acclaimed gluten- and dairy-free Vietnamese bakery run by James Beard Award–winning chef Vince Nguyen that closed its location in the former restaurant space in October 2024 and is gearing up for an anticipated reopening this spring. For Lunar New Year, Nguyen will host a pop-up at a local cafe on Sunday, February 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering a mix of bakery favorites and holiday-appropriate items: the popular bánh bò nướng, or honeycomb cake, in two flavors—cardamom with salted banana cream and fan-favorite pandan with salted coconut cream; bánh khoai mì nướng, a mung bean and cassava cake with caramelized pineapple in a crunchy tart shell; an egg custard tart; a flan tart topped with coconut cream and salted egg yolk; bánh hạnh nhân, an almond and cassava cookie; and a pandan waffle. Nguyen will also have their fun bánh bò nướng scratch and sniff t-shirts for sale, as well as gift cards for the bakery to give the team a little monetary boost as they ready the new shop. Nguyen says, "I’m most excited to reunite with staff and see friends that have supported us over the years," and adds, "The Lunar New Year has always been a fun time at the bakery, as we often see many new faces, so it’s fun to be part of their introduction to Southeast Asian not-too-sweets and traditional Tết dishes." - Dianne de Guzman