That’s right—Berlu Bakery reopens this weekend! As I mentioned in yesterday’s Small Bites, Berlu Bakery is back after a months-long hiatus since last October. Their soft opening is Sunday, June 29. I reached out to Vince Nguyen, the man and James Beard Award-winning chef behind this treasured Vietnamese bakery, and here is what I learned from him via an email exchange.
I enjoyed coming to understand what the name, “Berlu” means. It’s origins lie in the French word hurluberlu, which is used to describe a strange/unusual person—someone who is unconventional.
The Birth of Berlu Bakery
The place known as Berlu originally started as restaurant. They offered a tasting menu that was focused on flavors and ingredients of the PNW; it was not a Vietnamese restaurant. They did their thing for seven months—then COVID shut them down.
While he was at home during the lockdowns, Vince started cooking Vietnamese food at home. “I had never previously cooked much traditional Vietnamese food,” he said. “But like many during this time, found pride in my heritage and was able to connect to my Vietnamese roots through food.”
He continued, “I had memories from my childhood when my older sister would ask one of our aunts, who had gone to baking school, to bake her a pandan cake. She’d ask every year, so I tried to recreate it during the lockdown. I googled ‘pandan cake’ and a recipe for bánh bò nướng came up. My first attempt turned out great and when I sent her a picture of it she responded ‘What is it?'”
What he had actually made was bánh bò nướng—a Vietnamese pandan honeycomb cake—not the cake she requested. What she wanted was a pandan chiffon cake with pandan custard.
But he found the bánh bò nướng to be truly delicious and it was that happy accident that caused him to want to open as a bakery. “It’s been so fun being able to provide a bit of nostalgia to Vietnamese locals and also introduce Vietnamese treats to an audience that typically is accustomed to Western pastries.”
What They’ll Serve When Berlu Bakery Reopens
During the soft opening—and beyond, really—they’ll serve an assortment of familiar and new pastries, and a variety of coffee drinks. Note: They are located in the same building as the old Berlu Bakery, but at a different address.
First, the Savory Pastry Plans
The new space is larger than the old, which means they can expand their offerings, including savory ones. It sounds like this is a goal they’ve had for a while. Here are some of the savory items they are looking forward to serving:
- Bánh Bò Nướng Avocado Toast. Thick slices of the aforementioned pandan bánh bò nướng toasted with coconut oil, topped with fresh avocado, herbs, sprouts, fried shallot, and served with a side of chili oil + salted coconut cream flavored with fig leaf.
- “BEC” Xôi Khúc. Chewy rice cakes coated with sticky rice, steamed, and filled with an organic egg omelette, bacon, and cheese. This will then be toasted. They will offer a vegan version using local/organic veggies + egg alternative + dairy-free cheese.
- Salmon Bánh Tiêu. A future menu item, bánh tiêu is a traditional Vietnamese round hollow donut. They will coat it with “everything seasoning” and fill it with salmon pastrami, pickles, charred scallion cream cheese, capers, and herbs. They plan to create a tasty vegan version, too.
More on Their Pastry Program
“The pastries will continue to be the focal point of our bakery,” said Vince. “With our pastries, we really love showcasing traditional Vietnamese pastries enhanced with organic produce from local farmers. Traditional Vietnamese pastries—those not influenced by the French—are naturally gluten/dairy-free, using coconut milk + rice/tapioca flours, so few substitutions needed to make them dairy/celiac-friendly.” Berlu Bakery will remain a dedicated gluten-free bakery.
Each day they’ll have around 10 pastries to choose from, and some will be seasonal. “I recommend guests get ‘One of Everything’ to try the wide range of flavors and textures we’ve come to love with Vietnamese pastries,” Vince remarked.
And they are excited about including a few dairy products (pastries will be dairy-free). As you can see above, some of their savory dishes include cheese. You’ll also be able to get cow’s milk as an option in your coffee.
Bánh Bò in Particular
One of the new pastries is their bánh bò (also referred to as “cow cake” due to its resemblance to a cow’s udder), which is a steamed version of their most popular pastry, bánh bò nướng (“baked cow cake”). It’s vegan, using yeast as a leavener instead of egg.
Their bánh bò will come in a few different flavors and will be served with salted coconut cream.
Pastries You Can Expect at Berlu Bakery
- pandan bánh bò nướng
- coffee bánh bò nướng
- pandan bánh bò (v)
- bánh gan
- bánh khoai mì nướng (v)
- roasted coconut/pandan layer cake
- strawberry roll cake
- salted egg/coconut tart
- pineapple/cardamom cake (v)
- pandan waffle (v)
- pandan/cherry/longan tart
Coffee and Tea
Now that they have an espresso machine, they’ll be expanding their coffee and tea offerings. Look for some fun espresso-based drinks, as well as some traditional coffee drinks that are less commonly seen. Cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee) will also be on the menu.
The Era of the Pre-Orders Is Over
They are not taking pre-orders like they used to, so getting there in person is how you access their food and drink. You can take away or eat there—they’ll have roughly 24 seats, including six at the counter, and seven tables. No reservations (AKA first come, first served).
They are also a tip-free bakery, with the gratuity incorporated into the pricing, so you do not need to leave a tip when you order from them. This practice allows them to pay a higher wage ($25/hour to start) and offer a health care package, sick leave, and time off for new parents (maternity/paternity leave).
Additional Thoughts on Running Berlu
I found this statement by Vince to illustrate how changes you didn’t expect can have a deep and sustaining impact on a person: “I also feel the bakery humanized me in a way,” he said. I absolutely love this.
He continued, “Prior to the bakery, I had only worked in tasting menu restaurants …. I love the discipline that is required to thrive in those atmospheres, but the casual nature of a bakery coupled with the paradigm shift within our industry, softened me to a degree. I became a more empathetic person and grew to create a more sustainable environment.
“As a gemini, I also feel the bakery offered a platform to express a side of myself not expressed through the tasting menu. Although we’re still really focused and driven to showcase Vietnamese pastries to the best of our abilities, it’s a more lighthearted environment and we can be a bit more goofy. Although I have no desire to reopen Berlu as a tasting menu restaurant, I feel the bakery rightfully carries out the name of Berlu.”
New Days and Hours When Berlu Bakery Reopens
The opening this Sunday, June 29 is their soft opening, when they’ll be open from 9am to 3pm or until sold out. After that, they will be open Thursday to Sunday, also from 9am to 3pm.
Their grand opening will be Saturday and Sunday, July 5 and 6, with a first full week open (full week = Thursday to Sunday) July 10 to 13.
Wishing Vince and his team all the best on this auspicious reopening!
Berlu Bakery [soft opening June 29, 2025; grand opening July 5, 2025]
661 SE Belmont Street, Portland
Berlu Bakery website | Instagram | Facebook
Meg Cotner
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