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This place is so cute! You can easily grab and go with your food or sit down and watch avatar on the tv. We tried the bao sampler, which was all delicious (but kind of expensive at $18). I loved the pork belly and Katsu the best. I will definitely be back for the bahn mi! We got the grilled pork bahn mi and it had the perfect ratio of meat and veggies. Almost too much meat! It tasted delicious. We also loved the flavor of the pho tai. It was seasoned well and again, had plenty of meat. For $15, you got a big bowl of pho to fill you up. The sweet potato cheesecake was perfectly not too sweet. I was a little surprised by the color but it didn't taste like taro like I would've expected.
I came here after attending an event around the corner. I was looking for a spot to hang out, people watch, and have good food and a couple of drinks. I got there at 8 and they closed at 9. I decided to just get takeout instead. This place is nice, bright, and trendy. They have a "selfie wall" upstairs for those great IG shots. There's also an outside sitting area but it was too cold to sit out there. The music playing was very good. I don't know who's responsible for the music but they did a great job. The people working in there were very friendly. I didn't feel rushed at all. I ended up getting a bulgogi bowl, bulgogi bao, spring rolls, and a watermelon tea. Everything came up to around $40 minus tip. I was starving and ended up eating the spring rolls in the parking lot. They were AMAZING! Pretty sure they were the best spring rolls I've had in a long time. The bulgogi bowl was alright. It seemed kind of "dry" and the bulgogi kind of reminded me of steak ums. There was a small portion of kimchi in the bowl. You may need to ask for extra if you're a kimchi lover like myself. The bao were pretty good. Overall, everything was pretty good. I'd definitely come back earlier in the evening, eat in and try other menu items. I saw some pretty interesting milk teas that I'd love to try.
This was first experience trying Korean foods, so we got a little mixture of things to try. We got the katsu bao (yummmmm!), the bulgogi rice bowl (first time trying both bulgogi and kimchi and oof, delish), crab Rangoon, and the shrimp summer rolls. The summer rolls changed my life. I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since yesterday when I tried it! The katsu was amazing. Bulgogi was yum. Crab Rangoon was ehhhh not as good as others I've had. I can't wait to come back and try the pork belly baos! Overall service was nice and the seating was plenty during late afternoon.
Stumbled in here for some snacks around lunchtime. When you walk in, you order at the counter, pay, and wait until your number is called. It's self seating so you can switch wherever you like that's available. They're pretty good about calling your number/name out as items are ready. Our drinks were ready first, then eventually our food. We ordered some Bao Bund and some spring rolls. All very tasty food items and drinks! The ambiance inside is also really cute!
Always a reliable place to come back to. I usually get the bao buns (4) sampler, banh mi, and a boba tea. Staff is nice and plenty of seating inside. Cute inside
So I only came here because this place had really good reviews! It was take out only. They had outdoor seating but you were on your own out there. So the fries were absolutely delicious!! The seasoning were yummy!! The baos on the other hand were not what I expected. They were a little bland. The flavor was there but it wasn't. Not sure if that makes sense. Maybe because once we got the food it was kinda cold after waiting 20 minutes....so I dunno but it was quite disappointing.
It was a nice, warm day (though a tad muggy?), so I remembered that this place had this sweet patio seating (not to mention their sweet selection of foods and drinks)... This time, I opted for their "Budacai Baos", which included 4 varieties of Bao...Bulgogi, Katsu, Pork Belly and Grilled Pork. And they were DEE-Lish...each and every one!! For drinks, I tried their Taro Milk Tea with Boba...and also very, very delicious! I was a bit disappointed that the place was still closed for indoor dining (despite the improvements in Covid rates as of late)...and that everything is only boxed up to go (or eat outdoors). Maybe next time, the place will finally be fully operational? Still, had a great meal on their patio...and managed to even get some "artsy" foodie pics of the Baos lol!
The kids and I tried this place for the first time. The Customer Service was great and with this being our first time the cashier explained the best options. The kids got boba tea and I got an iced caramel macchiato - they were all delicious. We sat in and drank our beverages since we were just stopping through but we will definitely be back for more boba and food! Worth a try!!
The food was stupendous! The bubble teas were very flavorful. Bulgogi nachos were out of this world! The service was great the people at the counter were super friendly. The ambiance was good, interesting art- there was a statue of the monkey king, a painting of him and a golden dragon. Loved it!
I'm probably on the basic list at Budacai as I typically just order a medium Thai milk tea. For me it's the perfect combination of sweet and creamy. The employees are always friendly, greeting you upon walking in and answering any questions. They have a pretty extensive drink menu that can be further customized with add ons. Their new winter melon flavor sounded interesting, but I went with my usual. When not in the midst of a global pandemic, there's a cool little upstairs loft area with a few tables and a cool wall with fake grass and roses on it - perfectly Instagramable. They do have food, which I need to try but always forget about.
Fantastic boba tea shop! I was blown away when I walked in. Not much to see on the outside but the inside makes you feel like you're in a fantasy. The decor is nice with natural lighting beaming in from all angles. The whole place is IG worthy so make sure you go with a full charged battery on your phone. The food looks amazing but I'll have to come back for that another time. I stopped by for a slushy and it was delicious. I got a small but it was enough for me; especially after a big dinner. It was just the right amount of sweetness, not too sugary. Overall, fantastic customer service! The young lady at the front helping me was high energy and didn't rush me. She was very kind and also made sure that I entered the drawing and get a punch card. This was about 6:30 p.m. -- loved that she was enthusiastic and putting 110% while on job duty.
Budacai is that place. Always has been and probably always will. I love budacai and at this point I need them to sponser me because if I lived closer I would go daily, go broke buying so many boba drinks and become a sign spinner. My sign would absolutely have their logo on it and I would probably be sent to jail for terribly spinning my illegally obtained sign outside their building. Actually, that could work in my favor if the right person posts it on TikTok so I think I know what I'll be doing after the new year starts.
I dropped by one day after a really frustrating day of house-hunting. I was looking for a little pick-me-up, and they're in downtown Raleigh, which was really convenient to my location. The shop/restaurant has really impressive murals, while still maintaining an almost simple and minimalistic dining area. I quite like it. They have plenty of tables, booths and high-top bar table to settle on if you choose to dine-in. I ordered a strawberry mango tea and a pork belly Bahn mi to go. I had customized the strawberry mango tea to 50% sweetness and 50% light ice. It was perfectly refreshing, and the Bahn mi was packed with flavor! I really enjoyed my order. Service could've been better honestly. The first person that was at the register came off a bit annoyed because I wasn't quite ready to order yet. It was my first time there so I really wasn't that familiar with the menu. The Second staff that brought my drink and food out when they were ready was much more pleasant. The first interaction put me off quite a bit, though. I wouldn't mind coming back to try other dishes and drinks they offer. I think I would just make sure I already know what I'm gonna get before I even walk in. read more
This place was a big disappointment. The popcorn chicken was practically inedible - cut entirely too small with such an odd flavor. The Crab Rangoon was the best of the items we had, lots of filling and the fries were crispy. Luckily, they did not have the Japanese spices available for the fries because if they were anything like the seasoning on the popcorn chicken, then yuck. The General Tso's chicken bowl was ok, too much of the sauce and it was HUGE! Teas were adequate. Service was lackluster and water requested was a half of a tiny cup. Bathrooms were not the cleanest, same with the dining area. read more
1 year ago
This place is so cute! You can easily grab and go with your food or sit down and watch avatar on the tv. We tried the bao sampler, which was all delicious (but kind of expensive at $18). I loved the pork belly and Katsu the best. I will definitely be back for the bahn mi! We got the grilled pork bahn mi and it had the perfect ratio of meat and veggies. Almost too much meat! It tasted delicious. We also loved the flavor of the pho tai. It was seasoned well and again, had plenty of meat. For $15, you got a big bowl of pho to fill you up. The sweet potato cheesecake was perfectly not too sweet. I was a little surprised by the color but it didn't taste like taro like I would've expected. read more
4 years ago
I came here after attending an event around the corner. I was looking for a spot to hang out, people watch, and have good food and a couple of drinks. I got there at 8 and they closed at 9. I decided to just get takeout instead. This place is nice, bright, and trendy. They have a "selfie wall" upstairs for those great IG shots. There's also an outside sitting area but it was too cold to sit out there. The music playing was very good. I don't know who's responsible for the music but they did a great job. The people working in there were very friendly. I didn't feel rushed at all. I ended up getting a bulgogi bowl, bulgogi bao, spring rolls, and a watermelon tea. Everything came up to around $40 minus tip. I was starving and ended up eating the spring rolls in the parking lot. They were AMAZING! Pretty sure they were the best spring rolls I've had in a long time. The bulgogi bowl was alright. It seemed kind of "dry" and the bulgogi kind of reminded me of steak ums. There was a small portion of kimchi in the bowl. You may need to ask for extra if you're a kimchi lover like myself. The bao were pretty good. Overall, everything was pretty good. I'd definitely come back earlier in the evening, eat in and try other menu items. I saw some pretty interesting milk teas that I'd love to try. read more
This was first experience trying Korean foods, so we got a little mixture of things to try. We got the katsu bao (yummmmm!), the bulgogi rice bowl (first time trying both bulgogi and kimchi and oof, delish), crab Rangoon, and the shrimp summer rolls. The summer rolls changed my life. I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since yesterday when I tried it! The katsu was amazing. Bulgogi was yum. Crab Rangoon was ehhhh not as good as others I've had. I can't wait to come back and try the pork belly baos! Overall service was nice and the seating was plenty during late afternoon. read more
Stumbled in here for some snacks around lunchtime. When you walk in, you order at the counter, pay, and wait until your number is called. It's self seating so you can switch wherever you like that's available. They're pretty good about calling your number/name out as items are ready. Our drinks were ready first, then eventually our food. We ordered some Bao Bund and some spring rolls. All very tasty food items and drinks! The ambiance inside is also really cute! read more
3 years ago
Always a reliable place to come back to. I usually get the bao buns (4) sampler, banh mi, and a boba tea. Staff is nice and plenty of seating inside. Cute inside read more
So I only came here because this place had really good reviews! It was take out only. They had outdoor seating but you were on your own out there. So the fries were absolutely delicious!! The seasoning were yummy!! The baos on the other hand were not what I expected. They were a little bland. The flavor was there but it wasn't. Not sure if that makes sense. Maybe because once we got the food it was kinda cold after waiting 20 minutes....so I dunno but it was quite disappointing. read more
2 years ago
It was a nice, warm day (though a tad muggy?), so I remembered that this place had this sweet patio seating (not to mention their sweet selection of foods and drinks)... This time, I opted for their "Budacai Baos", which included 4 varieties of Bao...Bulgogi, Katsu, Pork Belly and Grilled Pork. And they were DEE-Lish...each and every one!! For drinks, I tried their Taro Milk Tea with Boba...and also very, very delicious! I was a bit disappointed that the place was still closed for indoor dining (despite the improvements in Covid rates as of late)...and that everything is only boxed up to go (or eat outdoors). Maybe next time, the place will finally be fully operational? Still, had a great meal on their patio...and managed to even get some "artsy" foodie pics of the Baos lol! read more
The kids and I tried this place for the first time. The Customer Service was great and with this being our first time the cashier explained the best options. The kids got boba tea and I got an iced caramel macchiato - they were all delicious. We sat in and drank our beverages since we were just stopping through but we will definitely be back for more boba and food! Worth a try!! read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
The food was stupendous! The bubble teas were very flavorful. Bulgogi nachos were out of this world! The service was great the people at the counter were super friendly. The ambiance was good, interesting art- there was a statue of the monkey king, a painting of him and a golden dragon. Loved it! read more
I'm probably on the basic list at Budacai as I typically just order a medium Thai milk tea. For me it's the perfect combination of sweet and creamy. The employees are always friendly, greeting you upon walking in and answering any questions. They have a pretty extensive drink menu that can be further customized with add ons. Their new winter melon flavor sounded interesting, but I went with my usual. When not in the midst of a global pandemic, there's a cool little upstairs loft area with a few tables and a cool wall with fake grass and roses on it - perfectly Instagramable. They do have food, which I need to try but always forget about. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Fantastic boba tea shop! I was blown away when I walked in. Not much to see on the outside but the inside makes you feel like you're in a fantasy. The decor is nice with natural lighting beaming in from all angles. The whole place is IG worthy so make sure you go with a full charged battery on your phone. The food looks amazing but I'll have to come back for that another time. I stopped by for a slushy and it was delicious. I got a small but it was enough for me; especially after a big dinner. It was just the right amount of sweetness, not too sugary. Overall, fantastic customer service! The young lady at the front helping me was high energy and didn't rush me. She was very kind and also made sure that I entered the drawing and get a punch card. This was about 6:30 p.m. -- loved that she was enthusiastic and putting 110% while on job duty. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Budacai is that place. Always has been and probably always will. I love budacai and at this point I need them to sponser me because if I lived closer I would go daily, go broke buying so many boba drinks and become a sign spinner. My sign would absolutely have their logo on it and I would probably be sent to jail for terribly spinning my illegally obtained sign outside their building. Actually, that could work in my favor if the right person posts it on TikTok so I think I know what I'll be doing after the new year starts. read more
This shop is so cute! I love the upstairs area and how photo friendly they made it. The food is very tasty and I like all of the options I have to choose from when customizing my tea. It took me a while to choose everything so I appreciate the staff being patient and answering all of my questions about the menu, they were very nice. Whenever I'm in downtown Raleigh and want some small bites or something sweet, I swing by here. read more
3 years ago
Budacai is a very cute boba + fusion food place in downtown Raleigh. I work in the area, so I just walked from my workplace, but for those driving, beware--parking is terrible in downtown. The decor is adorable. There's upstairs and downstairs seating, and there's a photo wall and a foosball table upstairs. Service was great. Now for the food + drink. I got the strawberry lemonade with boba and strawberry heart jelly, which was so delicious and very cute. The fried tofu rice bowl, however, was not. The bowl was bland, and I had to put heaps of soy sauce on it for it to taste like anything. My total bill came to around $20, which I didn't think was worth it--especially not for the food. I would come back here for the drinks in a heartbeat, but I'd recommend going elsewhere for dinner. read more
Budacai is a welcome addition to downtown Raleigh, occupying a great space in the Skyhouse apartment building. Inside it's all mod Asian cafe with a decent menu of boba tea, beer, bao (buns), and small plates. Order at the counter and you'll have your food brought out to you at one of the many two tops on the lower level. But surprise, follow the staircase on the side up to a loft area where there's additional seating overlooking the main dining area. Decor is kitschy and colorful with a hero monkey mural, lit cube seating and a greenery-flower mural upstairs, perfect for your IG pix. Conceptually, I like what they're trying to do here with the concept and decor but the food is a bit lack-luster. I've eaten here twice doing bao, spring rolls and popcorn chicken and it's always just ok. A bit under-seasoned which is odd. But let's see where this place goes, since it's new. Hoping for more from Budacai Boba Bar! read more
I've been excited to try Budacai ever since I saw that flower wall on Instagram and Su's tasty boba tea. She had super cute heart shaped boba in her's! I went in with a friend for an early lunch and the space did not disappoint. It's super open and airy with a ton of natural light. The girl working the counter was super friendly and explained the menu to use. I ended up starting with the milk cap Thai tea, super tasty! For lunch we went a bit overboard! We ordered the waffle, katsu buns, popcorn chicken, and bulgogi nachos. The bulgogi nachos were delicious, but I wish they had a bit more toppings on the bottom layer of chips. I'd still definitely get them again. The popcorn chicken was a second favorite followed by the katsu buns. The waffle was tasty, you could really taste the coconut milk, and the side of fruit was a good mix of things (strawberry, mango, blueberry, kiwi), but the waffle was super soft and didn't have any type of crunch on the outside. Looking forward to heading in again soon and trying out more items! read more
8 years ago
Budacai Boba Bar Bites, located in downtown Raleigh is the newest boba tea bar that features bar drinks and appetizers. The décor is fantastically decorated with Dragon Ball theme. The giant Monkey King statue is amazing and the artwork surrounding the walls is phenomenal. Upstairs level is a nice lounge where you can eat and chill with your friends. Be sure to take advantage of the selfie station with selfie lighting to take pictures of you and your friends. Budacai drinks include a variety of fruit teas, milk tea, and milk cap teas with a splash of alcohol if preferred. Additional toppings include: *boba *egg pudding *herbal jelly *lychee jelly *mango star jelly *blueberry jelly *strawberry heart jelly *crystal boba *fresh fruits *milk/egg/matcha cap You can specify the sweetness and ice levels, and you can customize and build your own boba tea. The base tea is freshly brewed but each drink is made to order. There are two sizes: small and large. I have tried the following teas: *Matcha Milk Cap Tea *Lavender Milk Cap Tea *Vietnamese Coffee *Budacai Milk Cap Tea *Jasmine Milk Cap Tea *Thai Milk Cap Tea It was great trying out the different flavored teas and paired each tea with lychee jelly and boba toppings. The matcha and jasmine teas are my favorite! *Budacai offers free wi-fi *Full bar drinks *Stays open late night until 11pm on the weekends *The service was friendly *Order at the counter and wait for your order number to be called My Bar Bites recommendations are: *Ramen noodle bowls, the broth is very flavorful *Pandan waffles topped with confetti sugar and strawberry. The waffle batter is light and crispy in between waffle bites *Bulgagi nachos with flank steak, Kim Chee and jalapeños *Edamame *Popcorn chicken, tender morsels of chicken that's lightly breaded and deep fried to perfection *Braised pork belly steam buns *Vegetarian Tofu steam buns *Crab Rangoons Budacai Boba Bar Bites emphasis is on QUALITY with in house fresh made ingredients. I was not a fan of boba toppings until I have tried Budacai's home made boba, which was soft and chewy (just perfect). I highly recommend Budacai's boba and milk cap teas! Be sure to have your ID ready if you are planning to add alcohol to your boba tea. read more
8 years ago
I saw Budacai before it opened up and was curious to try it out bc who doesn't like boba?!! I recently became conscious of the one-time use plastic containers from boba stores and decided to use a mason jar instead. I called the store in advance to make sure I could use it and the response was YES!! :) The inside of Budacai is decorated with the Monkey King which I thought it was so adorable! Ordering my boba was a bit hard bc I didn't know which one I wanted to try (there are so many options!!). I ended up getting one Lavender Milk Tea and one Thai Milk Tea (they looked really cute in my mason jars). I personally thought lavender flavor could be a bit stronger, but nonetheless, it was super delish. I honestly cannot wait to try all the flavors and try actual food bites in the future! read more
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Frank L.
Jiyoung - Thank you so much for your feedback and your visit with us.…
Ended up at Budacai after bailing on a well reviewed place down the street--which was way beyond my budget. Budacai was super friendly, super chill, and offered a lot of exciting options. I ended up choosing the flight of bao. Wonderfully soft rolls, wonderfully flavorful meats, and fantastic textures throughout. Dessert got a hot Thai coffee (warm and spicy) and a nice price of cheesecake--thick base and a nice pairing with the Thai coffee. Excellent. Environment was relaxing; aesthetic was really pleasing. A strip of lighting over the bench area would slowly transition between colors, which wa a nice touch. Only drawback was a fairly creepy statue over the doorway (would have scared my kids! read more
5 years ago
First time here and will definitely be back! They had run out of boba by the time we went, but makes sense since we went an hour before closing. I got the winter melon tea with golden boba and basil seeds, which was super good. My husband got the jasmine green milk tea, which was brewed so well you could taste the jasmine instantly. They had a cute outdoor seating set up and had some fun stuff to do upstairs. Definitely recommend! read more
2 years ago
Budacai is a must-try spot in the heart of Downtown Raleigh near Moore Square! Take some bao to the park and enjoy the outdoors with some delicious, uniquely flavored buns. We tried the crispy spring rolls, Katsu (fried chicken), pork belly, and lemongrass tofu bao. All were very fresh, hot and absolutely scrumptious. Our only issue was how expensive the bao were. We wished each were about $2 less, and when you're getting multiple buns, that definitely adds up. Honestly, the price is the only thing that has kept us from going back. If cost isn't an issue for you, visit Budacai NOW!!! read more
We were looking for a boba place and saw this and wanted to try it since they also had baos and they look yummy. Ordered black milk tea boba - it was okay - their boba is delicious, but the milk tea did not taste like authentic milk tea (although better than other places I've tried). Still giving them 5 stars because the workers are nice and the baos were delicious! read more
I got this delivered today due to my own personal laziness. The delivery was fast and my food came still warm/the tea was not watered down from melted ice! So that was a plus in my book. The tea was so cute and had such a pretty color to it! In terms of milk teas, it wasn't my best and it wasn't my worst. I would definitely get it again! I also got the katsu buns. They were a bit bland for my taste. If they had a bit of a sauce I think they would be so good. The katsu was cooked well and the cabbage was delicious! I just would've liked more flavor. Overall, I will definitely come back! I hope to be able to go in person one day so I can really see what all the place has to offer. From pictures it looks very cute :) Maybe I will have to make a visit after covid-restriction times! read more
What are you still doing reading reviews? Go get you some!! You can not go wrong with anything you get. It depends on what you like. Today I got the black tea milk cap (I'm a plain sorta girl!). My husband had the coffee milk and he drank it in 5 mins. We got food as well and wow! So much delicious food! Worth the $12-$14 plate. We got: - Crab Rangoon: husbands favorite - Pork Bao: my favorite - Bulgogi soup: perfect amount of noodles, meat and veggies. - Katsu bowl: when I tell you this is A LOT of food, I mean it! Just look at the pic below, it's a meal for two :) - Bulgogi bowl: my kiddo HOUSED this and asked for more. We're definitely heading back tomorrow for some more goodness. read more
4 years ago
Stopped in for lunch last week. I got the special dragon fruit team which was very tasty and not too sweet. My friend and I shared the spicy edamame- which was the perf level of spice for me! And I got the avocado summer rolls. I was all tasty. The part I didn't like was that they packaged our food in foam takeout boxes even though we were eating there. The also didn't provide utensils )which would have been useful when the rice paper on my roll broke!) read more
I was a little surprised at the number of food items that this store offers, given that most boba tea shops exclusively focus on teas. After getting my order I realized; it's because the boba isn't that good :( I got the brown sugar milk, and was honestly very disappointed. The point of a brown sugar drink is to cook the boba in the sugar, giving it an extra-chewy texture that you can only achieve with that method of preparation. Budacai just puts normal boba in milk, and adds brown sugar as a sweetener. It's not terrible, but it's not at all what I expected. The boba quality was just alright, but the popcorn chicken I got was great. It was a large portion, but at $7, that's to be expected. If you're picky about boba quality and you're coming here, probably better to stick to the food. read more
First time stopping by today and I loved my experience. I ordered the kimchi fried rice with bulgogi, shrimp summer rolls, and winter melon tea with golden boba. The portion sizes were huge so you definitely get your monies worth! The shrimp summer rolls were perfection!!! The tea was amazing as well. The kimchi fried rice was solid but I wasn't a huge fan of the bulgogi here. It wasn't bad at all but just not what I'm used to. I definitely will come back again because there are so many items I want to try! For those foodies who are like me and always worry about finding parking, don't fret, there's a gravel lot right beside it that charges hourly. read more
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More info about Budacai
Ask the Community - Budacai
Are they still serving up foods (for dine-in customers) on paper plates/cups, long after the Covid pandemic?
What is a milk cap?
It's a mixture made from milk, cream cheese, and salt that's floated on top of the tea.
Are they open for dine-in as of now?
Nope, went yesterday and still take out only.
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